Jubura (Fern Pool)

Jubura (Fern Pool) is a 0.87 mile walk out and back from Fortescue Falls Carpark. Follow the path to Fortescue Falls Lookout, descend the gorge stairs, then take the separate Fern Pool detour. Allow about 1½ hours for the full outing, plus extra time if you want a long swim. The shady pool is a good reward for the climb; if the stairs are too much, you can turn around at Fortescue Falls.

The 600 metre return figure for Fern Pool starts at the bottom of the Fortescue Falls steps. The carpark to falls approach is another 800 metres return, so the full carpark outing is about 1.4 kilometres. The route is out and back along the same corridor, and the map draws that corridor once.

The first section is a concrete path to the lookout, followed by steep metal grid stairs. At the bottom, the Fern Pool path follows rough rock and gravel with short metal grid sections near the water. The return climb up the stairs is the hardest part of the walk.

Paperbarks and delicate ferns ring this shaded pool beneath the red gorge walls. A low waterfall spills across the far side, and swimming is allowed. Fern Pool is a culturally significant place to Aboriginal people, so enter the water quietly. Access above the pool is not permitted.

Fortescue Falls is a permanent, spring fed waterfall on the way down. It drops more than 20 metres over natural rock steps, and the lookout sits above Dales Gorge, which is about 100 metres deep. The red cliffs are part of a landscape carved from rock more than 2.5 billion years old.

Flash floods can happen quickly: do not enter the gorge if rain is falling in the area, and leave if rain starts. Gorge pools can be extremely cold, especially from April through September; do not dive or jump. Summer temperatures often exceed 40°C, so even this short walk can be a hot outing. Pets are not allowed in the park.

Dales Campground is within easy reach and has toilets and picnic tables. Those facilities are a separate stop, not at Fern Pool.