The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles are thousands of limestone columns rising from a plain of yellow sand, ranging from knee height to around four metres, spread across several square kilometres of Nambung National Park. They formed from shell material broken down into limestone and then shaped over tens of thousands of years by rainwater dissolving and reprecipitating the rock, with vegetation and wind exposing what remains, though the exact process is still debated. A loop road runs through the field with parking bays and a walking trail, and a visitor centre explains the geology. The colour changes sharply with the sun, from pale at midday to deep gold at either end of the day.

What you actually see

• The limestone spires - thousands of columns standing out of the sand.
• The loop drive - a one-way road threading through the formation.
• The walking trail - a marked route on foot among the pinnacles.
• The colour shift - pale midday stone turning gold at dawn and dusk.

When to go

April to October for comfortable temperatures; summer is very hot with no shade. Sunrise and sunset are far better for photography and the desert is emptier then. Wildflowers bloom in the surrounding heath from August to October.

Honest expectations

Midday light flattens the formations and coach tours arrive then, so timing matters. Vehicle entry is charged. There is no shade anywhere in the field. Walking off the marked trail damages the site and is prohibited.

Nearby

Cervantes and its Lake Thetis stromatolites are close; Lancelin lies south.