Jubula (Fortescue Falls)

Jubula (Fortescue Falls) is an 800 m out-and-back from Fortescue Falls Carpark to the base of the waterfall, via Fortescue Falls Lookout. It is a moderate Class 3 walk, and allows about an hour for the return. It earns that time: the walk is short, but the stair descent and the climb back out take effort. The lookout comes before the steps, so if you want a gorge view without the descent, it is a natural turn-around point.

A path leads from the car park to the rim lookout. From there the gorge drops away below, with Fortescue Falls tumbling down the layered wall. Seats at the lookout give you a pause before the descent. The route then follows a substantial stairway with handrails; metal-grid steps connect the upper concrete path to a short rocky finish beside the water. The return uses the same corridor, so the steep section becomes the climb out. Visitors often find the stairs the hardest part. Slow down on the natural rock near the pool, which can be slick when wet.

Fortescue Falls is spring-fed and one of Karijini’s few permanent waterfalls. More than 20 m of water drops over natural rock steps into a fern-lined pool, an unusually lush pocket against the dry red landscape above Dales Gorge. From the lookout, frame the full fall against the curved gorge wall; at the bottom, include the stepped cascade and pool together to show the tiers in the rock. Swimming is permitted, but the water can be very cold, especially from April to September. Do not dive or jump.

The walls around Dales Gorge belong to the Hamersley Range’s iron-rich sedimentary layers. Those rocks were deposited between about 2.8 and 2.2 billion years ago, and erosion cut the range into the deep gorges you see today. The red terraces and dark bands give the waterfall a strong contrast with the green ferns gathered around its pool.

Fern Pool, called Jubura in the visitor guide, is a separate 600 m return detour from the bottom of the Fortescue Falls steps; it is not included in Jubula’s 800 m. A longer creek-side trail continues through Dales Gorge beyond the falls toward Three Ways Lookout. If you have time, that turns the stop into a longer gorge visit, but it is a different hike with rougher going. The Dales Recreation Area has toilets and a lookout/deck listed among its facilities, though their position relative to this particular trailhead is not clear.

The short distance hides a steep climb down and back up. Flash floods can occur in Karijini’s gorges: do not enter if rain is falling nearby and leave promptly if it starts while you are below the rim. Summer temperatures around Dales can exceed 40°C, so carry water before descending. The gorge pools can be very cold, especially from April to September. Pets are not permitted in Western Australia’s national parks.