Escarpment Trail
Kennedy Range National Park
Directions - Kennedy Range National Park is located just under three hours east of Carnarvon, and 50 minutes north of Gascoyne Junction. The Escarpment Trail starts from the Temple Gorge Campground, with the trail head located on the southern side, alternatively you can start at the Drapers Gorge car park.
The Hike - With five trails under my belt today, I had one more to go in order to complete all the hikes found within Kennedy Range National Park. Parking my car at my campsite spot within Temple Gorge Campground, I was enjoying a bit of a rest in the back of my car when the campground host came over. As soon as he asked for campsite fees for the previous night and the one coming up, my heart sank. Temple Gorge is not one of the DBCA sites where you can pre-book, and in my mind I had applied the same scenario as Peak Charles, where because the park entry fees were free, the camping was too.
I also didn't have any cash on me, and the campground host was not impressed with this. I tried to explain that I knew many people within DBCA, including the Assistant Director of Visitor Services, and I could transfer the fees when I got back into reception range. This didn't fly with him, and his first reaction was to ask me to leave the campground and find somewhere else to stay for the night, which completely shocked me. He seemed to be a hard nose for the rules and no matter what I said would influence him, so I told him I'd complete my last hike and he'd never see me again. Given Gascoyne Junction is an hour away, and it was getting late in the afternoon, I had no idea where he expected me to go but rules are rules. I wasn't going to let him ruin my Kennedy Range experience, and I still had one hike left, so I gathered my gear and set off to find the start of the Escarpment Trail. This was the final hike of my day, and I wanted to finish with the trail that takes you up to the top of the range, where you get some incredible views.
I had originally planned to take the rest of my BBQ Shapes and a can of pop up with me to watch the sunset from the top but given I had to find a new place to stay tonight, I set off earlier than planned. Finding the trail head, you initially follow the section of the Escarpment Base Trail that links Temple Gorge with Drapers Gorge before turning off to start the Escarpment Trail. I do find it odd that they have two trails with similar names, with the Escarpment Base Trail and Escarpment Trail being separate trails. I would have named the Escarpment Trail something else to avoid confusion but that's just my opinion. In the soft afternoon light, the wide open skies and various peaks of the Kennedy Range were looking amazing. Taking several deep breaths to reset myself after dealing with campground host, I was soon at the trail junction where I would turn off. Looking ahead, you can see where the trail will take you, through a small gorge that leads to the flat plateau above.
This would be the toughest hike of the day, not that any of them had been particularly hard, with a 100m vertical climb to negotiate. This was more than worth it to me, given what I was expecting from the top, and I'd be horribly disappointed if I visited here and there wasn't a trail taking you to the top of the range. Thankfully it was starting to cool off a little, and the cloud cover had made a difference to both the lighting and the temperature in the last couple of hours. Following the blue boot trail markers, and the occasional blue and white circle, I began climbing along the rocky path that leads into the centre of the gorge. From the get-go this feels more like the end of the other gorge hikes, with the trail being a moderate gradient and requiring you to purposefully place each step in order to not slip or trip. Reaching the dry creek bed, I took one last look back at the wide open spaces to the east, before immersing myself in the wonderful rocky gorge that leads up to the plateau.
As is typical of the Kennedy Range hikes, the dry creeks are used as the trail in places, as for probably 95% of the year they are going to be empty, with the other 5% at times where access to the park is going to be closed due to road washouts or flooding. I loved this section, with the shallow but narrow gorge walls providing a feeling of being closed in, and the technical but easy nature of the trail providing a bit of fun. I ran into a lady here going in the other direction, and we had a bit of a chat about the beauty of this wonderful place. She wished me luck and I continued on, enjoying the climb as it started to exit out of the gorge and reach the next phase. Starting to open up a little, there are some steeper sections to negotiate as you start to turn to the left and bend around to join the plateau. It's all well marked, so you won't get lost, and the brief glimpses of the views around were a bit of a tease of what was to come. Passing a marker saying 500m to the summit, the path flattened out and I then came across the trail marker pointing me towards open land.
Stepping up onto the wide plateau that form the roof of the Kennedy Range, the well trodden trail ahead, combined with big sky views was one of the highlights of the day. Out of the gorge, I could feel a refreshing breeze, and this was just an added bonus of what was already one of the best trails within the park. Walking along, the wildflowers lining the trail were spectacular, with many varieties I hadn't seen all day. The trail takes you to the left of this little finger of the range, and soon enough you get the epic views looking down to the Temple Gorge Campground, across the peaks and gorges of the range, along with the endless horizon looking east. I had a giant smile on my face as I meandered along here, stopping a lot for photos, as the views kept getting better. Reaching the wooden seat that is just the best little touch, I had a sit and continued to photograph the gorgeous views ahead. Taking some deep breaths and putting away the camera for a while, I spent some time soaking in this magical spot, and trying to live in the moment.
Knowing there was more to explore, I got up after a while and set about walking to the edge of the cliff to see what I could find. More wildflowers awaited me, but the views looking up and down Drapers Gorge was the real highlight. Having hiked this trail right before tackling this one, it was fun to trace where I had been and see it from a different perspective. Not wanting to leave, I wandered around for a little longer, watching the changing light as the sun continued to set behind me, and marveling at the wonderful scenery all around. Eventually though I did have to head back down, and while it was bittersweet, facing east and getting those amazing views as I descended made things a lot better. Back at my car, I packed up my tent and sleeping gear, and went off to find a quiet place to camp, hoping I wouldn't have a cow squash my tent overnight. Just as I was leaving, four large caravans rocked up at once, and I thought what fun old mate would have trying to fit them all in. In the end I found a lovely spot to stay the night, reflecting on what had been a highly memorable day spent exploring the Kennedy Range.
Final Thoughts - Not the best way to start my final hike in the Kennedy Range but I wasn't going to let it spoil what had been a fantastic day of trails.
Purposefully leaving the Escarpment Trail to last, I think this is the best time to hike it. As with Sunrise View, the timing of your visit plays a big part in the trail experience, and facing east as the sun sets in the west makes this one a little extra special.
While it's a shame that this is the only trail leading up to the top of the range, at least it is here. I think there is scope for a loop trail that takes you further west along the plateau, and then joins back up at either Temple Gorge, or right around to one of the gorges north of Sunrise View.
I understand that this area gets really hot, and there is an added risk to do with that, but what a trail that would be.
The incident with the campground host wasn't great, and I fully appreciate all the work they do across Western Australia. This guy just seemed completely unreasonable, and whether or not I transferred the money when I got reception had no impact on him or his ability to continue being campground host. It was just an odd interaction given how remote this place is and the stakes involved.
Nevertheless, a wonderful way to finish a visit to the Kennedy Range, and a hike I'll never forget.
Get out there and experience it!
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