Towing the Western Gibb: The Mitchell Falls Turn-off to Derby

The 416 km western stretch from the Mitchell Falls turn-off to Derby is what we call the ‘Reward’ leg of the Gibb River Road. This is the land of ancient limestone ranges, deep tiered pools and the most iconic gorge swims in Australia.

Whether you’ve just survived the red-dirt corrugations of the Mitchell Plateau or you’re pushing west from the eastern shakedown, this guide focuses on the ‘Gorge Crawl’. We’ll show you how to time your visits to Manning, Bell and Windjana to beat the tour crowds. Importantly, you’ll finish the Gibb with your rig (and your budget) intact.

This guide continues from the eastern section of the trip or from the Mitchell Plateau, if you took that option. Welcome to Part 2 of our 14-day Kimberley guide.

Timeline note: if you completed the trip to Mitchell Falls, the day number for you in this section will be greater. Think of the day numbers as the days on the Gibb Road itself.

Welcome to Part 2: The Gorge Crawl

This western stretch is what most people picture when they dream about the Gibb River Road: ancient swimming holes carved into billion-year-old rock, morning swims before the heat hits and that growing sense of accomplishment as Derby gets closer. Your rig has been shaken down, you’ve found your rhythm and now it’s time to collect the gorges.

If you missed Part 1: Towing the Eastern Gibb: Kununurra to the Mitchell Falls Turn-off. That page also lists the itinerary in the opposite direction.

The budget tracker kicks in here too. The Gibb isn’t a cheap trip. But we’ve structured this itinerary to balance paid station stays (where the access justifies the cost) with low-cost and free camps that’ll keep your wallet from completely emptying.

Western Gibb River Road Quick Facts

• Duration: 8 Days (Leg 2 of the 14-day itinerary, Days 6–14)
• Distance: 416 km main track (+74 km for station access roads: Mt Elizabeth 60 km return, Manning Gorge 14 km return) | 125 km sealed bitumen, ~291 km unsealed track (Day trips additional)
• Start / Finish: Mitchell Falls Turn-off / Gibb River Campground to Derby (or reverse)
• Best Months: May to September (Dry Season)
• Road Conditions: ~291 km unsealed dirt track featuring severe corrugations, sharp shale, and active creek crossings, alongside 125 km of sealed bitumen heading into Derby
• Caravan Suitability: Single-axle off-road hybrid caravans, heavy-duty off-road campers, and rugged 4WD setups only (Standard on-road caravans NOT recommended)
• Camping Cost: Budget-friendly to moderate; excellent balance of quality unserviced free/low-cost bush camps (e.g., March Fly Glen, Frog Hole, Lennard River) and iconic paid station/gorge stays (Manning Gorge, Mt Elizabeth)
• Fuel Availability: Mt Barnett Roadhouse (Diesel & ULP), Imintji Community Store (Diesel ONLY), and Derby (finish). Maintain a minimum 600 km working fuel range
• Mobile Reception: Extremely limited/none between Mt Barnett and Derby (Telstra/Optus town coverage near Derby only). Starlink or Satellite Communicator strongly recommended
• Pet Suitability: Very Restricted / Not Recommended; strictly prohibited in National Parks along this section (Silent Grove/Bell Gorge, Windjana Gorge, and Tunnel Creek) and prohibited on all gorge walking trails
• Highlights: Manning Gorge, Mt Elizabeth Station (Warla Gorge), Galvans Gorge, Adcock Gorge, Bell Gorge, Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, and Derby’s Boab Prison Tree
• Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced Off-Road Towing
• Who This Trip Suits: Self-sufficient off-road tourers wanting the Kimberley’s highest concentration of world-class gorges, freshwater swimming holes, and dramatic geological walks
• Last Verified: July 2026

Gibb River Road Map

To aid in your planning, we have carefully prepared a map of the route and an optional side trip to Mitchell Falls. Later in the article, there is an interactive map for more information (jump to interactive map).

Western Gibb Itinerary at a Glance

• Day 6: Gibb River Campground to Mt Elizabeth Station (~72 km)
• Day 7: Mt Elizabeth Station Basecamp (Warla Gorge & Wunnamurra 4WD Track)
• Day 8: Mt Elizabeth Station to Manning Gorge / Mt Barnett (~68 km)
• Day 9: Manning Gorge Exploration (The “Drum Swim” & Falls Hike)
• Day 10: Manning Gorge to Frog Hole / March Fly Glen via Galvans & Adcock Gorges (~38 km)
• Day 11: Frog Hole to March Fly Glen (Bell Gorge Plunge Pool & Waterfall Hike) (~65 km)
• Day 12: March Fly Glen to Lennard River Campground (~85 km)
• Day 13: Day Trip to Windjana Gorge & Tunnel Creek (~114 km return)
• Day 14: Lennard River Campground to Derby (~125 km)

Days 6-7: Mt Elizabeth Station

Budget Tracker: Paid Station Stay

From Gibb River Campground, it’s a 72 km drive west to the Mt Elizabeth Station turnoff. The station is another 30 km down a well-maintained access road.

