Charles Knife Canyon — Attraction in Learmonth

We really enjoyed visiting Charles Knife Canyon which is located around 20 km south of Exmouth on the eastern end of Cape Range National Park.

You can take the Minilya - Exmouth turnoff road and travel 11 km into to the canyon, along windy road that travels up to and along the rim from which you are afforded remarkable views into the canyon on both sides of the road. This road is accessible with 2wd and doesn't require park entry fee.

We visited midday enjoying the spectacular colours of the rim and gorge walls when the sun poured into the canyon. During a second visit, we arrived at first light enjoying a bit of breakfast during sunrise which you can see from a handful of the pullover lookout points along Charles Knife Rd.

Near the end of the road there is a short 1 km turnoff which leads to a a small carpark, the Thomas Carter Lookout and the Badjarrijarri Trailhead for those seeking to hike up to the remarkable Shothole Canyon Lookout. This is a great hike and viewpoint if you are considering hitting one of the gorge trails around the Cape Range NP and Ningaloo World...

The Charles Knife Canyon drive is a must-do for anyone visiting Exmouth. The road is mostly sealed and easy to drive, even in a 2WD vehicle. The scenery is simply stunning, with the red sandstone cliffs of the Cape Range National Park towering above you on one side and the glimpses of turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean on the other.

There are plenty of places to pull over and take photos, and there are also a few short walking trails that you can do if you want to get out and stretch your legs. The views from the top of the canyon are particularly impressive.

We drove the Charles Knife Canyon road in our family car with our three young children, and we all had a great time. The kids loved seeing all of the different rocks and formations, and they were also fascinated by the wildlife, including the emus and lizards that we spotted along the way.

We highly recommend the Charles Knife Canyon drive to anyone visiting Exmouth. It's a great way to experience the natural beauty of the area and to see some of the best scenery that Australia...

The first half of the road into the canyon is sealed and suitable for all vehicles. The second half is unsealed and whilst it's possible to take a 2WD vehicle in there, I wouldn't take my newish hatchback in there because some parts are quite rough. If your 2WD is old that might not bother you so much. We went in with an all wheel drive and I was glad we were higher up off the ground because it's quite bumpy in the unsealed part.

The most beautiful part of the canyon is actually about 100 to 200 metres after the unsealed road starts, so if you're in a 2WD car I recommend parking at the end of the sealed road and walking a few minutes to take some pictures.

We drove right in and followed the signs to the lookout. It's very underwhelming, the views are waaay better at the sealed road part as you drive out of the canyon! At the lookout there's a 6km (4 hour) hiking trail. I didn't do this... would rather spend that time snorkeling!

If this review was helpful please give it a...