Kermit's Pool

From Weano Gorge car park, descend ladders to the creek, then work downstream over ledges and a rough creek bed, wading through cold pools. The walls tighten at the Spider Walk, where you brace across the narrowing passage and move along both sides. The distance sounds short, but the obstacles make it slow going.

The rope and stop sign mark the public trail end; turn back there. The gorge continues beyond, but that section is considered too dangerous. Gorge water can be extremely cold, especially from April to September, and diving or jumping is unsafe because depth and underwater hazards vary. Don't enter when rain is falling in the area; leave immediately if it starts, because flash floods can occur.

The gorge walls expose banded iron formation more than 2.5 billion years old. Those layers began as iron- and silica-rich sediment on an ancient sea floor, then were buried, hardened, buckled and cracked. Rivers cut into the uplifted rock and erosion opened the steep-sided gorge; the same layers and narrow slots frame the pool.

Start at Weano Gorge car park. The nearby Weano picnic area, the day-use base, has toilets, shaded seating and barbecue facilities. Those are up at the picnic area, not down at the pool. Expect to get wet and keep your phone or camera in a waterproof pouch. At the marked end, leave some of the close banded walls around the pool in the frame; it shows the water in its setting better than a tight crop.