Yes, it’s a paid station stay. No, we’re not apologising for including it.

Mt Elizabeth offers something you won’t find anywhere else on the Gibb: exclusive access to two genuinely spectacular gorges that you want to see. The gorge experiences are worth every cent.

For details on the campground, including cost, visit our Mt Elizabeth Station page.

Warla Gorge

This gorge can be saved for the day after you arrive if you do not want to tackle Wunnamurra Gorge. Alternatively, you could do it in the afternoon you arrive and shave a day off your trip, or just relax: it’s up to you.

If you’ve been hammering corrugations all morning, Warla Gorge is the perfect place to unwind. It’s a relatively easy short walk through paperbark-lined country to a deep, cool swimming hole surrounded by red cliffs. We visited late in the day, and the colours were amazing.

Wunnamurra Gorge (Day 7 Challenge)

This one’s different. Wunnamurra requires a serious 4WD track due to steep descents, rocky sections and the kind of driving that’ll have you questioning your tyre choice. Leave the caravan at camp; this is a day-vehicle-only mission.

The payoff is a gorge that feels completely untouched. The swimming hole at the end is deep, the walls tower above you and you’ll likely have the place to yourself.

Not everyone will want to tackle Wunnamurra, and that’s fine. If your rig or confidence isn’t up for it, spend Day 7 relaxing at camp or doing a second Warla visit in a different light.

Days 8-9: Manning Gorge Campground (Mt Barnett)

Budget Tracker: Paid Campground (Manning Gorge Campground)

The drive from Mt Elizabeth to Manning Gorge Campground is 68 kilometres of typical Gibb to the Mt Barnett Roadhouse: corrugations, creek crossings and that relentless red dust.

At the roadhouse, you need to check in and pay for the camping. While there, grab any groceries you need (needless to say, it is not budget-friendly) and water. As you pass the gate, you can dump any rubbish that you have.

Manning Gorge Campground (click for campground details) is a 7 km drive along a narrow track from Mt Barnett Roadhouse.

The Legendary Swimming Hole

Manning Gorge is, for many travellers, the highlight of the entire Gibb River Road. We’re not going to argue with them.

The walk itself is an experience: you start by crossing the Manning River via a swim, pushing a cut-in-half blue drum in front of you with your gear in it (it’s more fun than it sounds), then follow a 3 km track through monsoon vine forest to the gorge.

Muay’s Tip: Keep in mind that there needs to be some drums for others to use. You may need to swim the drum that you use back before continuing the walk.

What you find at the end is a waterfall cascading into a swimming hole so perfect it almost looks staged. The water is fresh, the depth is serious and the surrounding rock formations have been carved by millennia of wet seasons.

The Morning Walk Strategy (Day 9)

Here’s the move: wake early on Day 9 and hit the trail before the heat builds. By 7am you’ll be swimming in Manning Gorge with maybe one or two other early risers. By 10am, the day-trippers start arriving and the magic dilutes slightly.

Do the walk in the cool of the morning, swim until you’re waterlogged, then return to camp for a lazy afternoon. This is the Gibb done right.

Day 10: The Strategic Gorge Crawl

Budget Tracker: Free Camp (Frog Hole)

Today’s the day you rack up the gorge count. The drive from Mt Barnett to Frog Hole Campground is only about 38 km, but you’ll be stopping a few times.

If needed, you can stop at the roadhouse for supplies, water and/or fuel. We found that you may be waiting a long time for the water.

If you need any tyres repaired or have some nagging mechanical issues, Over the Range Tyre and Mechanical Repairs can help you out. The turn-off is 26.6 km south-west of the Mt Barnett Roadhouse.

Galvans Gorge

About 24 kilometres west of Mt Barnett Roadhouse, Galvans Gorge lies close to the road. The walk in is short (maybe 500 metres) and the swimming hole is surrounded by pandanus palms with a small waterfall feeding the pool.

This is one of the most accessible gorges on the Gibb, which means it can get busy. Mid-morning tends to see the tour groups roll through. If you’re ahead of schedule, push on and double back later in the afternoon.

Frog Hole Campground

Your destination tonight is Frog Hole Campground, a basic bush free camp. After the station fees of the past few days, this is where the budget rebalances.

