Escarpment Trail is a 3.4km, grade 4 hike located in the Kennedy Range National Park, Western Australia. The hike should take around 1.25 hrs to complete.
Hike overview
You can start this 3.4 kilometre trail either from the Draper Gorge Car Park or Temple Gorge campground. If you are capable of going up and down steep sections, getting to the top of the escarpment is well worth the considerable effort as you will be rewaRoaded with panoramic views.
The key tip for doing this trail to avoid considerable drama is not to undertake it too late in the day. You are looking at a good 2 to 3 hours to do this 3.4km trail and you dont want to be caught out in the dark on this one. The marked trail follows a rocky creek bed into a narrow gorge. It soon starts climbing steeply and there are loose rocks and cliff edges to negotiate. For the easiest route always look out for the next trail marker. After some effort, you reach the top and veer left following a distinct trail across flat terrain to a lookout for stunning panoramic views. Looking down on Temple Gorge campground, caravans and camper trailers look so minute and insignificant in this vast landscape. You also get a great perspective of cliff faces and promotories that make up the escarpment jutting out onto the barren plains. Unfortunately, what goes up must come down, which is where walking poles come in very handy.
Route and GPX file
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Tips
Start Point: Either Drapers or Temple Gorge Car Park, Kennedy Range National Park, 150km from Carnarvon which is 900km (9.5hours) north of Perth
End Point: End at either Drapers or Temple Gorge Car Parks
Region: Kennedy Range National Park, Coral Coast
For more information, a location map and GPS file please visit Trails WA.
Trail location
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Gallery
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About the region
Scenic landscapes, wilderness, wildflowers, camping, walk trails, night skies, geology – gemstones and marine fossils (to observe only), bird watching and outback photography are some of the attractions at Kennedy Range National Park. Kennedy Range is known as 'Mundatharrda’ to the local Inggarda Aboriginal language group. Kennedy Range is a vast elevated north-south oriented sandstone plateau between 12 and 25km wide and about 75km long. The rocks that comprise the range were originally deposited beneath the sea. Over time they were compressed to form sandstone, then faulted, uplifted and tilted towards the west. Subsequent erosion has isolated the plateau 80m above the surrounding plain. The vegetation of the plain is acacia shrubland (mostly mulga), which shades an abundance of seasonal understory of flowering annuals (including everlastings).
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Gear to consider

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Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.