The Loop Trail

From the parking area, stairs lead onto a sealed path with lookouts over the gorge. The final approach to Nature’s Window is rockier. The wind-worn opening in the sandstone frames the river below; it’s the landmark most people come for, and the short walk ends here. For the classic photo, keep the river in the opening so the layered rock frames the gorge beyond. The Loop continues farther into the gorge. Follow the marked route past the window rather than turning back at the short-walk endpoint.

The trail gives you changing views of the Murchison’s switchback bends. One stretch runs high along the gorge rim; then the route drops toward river level, where sand, uneven rock and short rock hops replace the firmer upper path. Sandy banks and river gums line parts of the lower walk. The sand can slow you down, and there is little shade once you are in the gorge. Expect a proper hike, not a smooth path between viewpoints. Keep an eye on the white route markers where the terrain changes; hikers describe the line as generally clear but some stretches less obvious.

The red-and-white bands are Tumblagooda Sandstone, laid down on tidal flats roughly 400–430 million years ago. Ripple marks around Nature’s Window formed under shallow-sea waves. Look at the overhangs near The Loop for root-like marks: they are fossilized burrows made by ancient worms, and the tracks on flatter surfaces record animals crossing damp sediment. The rock is doing more than making the gorge colorful; it preserves traces of an old shoreline and the life that moved across it.