No facilities beyond what you’ve brought. No phone signal. No worries. Set up camp and relax for a while before discovering the next gem.

You can find information about this campground at Frog Hole Campground.

Adcock Gorge (The Late-Day Trick)

Adcock Gorge is easy to miss if you’re not looking for the turnoff. It’s a short drive off the main road followed by a moderate walk down into the gorge.

Visit Adcock Gorge late in the day when most travellers have already pushed on to their evening camps. Around 4pm, the light drops into the gorge beautifully, the crowds have thinned, and you’ll likely share the swimming hole with nobody but the wallabies. We loved having the place to ourselves. Well, almost.

Just a word of warning. On our walk out, we discovered a freshwater crocodile lazing on a rock about 200m down from the falls. While they are not dangerous, they are generally shy.

Day 11: The Icon (Bell Gorge)

Budget Tracker: Free Camp (March Fly Glen)

This is the day you’ve been waiting for. Bell Gorge is the poster child of the Gibb River Road and the image that graces every tourism brochure and Instagram feed from the Kimberley.

The drive from Frog Hole to March Fly Glen is fairly short at 65 km. Use that saved driving time wisely.

Our March Fly Glen post has all the details you need about this campground.

If you wish to stay closer to Bell Gorge, there is a paid campground at Silent Grove. The fee to stay here is $20 per adult per night.

The Strategy: Set Up Early

March Fly Glen is the closest free campground to Bell Gorge and better sites fill fast in peak season. Arrive by mid-morning, secure your spot, set up camp, have lunch, let the midday heat pass and then head for the gorge in the afternoon.

The drive to the Bell Gorge carpark is 38 km.

The afternoon light at Bell Gorge is spectacular. As the sun drops, the red rock walls glow and the tiered waterfalls catch the light in ways that’ll have you burning through camera storage.

Bell Gorge

The walk from the carpark to Bell Gorge is around 2.5 kilometres return, easy enough but rocky in sections. Decent footwear is non-negotiable.

What you’ll find is a series of tiered waterfalls dropping into deep pools surrounded by ancient red rock. The main swimming hole is at the base of the largest fall, and yes, it’s as good as the photos suggest.

Make sure that you walk to the bottom of the falls, as some people stop at the top.

A word of caution: the rocks can be slippery, the water depth varies and people have been seriously injured here while jumping from heights. Swim smart.

Day 12: Geological Wonders

Budget Tracker: Free Camp (Lennard River)

From March Fly Glen, the Gibb starts its final descent toward the highway. Today’s drive to Lennard River Campground is 85 km and the landscape begins shifting from red ranges to the limestone country that defines the western Kimberley.

Queen Victoria’s Head

Keep your eyes on the ranges as you approach Lennard River. Queen Victoria’s Head is a natural rock formation that looks remarkably like the profile of the old monarch, crown and everything. If you are travelling from the west, you will need to drive past the formation, stop and look back to see the likeness.

It’s one of those landmarks that feels almost too perfect to be natural. Stop for the photo; it’s basically mandatory at this point.

Lennard River Campground

Your home for the next two nights is Lennard River Campground, a designated free camp that’ll make your accountant happy after days of station fees and campground costs.

Facilities are basic (read: non-existent), but the location is perfect for tomorrow’s exploration. The river itself is beautiful, the bird life is prolific and the sense of space is exactly what you came to the Kimberley for. For more information on this camp, see Lennard River Campground.

Rob’s Tip: Before you settle in for the evening, take twenty minutes to check your caravan brakes and wheel bearings. The last thing you want is a mechanical failure with Derby so close. We do this check religiously.

Day 13: Windjana & Tunnel Creek

Budget Tracker: Free Camp (Lennard River for a second night)

Today’s a day trip into deep geological time. You’ll leave the caravan at Lennard River and explore two of Australia’s most extraordinary natural formations.

Windjana Gorge

Windjana Gorge cuts through the Napier Range, a 350-million-year-old Devonian reef system that predates the dinosaurs. The gorge walls are packed with ancient marine fossils and the contrast between the white limestone cliffs and the red Kimberley dirt is striking.

The walk through the gorge is flat and easy, following the sandy bed of the Lennard River. Keep an eye out for freshwater crocodiles. They’re here in numbers on the banks and generally ignore tourists, unless you get too close.

Entry fees apply (national park pass), but given your free camp situation, you’re still well ahead on the budget.

The gorge is a 21 km drive from the campground.

Tunnel Creek

About 36 km from Windjana, Tunnel Creek is exactly what it sounds like: a 750-metre tunnel carved through the Napier Range by an underground creek.

