Hawks Head Walk

Hawks Head Walk is a short out-and-back from Hawks Head Walk Carpark to a viewing deck above the Murchison River gorge. The mapped path is about 135 metres each way, or roughly 0.17 mile (270 metres) return; published distance estimates range from about 200 to 300 metres. Allow around 15 minutes for the walk and time at the deck. The sealed, even path has no steps or steep sections and is suitable for unassisted wheelchair users and prams. If you are already driving through the eastern gorge, this is an easy stop for a big view; the lookout is the whole payoff.

The Murchison winds below the platform through the park’s red Tumblagooda Sandstone gorge. Hawks Head is named for a hawk-shaped rock seen from the lookout, though it can take a moment to pick out; the interpretive panels help you read the rock layers and explain restoration work in the gorge. The sandstone was laid down in the Silurian, roughly 400 to 430 million years ago, and later uplift let the river cut into the plateau. Black-flanked rock-wallabies have been reported on the rocks below, but a sighting is incidental.

The adjoining picnic area has shelter, BBQs and accessible toilets, so it works well as a short leg-stretch stop. There is no drinking water in Kalbarri National Park, and December through April can be very hot; bring water from town. Wildflowers are a reason to visit the wider park from July through October. National Park entry fees apply, and pets are not permitted anywhere in the park.