2026.07 - The Loop Walk - Kalbarri
Xander & Leanne take advantage of a spare day in the mid-west for an iconic adventure!
In the heart of Kalbarri National Park are Nature’s Window and The Loop walking trail. Over the years they have seen a lot of investment making them some of the most accessible icons of the Murchison River Gorge.
This striking landscape has a way of calling us back every few years, whether for a day trip like this one or my multi-day adventures into the untracked regions of the canyon.
Our winter 2026 visit came the day after a 10 day kayaking expedition in Shark Bay. Injuries, a restaurant dinner and a night in a real bed didn’t exactly motivate us to an early start, but the idea of driving home without making the most of our location encouraged us to get out and do the walk anyway.
Before the walk had even begun we were both struck by the rugged beauty of the river cutting through the landscape and exposing millions of years of sedimentary rock.
The trail starts high, on an exposed ridgeline. We took our time enjoying the vibrant wildflowers and interesting rock formations.
After a while the trail descended into the gorge, the scrub giving way to occasional eucalypts as we entered the riparian zone.
At this point the warning signs become more frequent, reminding visitors to avoid heat exhaustion. By contrast, we found a dip in the river combined with the wind tunnel effect of the gorge acted like an evaporative air conditioner.
Immediately after the descent the trail narrows to its most technical point, we navigated along exposed rock ledges further into the gorge.
I especially enjoyed the gum trees growing straight out of the rocks!
The second half of the walk is spent on the sandy riverbank, we paused regularly to admire more stunning rock formations.
Shortly after passing a rapid we began seeing and hearing more people and new the end, and ice cream at the Skywalk Cafe, was getting close.
We paused for a victory photo back at Nature’s Window before returning to the comfort of our car, satisfied with another day enjoying this iconic location.
But not all of Kalbarri’s best views are found on the trail.
