Emma Gorge in El Questro Wilderness Park in the Kimberly, Western Australia is one of those places you have to put on your bucket list to visit when travelling between Broome and Darwin. Located on the famous Gibb River Road, the Emma Gorge walk trail is a real highlight for many travellers because it really is that beautiful.
In this guide, I’m sharing everything you need to know about how to get to Emma Gorge, what the trail looks like, how long it takes and whether you can make it in a 2wd car, campervan or motorhome.
While the Kimberley is an amazing region in Australia you need to put on your bucket list, make sure you check out our Scenic Flight Over the Bungle Bungles which you can also do from Kununurra too.
Where is Emma Gorge?
Emma Gorge is located at the end or start of the Gibb River Roard, near the town of Kununnura in the Kimberley, Western Australia. It verges not too far from the Western Australia and Northern Territory border and is a must see when visiting the Kimberley.
You can get here by flying to Kununnura and either hiring a car or jumping on a tour. From Kununnura you can also jump on a tour to see the bucket list Bungle Bungles as well with scenic flights and walk ins to the park too.
If you’re driving, the trip from Broome will take you 11 hours to drive on the Great Northern Highway. If you’re coming from Katherine, it will take you just over 6 hours to get there.
What makes Emma Gorge special?
I have to start by saying Emma Gorge is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Australia that I have personally swam in (and I’ve seen a lot!).
It’s an absolutely breathtaking waterfall and swimming pool that you really need to come here to see it for yourself.
The 65 metre drop waterfall is so impressive, it brought us back to the cenotes in Mexico to be honest. But there’s something more special about it here. With an amazing energy and a moment that will stop you in your tracks as soon as you see shady edge of the waterfall, it is no wonder people say Emma Gorge is the true highlight of El Questro Wilderness Park
Can you get to Emma Gorge in 2wd car, campervan or motorhome?
If you’re wondering, you can get to Emma Gorge in a 2wd car, campervan or motorhome!
While most people travelling the Gibb River Road are in 4wd cars and caravans, we on the other hand were driving our amazing 2wd Star RV motorhome (get 10% using our code LIS24).
We tried to find out as much information about whether we would make it and even went to the Kununurra Tourist Information Office to check before we went there. They said we would be able to make it to Emma Gorge and to Zebedee Springs further down the road.
So we set off and were mesmerised by the incredible mountain scenery while we were driving on the sealed road (it’s basically sealed up to Emma Gorge turn off) before turning off for Zebedee Springs and El Questro Gorge.
Within about two minutes of driving on the Zebedee Springs road we turned around because the road was so corrugated. We managed to drive to Hamerlsey Gorge in Karijini National Park but this time we had to turn around.
So we drove back to the turn off to Emma Gorge where the road into the car park was fine (it’s only a couple of minutes on an unsealed road) until we got to the first of two river crossings.
Now it had rained non-stop the day before arriving and there was water on the road. We didn’t know how deep it was until two cars passed us by. One of the guys driving one of the cars worked at Emma Gorge Resort and told us we’d be fine, and we were! We wondered whether we would need to park on the side of the road and just walk in (it was only a few hundred metres) but there was a sign up saying ‘no parking’.
When you reach the car park, it is for Emma Gorge Resort which is where the track starts for the Emma Gorge walk.
How to get there
If driving, El Questro station at Emma Gorge is located on the Gibb River Road, 83km west of Kununurra. The road is fully sealed from Kununurra, although the 2km driveway is unsealed and with a water crossing, but as mentioned you will get through to Emma Gorge.
If you’d prefer to do a tour, you can book one at the Kununurra Information Centre.
You need to check in and pay before starting the hike
As mentioned, the Emma Gorge walking trail starts from Emma Gorge Resort. You’ll need to stop by here first and pay for entry (there are rangers who will be walking around and will fine you otherwise). We paid $12 each as it’s not covered by the WA Parks Pass.
You also need to sign in to let the staff know how long you think you’ll take on the walk. I know that’s hard to answer if you’ve never done it before. You then need to sign out when you have finished the walk so they don’t have to go looking for anyone after dark.
How long the hike takes
If you’re wondering how long the Emma Gorge walk takes, it personally took us just under an hour to walk to the waterfall at the end which is a 3.2km return walk.
It took us 47 minutes to walk to the first pool which is called Turquoise Pool, then another 10 minutes to get to the waterfall.
While it might seem like a short distance, it’s not your typical walk as you’ll be rock hopping the whole way.
