Bell Gorge

Bell Gorge sits in the King Leopold Ranges, now called Wunaamin Miliwundi, and it is the gorge most people picture when they think of the Gibb River Road: Bell Creek drops over a wide ledge in tiers into a deep pool enclosed by red rock walls, with a rock shelf on one side to sit on and clear water to swim in. The walk from the car park is about a kilometre over rock, with a scramble down to the pool. The falls run strongly early in the dry season and slow to a trickle by September. The Silent Grove campground on the access track is the base, and Wunaamin Miliwundi country belongs to the Ngarinyin people.

What you actually see

• The tiered falls - Bell Creek dropping in stages into the pool.
• The swimming hole - deep clear water below the falls.
• The rock shelf - the ledge above the pool used as a viewing and sitting point.
• The range country - red sandstone and spinifex in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges.

When to go

May to August; the falls are strongest early in the dry after the wet season, and can be nearly dry by September. Roads are closed through the wet from around November to April. Midday is hot and the pool busiest.

Honest expectations

The final access track is rough and requires four-wheel drive. The walk from the car park involves rock hopping and a scramble. There is no shade at the pool. The gorge is popular and can be crowded in the peak dry season.

Nearby

Silent Grove campground is on the access track; the Gibb River Road continues east.