Caravanning the Pilbara: WA’s Red Heart Meets the Coast
If you’ve ever looked at a map of Western Australia and wondered what’s up past Exmouth, the answer is the Pilbara, and it might just be the most spectacular stretch of country you’ll ever tow a caravan through. Ancient red ranges, gorges cut by water over billions of years, turquoise coastline, and some of the darkest night skies in the country. It’s raw, it’s remote, and it’s genuinely unlike anywhere else in Australia.
We get a lot of customers here at Cannington RV who are planning their first big lap north, and the Pilbara always comes up as one of the highlights. Here’s what you need to know before you point the van north.
Where exactly is the Pilbara?
The Pilbara sits roughly 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, stretching from the coastal towns of Onslow and Karratha inland to Tom Price, Newman, and the vast Karijini National Park. It’s one of the oldest landscapes on the planet, with banded iron formations that were laid down around 2.5 billion years ago, long before anything living existed to see them. That geology is exactly why the region looks the way it does: burnt orange ridgelines, deep purple gorges, and rust-red plains that seem to glow at sunrise.
It’s also serious mining country. Iron ore built this region, and towns like Tom Price, Newman, and Karratha still carry that mining town energy alongside a growing tourism scene. Don’t be surprised to see road trains and mine machinery sharing the highway with your rig.
Karijini National Park: the must-do for any caravanner
Karijini is the reason most people put the Pilbara on their bucket list, and it lives up to the hype. The park covers more than 627,000 hectares of gorge country, with swimming holes, waterfalls, and slot canyons carved through layer after layer of ancient rock.
If you’re towing, the sensible approach is to set up camp at Dales Campground inside the park, or base yourself in Tom Price or Newman just outside it, and use your tow vehicle to explore from there. The access roads into gorges like Weano, Joffre Falls, and Knox Gorge are sealed but narrow, and towing through those sections isn’t recommended. Once you’re unhitched, though, the gorges are absolutely worth the detour. Fortescue Falls and its swimming hole make a great first stop, and Handrail Pool (where you lower yourself down a rock face using a fixed chain to reach the pool below) is one of the more memorable swims you’ll have in this country.
Booking ahead matters here. Both campgrounds inside the park fill up fast in peak season, and if you’re chasing a spot during the Karijini Experience festival around Easter, book well in advance.
The coast: Onslow, Dampier, and Karratha
The Pilbara isn’t just red dirt and gorges, it has a genuinely beautiful coastline too. Onslow is a relaxed spot to base yourself for a night or two, known for its Sunset and Sunrise beaches and, if your timing lines up, the Staircase to the Moon phenomenon.
Further along, Dampier and the Dampier Archipelago offer fishing, boating, and a strong dose of Indigenous history, with the 42 islands of the archipelago drawing plenty of keen anglers. From July to September you might spot migrating whales offshore as a bonus.
Karratha is the region’s main hub and a good place to restock, refuel, and take a night in a proper caravan park before pushing on. It’s got a handful of options set up for big rigs, so it’s worth booking ahead if you’re travelling in a larger van.
Millstream Chichester National Park
Don’t skip Millstream on your way between the coast and the gorges. The old Millstream Homestead now serves as the park’s visitor centre, and a walk around Jirndawurrunha Pool followed by a sunset at Cliff Lookout is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. If you’ve got the legs for it, the drive up to Mount Herbert rewards you with sweeping views across the plains, and Python Pool near the park’s edge is a great spot to cool off before you carry on.
Station stays: a different side of the Pilbara
One of the best things about travelling this region is the number of working cattle stations that have opened their gates to travellers. A station stay gives you the best of both worlds: the solitude and space of the outback, often with private gorges or waterholes to yourself, plus the option of a cooked meal, a real bed, or a guided tour if you want it. Cheela Plains Station, roughly halfway between Exmouth and Karijini, is a well-known example and a good overnight break if you’re doing the coast-to-gorges run in one hit.
When to go
The Pilbara is best travelled in the cooler, drier months from around April to October. Summer brings serious heat (well into the 40s isn’t unusual) as well as cyclone season, which can close roads and campgrounds with little notice. If you can time your trip for the shoulder months either side of the school holiday peaks, you’ll get quieter gorges, better weather, and more availability at the caravan parks and station stays along the way.
What to know before you tow north
A few practical things worth sorting before you leave home:
- Tyres matter more than usual out here. Reduce pressure on gravel sections (around 28-30 PSI is a common guide) and carry at least one spare, two if you’re planning any unsealed detours off the main routes. A good tyre repair kit is essential gear, not an optional extra.
- Distances are real. Fuel stops can be well over 100km apart in places, so know your range and don’t let the tank get low before you plan your next fill.
- Check road conditions before side trips. Some tracks require permits, and conditions can change quickly after rain, so a call to the local visitor centre before you head off the main highway is time well spent.
- Get your van properly checked before you go. A full service, a look over your suspension and brakes, and a check of your battery and water setup will save you a headache a thousand kilometres from the nearest workshop.
- Carry the basics for the remote stretches. Extra food and water, a first aid kit, and a decent tool kit are worth having on board, along with a plan for who you’ll check in with along the way.
A trip worth the distance
The Pilbara asks a bit more of you than a coastal lap of the south west, longer distances, hotter days, and a bit more planning. But the payoff is a part of Australia that genuinely feels ancient, with gorges and coastline most travellers never get around to seeing. If you’re weighing up whether your caravan is ready for a trip like this, or want to talk through what setup suits off-road detours and gorge country best, come in and chat with the team at Cannington RV Centre. We love helping Perth families plan their next big adventure north.