We then spent an hour at the waterfall because it really is so beautiful, you’ll want to spend some time here enjoying it, before heading back.
So all in all, we spent three hours on this walk. Usually when people say it takes a certain amount of time to hike somewhere, the time is way off and much slower, but this one is pretty much spot on.
We don’t hike fast as we like to take in the walks and take photos and videos. So if you’re a fast hiker, it won’t take as long.
What the hike looks like
We started walking the rocky terrain with the red cliffs towering over us, before we spotted our first sighting of the waterfall about 34 minutes into the walk.
The first 10 minutes of the walk is quite nice before the rock hopping really begins. It can get a bit tiring constantly looking at where you’re stepping before trying to navigate not getting your feet wet through the stream with a bit of rock scrambling (you probably will to be honest).
At 47 minutes into the walk for us, we came to Turquoise Pool which is a stunning crystal clear pool even when it’s overcast and had been raining like when we saw it. You can swim here and even though we didn’t and we didn’t see anyone else swim here, it would be lovely on a warm day (we visited at the beginning of June).
Now, at Turquoise pool, the trail goes up a hill which looks a bit challenging with the rocks. We saw a couple of older ladies who looked like they weren’t going to go any further which is a real shame, because it’s literally just a 10 minute walk on an easier path once you get up that small hill.
When you come to Emma Gorge waterfall, it really is a sight to be seen. We were so excited and I suppose it was one of the first waterfalls in Australia where we literally couldn’t wait to jump in for a swim.
The secret hot springs at Emma Gorge
There is a thermal spring here at the waterfall which is a rather nice break from the cold water. You can find them on the right hand side of the pool in a few patchy areas.
As for swimming in the waterfall, it’s not that cold to be honest. We were expecting freezing temperatures but it was fine for us. Just be aware that it is a deep pool so if you’re bringing children on this hike, stay by the shallow water.
Can you swim in Emma Gorge
If you’re worried about crocodiles, you can be rest assured to know there aren’t any at El Questro. We asked multiple times and we were told we would be fine to swim in the swimming holes here.
Amenities at Emma Gorge
There are toilets and showers at the beginning on the walk, as well as a shop to buy drinks or El Questo merchandise and even reef shoes as well (you don’t need them for Emma Gorge). There’s also a restaurant and a bar you can order from at the resort as well.
Things to know before you go
There are a couple of things you should know before going to Emma Gorge, here’s what they are.
Be careful of timings – don’t leave it too late before starting this walk. We got to the waterfall by 1pm and it fizzled out and we ended up being the only people there at one point.
Wear hiking boots – we saw people in crocs, thongs and trainers all struggling on this walk. You honestly need a pair of hiking boots to do it to avoid any injuries.
Swimmers – obviously you’d be crazy not to bring your swimmers here. If there’s one swimming hole you need to swim in Australia, it’s here.
Floaties – we nearly brought our pool noodles with us but we could have totally used them as the pool is big here.
Water – bring more water than you think you’ll need. We had 3 litres between us and could have brought more. It wasn’t even a hot day when we did this walk (around 25C).
Other waterfalls and swimming holes to visit nearby
If you’re in a 2wd, go visit the beautiful The Grotto waterfall which is nearby. The walk only takes five minutes to walk down to and it’s beautiful. It almost feels like a hidden gem! You can also visit Molly Springs and Middle Springs too.
If you have a 4wd, you can also do the El Questro Gorge hike which is a challenging three hour return walk, Zebedee Springs which is a five minute walk (it’s only open between 7-12pm) or Amalia Gorge which is the best one hour walk to multiple waterfalls (we would have done this is we could have got our car through).
Can you camp at Emma Gorge?
If you’re looking for Emma Gorge accommodation, unfortunately Emma Gorge Resort is a glamping experience only. There are no campsites here (we asked them at reception) so you’d be looking at paying $350+ for safari style tented cabins here. I think it would be a beautiful experience, otherwise stay at The Station in El Questro Gorge where you’ll get access to Zebedee Springs thermal spring after it closes to the public at 12pm.
If you’re in a 2wd like us, you can find a free camp in between Kununurra and El Questro Wilderness park or stay at a caravan park like we did in Kununurra (we stayed at Kimberleyland). Be aware that Kununurra has a lot of crime, and we were sent a text message each night from our campground saying to lock our doors, even if we went to the bathroom at night. We actually felt safe though during our visit.