You’ll wade through knee-to-chest-deep water in near-total darkness (take a solid torch), navigating around freshwater crocs (sadly, there were none during our visit) and through chambers where the ceiling opens to reveal jungle-covered sinkholes.

This is one of the Kimberley’s most unique experiences. It’s also the hiding place of the Bunuba resistance leader Jandamarra, who used the cave system during his fight against European colonisation in the 1890s. The history here runs deep.

Day 14: The Victory Lap

Budget Tracker: Derby (various options)

This is it. The final day.

Pack up from Lennard River and point your rig toward Derby. You’ll be on the bitumen immediately, so air-up before leaving camp.

The moment when the steering wheel stops fighting you and the cabin goes quiet is one of the best feelings in overlanding. You’ve done it. You’ve driven the Gibb River Road.

The Run into Derby

The 125 km of sealed road to Derby is easy and fast. After two weeks of careful line selection and tyre-pressure management, you might find yourself accidentally speeding. Ease off; there are plenty of wandering cattle and the local police know that Gibb finishers tend to get overconfident.

You’ve traded red dust for the Derby tides. Congratulations, you’ve just conquered the Gibb.

Derby

Derby itself is a working town, not a tourist hub, and that’s part of its charm. The famous Boab Prison Tree is worth a visit, the mudflats at sunset are spectacular and the pub serves cold beer to people who genuinely need it.

More importantly, Derby has mechanics, tyre shops and all the services you might need before continuing your journey, whether that’s south toward Broome or back east for another crack.

If you have the time and finances for it, you may like to tick off one of Australia’s most renowned experiences while you are in Derby:

Interactive Gibb River Road Map

Below is our free interactive Gibb map. The map shows campground locations, points of interest, starting points for walks and fuel locations. Zoom in to see more details. Click the markers for more information.

For those who jumped to the interactive map, you may return to the static map: click to return.

Western Gibb Essentials

Fuel: Mt Barnett Roadhouse is your key fuel stop between Gibb River Campground and Derby. Imintji Store (near Bell Gorge) also sells fuel (diesel only) but hours can be limited. Derby has multiple servos so fill up before you leave.

Water: Most paid campgrounds offer water. Mt Barnett allows access to water to everyone. At free camps (Frog Hole, Lennard River), you’re on your own. We carry a minimum of 100 litres for these stretches.

Gorge Access Fees: Some gorges charge separate entry fees in addition to camping. Check current pricing and have cash available, as card facilities are unreliable out here.

National Park Passes: Windjana and Tunnel Creek require a national park pass. Buy online before you go.

The Budget Breakdown

Here’s how the western leg shakes out:

Stop	Type	Notes
Mt Elizabeth Station	Paid Campground	Unique gorge access justifies cost
Manning Gorge (Mt Barnett)	Paid Campground	Includes fuel/water/supplies opportunity
Frog Hole	Free Camp	Basic bush camp
March Fly Glen	Free Camp	Bell Gorge access
Lennard River Campground	Free Camp	2 nights, offsets station costs

By alternating between paid stays (where the access or facilities genuinely add value) and free camps (where self-sufficiency pays off), you can do this stretch without breaking the bank.

Heading East? The Derby to Kununurra Reverse Itinerary

For those wishing to complete this trip in reverse, we have provided a summary table of the stays on the other part of this trip. Alternatively, you can click the image below to download a free PDF of the itinerary.

What You’ve Just Done

Two weeks. 712 kilometres (470 km of it unsealed). Countless river crossings, corrugations and gorge swims.

You’ve driven one of Australia’s great adventure roads not as a passenger on a tour bus, but in your own rig, at your own pace, making your own decisions. That’s something worth being proud of.

The Gibb has a way of getting under your skin. Most people who drive it once end up coming back. The gorges look different every year, the road conditions change and there’s always another deviation you didn’t have time for.

If you have the time and the energy, you may want to consider tackling the Gibb’s lesser-known cousin. Duncan Road is an abandoned section of the highway to Wyndham. We cover this adventure in our 8-Day Bungle Bungles & Duncan Road Loop itinerary.

For our stay in Derby, we camped at Kimberley Bushstay.

See you next time.

Other Pages in This Series

• General Information about the Gibb River Road
• Towing the Eastern Gibb: Kununurra to the Mitchell Falls Turn-off: these are the details for days 1 to 6 on the 14-day itinerary.
• Mitchell Falls Side Trip: A 3-Day Caravan Guide from the Gibb: a side trip to Mitchell Falls
• The Gibb River Road Express: 8-Day ‘Best of’ Caravan Itinerary: for those with only 8 days available but want to hit all the best places.

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