Best Time To Visit Gibb River Road. Maximise Your Adventure.

Travelling the Gibb River Road is something you must do at least once in your lifetime. It’s a fantastic stretch of road with gorges, waterfalls, and incredible views over the Kimberley region for you to enjoy.

The Gibb River Road is seasonal: it’s typically open in the dry season, from about May to November, and often closed in the wet. May and June are usually the best months to travel, when the road has just reopened and the waterfalls are still flowing.

Here’s what you need to know about when planning a time to travel this mostly unsealed road between Derby and the Great Northern Highway near Kununurra and Wyndham, in Western Australia.

Chris exploring Bell Gorge on the Gibb River Road

Best Time to Travel the Gibb River Road

The road typically opens in early May and stays open until the wet season arrives, generally in December. Main Roads WA doesn’t set fixed dates: it reopens the road once the river crossings are low enough and any flood damage is repaired.

It’s best to travel the Gibb River Road early in the dry season, from May to July. The earlier you go, the more waterfalls and water crossings you will have to explore. As the dry season continues, some waterfalls will slow down to a trickle or disappear altogether.

May, June and July are the best months to travel the Gibb River Road

The dry and warm winter weather means you’ll enjoy the drive, all the attractions are open, and you’ll see plenty of exciting waterfalls. Some attractions along the Gibb River Road start closing from mid to late September (Manning Gorge closed on 24 September in 2026), and most stations and parks have shut by October or November.

October and November are the worst months to go

The humidity increases and the travel is far less pleasant. The road becomes more corrugated as the season progresses, and the heat makes camping almost unbearable.

Camping on the gibb river road — Camping on the Gibb River Road. A 4WD is a must for this Kimberley adventure.

The Gibb River Road is often closed in the wet season

The Kimberley region has a definite wet season, affecting the Gibb River Road. The road is often closed in the wet season, which generally runs from December to April, when river crossings become impassable or flood damage makes sections dangerous. Even outside those months, heavy rain can close it at short notice: in late May 2025, part of the road was still closed after record rain.

Travelling in this region during the wet season is uncomfortable anyway, as the high tropical areas experience incredibly high humidity and frequent deluges of rain.

Check the road opening information on the Main Roads WA Gibb River Road page, as the exact date the road opens and closes depends on the weather and the road conditions. Side roads to places like Bell Gorge, Windjana Gorge and El Questro are managed separately, so check those conditions too.

4wd traveling on the corrugations of the gibb river road — Here you can see the corrugations of the Gibb River Road. Unless you go immediately after it’s been graded, expect to deal with the heavy corrugations.

When is the Gibb River Road Graded?

Main Roads WA grades the unsealed sections three to four times a year, starting at the end of the wet season. A full grade can take up to two months, so corrugations come and go, but they generally get worse as the season goes on.

The later in the season, the more corrugations you will face. It is another reason why May and June are the best months to drive on the Gibb River Road.

A graded road is relatively smooth and easy to drive on. Later in the dry season, you’ll find it a bumpy, uncomfortable drive when the corrugations get bad.

Water Crossings

The Pentecost River crossing, near the eastern end, is the biggest water crossing on the Gibb. Levels can rise quickly and saltwater crocodiles live here, so never wade in to check the depth. Early in the season, crossings like the Pentecost can still be deep and fast-flowing, so check the depth markers and Main Roads conditions, and never drive into water of unknown depth.

As the season progresses, the water levels drop and the crossings get easier. By September most crossings are low and some creeks are dry, but the Pentecost usually still has water in it. Storms late in the year can quickly raise the crossings again and cause washouts.

Visiting Gorges and Attractions

You’ll love visiting some of the gorges and attractions of this distinctive area. Here are just a few of the best that you’ll want to plan to visit. Here’s a full guide to the magnificent gorges you can find on the Gibb River Road.

Bell Gorge

This gorge is about 29 km off the Gibb River Road on a rough track for high-clearance 4WDs only, so allow 40 to 60 minutes. Its falls usually keep flowing through most of the dry season. Stay at Dulundi (Silent Grove) campground, 10 km from the gorge, which you book through Park Stay WA. The park usually closes over the wet (in 2026 it closes on 15 October).

From the car park, it’s a 2 km return walk (Grade 4) to the top of the falls, with a steep, rocky start. Swimming in the pool below is fantastic, but getting there means crossing slippery rocks above the falls and scrambling down a steep Grade 5 section.

Emma Gorge and El Questro Station

Emma Gorge is probably one of the most famous gorges of the Kimberley, and you’ll find staying at El Questro Station worth the effort to get here. El Questro Station is 16 km off the Gibb River Road, about 36 km from the Great Northern Highway end. Emma Gorge has its own turn-off, 2 km off the Gibb and about 27 km by road from the Station.

El Questro Station has many attractions, including restaurants and a bar. You do have two water crossings to get to the Station, usually 30 to 50 cm deep. The Emma Gorge walk is 3.2 km return and takes about two hours without a swim, so allow half a day if you’re driving over from the Station. El Questro is open from about April to October (it reopens in early April 2027).

Manning Gorge

Camp at Manning Gorge Campground, 7 km behind the Mt Barnett Roadhouse, where you pay on arrival (there are no bookings). It’s open from about early May to mid September, and day passes are only sold until 12pm. From there you can walk to Manning Gorge and swim in several pools. The waterfalls cascade early in the dry season and are particularly spectacular to photograph.

Planning Your Gibb River Road Trip

Depending on the time of year, and your direction of travel, you’ll want to spend at least a week exploring the Gibb River Road. Plan your trip carefully so you will travel the Gibb River Road in the right season, ideally between May and September.

Whether driving from Kununurra in the east or Derby in the west, you’ll want to plan which attractions and gorges you wish to explore.

Study the map of the Gibb River Road and decide which gorges you want to visit. Then, plan your trip, allowing time to hike, swim, and explore the canyons and where you will stay at night.

Many attractions, tours, and places to camp or stay in the Kimberley region will fill up quickly, so it’s best to book ahead, especially in the peak season.

Zebedee Springs at El Questro Wilderness Park. In our opinion, one of the best paid station stays on the Gibb. Zebedee Springs is open to day visitors from 8am to 12pm only, during El Questro’s season.

Top Tips

Book ahead because some campsites fill up quickly in the peak season, and you’ll struggle to find somewhere else close by if you arrive and there are no spots available.

Check our guide with the best camping spots in Gibb River Road (free and paid) for more info!

Closures change every season. In 2026, Mornington Wilderness Camp, Charnley River and Lennard River Gorge were all closed to visitors, and the Imintji store had no fuel. Check the Main Roads WA Gibb River Road page and the WA Parks alerts before you go. We last checked every place in this guide in October 2026.

There are roadhouses along the way that will provide essential grocery items, but you will need to stock up before you go. Don’t forget plenty of water: carry and drink about 1 litre per hour of walking (the WA Parks advice), and keep plenty of spare drinking water in the vehicle in case of a breakdown.

Filling up with fuel is cheaper at Derby or Kununurra, but you’ll probably need at least one fill-up on the way or a top-up. Fuel is sold at Mt Barnett Roadhouse, Mt Elizabeth Station (30 km off the road), Drysdale River Station (on the Kalumburu Road) and El Questro, but hours vary and the Imintji store is closed, so call ahead. If you don’t want to pay top prices, you may want to carry a jerry can or a few.

Driving the Gibb River Road is an adventure and an experience you’ll never forget. Preparing and careful planning will help you ensure the experience is unforgettable for all the right reasons. Don’t forget you’ll be driving on gravel and dirt roads with corrugations, so you’ll want to ensure your vehicle is in top condition before you go.

Did You Know?

The Gibb River Road began as a beef road, built from the 1950s to truck cattle from Kimberley stations to the ports at Derby and Wyndham. There are still many working cattle stations in the region, and you’ll be staying at a few while you make your way along the Gibb River Road.

The roughly 650km road (647 km, according to Main Roads WA) is famous, and people worldwide come to Australia to travel the Gibb River Road. It’s an unforgettable adventure and a time you’ll cherish.

FAQs

How many days do you need for Gibb River Road?

Allow 10 to 14 days to see the gorges near the road. Some highlights are longer detours (Bell Gorge is about 29 km in, Mt Elizabeth about 30 km), and places like the Mitchell Plateau need extra days on top.

Although a truck driver can drive Gibb River Road in one day or two, this does not entail any stops to explore, hike, and see the attractions that make Gibb River Road special.

What is the best time of year to visit the Kimberley?

The best time to visit the Kimberley is during the dry season, especially from May to early September. By late September and October, the weather becomes even hotter, with higher humidity, leading into the wet season.

Many roads close during the wet season (generally December to April) and the extreme humidity and deluges of rain make travelling at this time uncomfortable.

How rough is Gibb River Road?

While the Gibb River Road is mostly gravel or dirt, it can get extremely rough, especially at the end of the dry season when the road needs regrading. It is a road used by cattle trucks, so you won’t be winching your car up steep mountains, but it does get very corrugated.

The route is easier to travel earlier in the dry season, right after the road has been graded. You will find some water crossings, especially early in the dry season, and most are fine later in the season, but always check the depth first, never wade in to test it (saltwater crocodiles live in the Pentecost), and wait if the water is high or fast-flowing.

The Bottom Line

The Gibb River Road is an adventure and something you’ll want to tick off your bucket list. You need to know about the road conditions and understand that it’s about 650km long, with roughly 470km of gravel and sealed sections at each end.

It’s often closed during the wet season (generally December to April) and is graded three to four times a year, starting when it reopens.

Driving the Gibb River Road is best during May, June and July. Main Roads says the road is typically open until November, but many stations and parks start closing from mid September.

You can still travel on the Gibb River Road throughout October and most of November, depending on the weather and when the wet season starts.