The Mitchell Plateau Side-Trip: A 3-Day Caravan Guide to Mitchell Falls
Look, we’re not going to sugarcoat it—the Mitchell Plateau is remote, the road can be rough, and you’ll be questioning your life choices somewhere around the 20 km mark after leaving camp for the falls. But standing at Mitchell Falls, watching that water cascade through ancient sandstone tiers? Worth every corrugation.
This is how we did it: a 3-day return trip from our pivot point at Gibb River Campground, leaving the van behind at King Edward River and tackling the final stretch to Mitchell Falls as a day trip. It’s a solid strategy that saves your rig from unnecessary punishment.
Can you take a caravan to Mitchell Falls?
No, it is not recommended to tow a caravan to Mitchell Falls. The track is rough and slow. We recommend leaving your van at the King Edward River (Munurru) campground and doing the falls as a day trip.
For Reference: Gibb River Road Map
To aid in your planning, we have carefully prepared a map of the route and an optional side trip to Mitchell Falls. Also on the map are the campground locations, points of interest, starting points of walks and the location of where fuel is available. Zoom in to see more details.
Day 1: The Run to Munurru (King Edward River)
Distance: 164km from Gibb River Campground to King Edward River crossing
Estimated drive time: 3–4 hours (conditions dependent)
Budget Tracker: There is no getting around it this section will cost you. The campground is low-cost, but the required pass is on the pricy side. If you use the helicopter, you will certainly blow the budget.
The Road
We’ll be honest—we found this road surprisingly good. At least until the turn-off onto Port Warrender Road. Kalumburu Road was in better nick than most of the unsealed stretches of the Gibb during our trip. Reasonable surface, manageable corrugations, nothing to write home about.
But here’s the thing: once you hit the Port Warrender Road turn-off (that’s your left turn towards Mitchell Plateau), the character changes. The surface deteriorates, the corrugations become sharper, and the potholes become deeper. The last section from the river crossing to the camp was quite rough. Keep your speed sensible and watch for soft shoulders.
Your Logistics Hub: Drysdale River Station
After 56km you will come across Drysdale River Station. It is here that you need to sort your supplies at Drysdale River Station. This is your last chance for fuel, and trust us—you need it.
What you need to do at Drysdale:
- Fuel up completely. There’s no fuel at King Edward River or Mitchell Falls. Fill your tanks, fill your jerry cans, fill everything. During our stop, a lovely lady came and filled us with fuel.
- Top up your water. Good quality water is available at the station.
- Dump your rubbish. The disposal point is at a track on the opposite side of the road from the station turn-off.
Rob’s Tip: The area around the rubbish disposal facility is topped by bulldust. It would be a good idea to wear shoes for this stop. My thonged feet discovered it as soon as I stepped out of the car.
The Permit: Uunguu Visitor Pass
You’re entering Wunambal Gaambera Country, and you’ll need a Uunguu Visitor Pass.
Permit details:
- Cost: $55 per person for 5 days. For a family the cost is $130
- What it covers: Access to the camp and the falls walking tracks—that’s it.
- What it doesn’t cover: Camping fees (these are additional and paid at the camp).
- Where to get it: Purchase online before you go, or at the camp itself.
Muay’s Tip: Buy your pass while you have a phone or WiFi signal/Wi-Fi. There is no phone cover at camp. If you don’t have cash to pay at the campground, you can pay using a credit card. You will need to track down the caretaker.
Camp Setup
King Edward River (Munurru) is where you’ll base yourself for the next two nights. Get set up, because tomorrow’s a big day and you’ll want a proper rest.
If you feel energetic, there is Aboriginal art and waterholes to explore near the campground.
Day 2: The Big One – Mitchell Falls Day Trip
Distance: 158km return (79km each way)
Vehicle strategy: Leave the van at King Edward River
This is the day you’ve come for. Leave your caravan at King Edward River. It is not advisable to take a caravan to the falls. It is rough, and the risk of damage is high. It is safe to leave your van at the campground.
Leave camp as early as possible (dawn would be a good target) so that you can get as much of the walk done as possible before it gets too hot.
The Drive
WARNING: This 79km stretch is bumpy, windy, and slow. Don’t let the distance fool you—it’ll take you longer than you think. The road twists through thick scrub with limited visibility, and the surface varies from reasonable gravel to “was that a pothole or a crater?”. The road gets rocky and rough as you near the end of the track. Expect 1.5–2 hours each way.
The Mitchell Falls carpark has basic facilities. There’s a helicopter option if you want to cheat your way back from the falls, but where’s the satisfaction in that?
The Walk
Start as early as possible. Seriously. The Kimberley sun is relentless, and this is a proper walk—not a casual stroll.
The track to Mitchell Falls runs approximately 8.6km return to the main lookout, but if you want the full experience (and you should), you’ll be clocking up more than that exploring the various tiers and pools along the way. It’s rough in places with some scrambling required, so wear proper boots and bring plenty of water. You should allow 4 – 5 hours for the walk.
What to expect:
- Varied terrain from sandy track to rocky scrambles.
- Multiple swimming holes (bring your bathers, but check for croc signage).
- Spectacular tiered waterfalls cascading through weathered sandstone.
- Ancient rock art if you know where to look.
Doing the walk in both directions is a long day, but absolutely doable if you start early enough. Started walking by 9am and were back at the car by early afternoon, which gave us plenty of time for the return drive.
The Helicopter Option
If you wish, you can be transferred to Mitchell Falls via helicopter. You can do one way or both. The cost during the 2025 season was $199 per person per direction. The cost is considerable, but you will get a great view of the falls and the area.
Our recommendation is to walk one way and use the helicopter in the other. It would be best to get an early start and walk in to get the morning coolness.
You will need to book this in advance.
Day 3: The Return
Distance: 164km back to Gibb River Campground
Time to pack up King Edward River and head back to your pivot point at Gibb River Campground. From here, you’ll resume your westward traverse of the Gibb.
The return drive is the reverse of Day 1—you know what to expect now. Take it steady, watch for those corrugations on Port Warrender Road, and enjoy the fact that you’ve ticked off one of the Kimberley’s most spectacular destinations.
You have earned the swim at camp.
Once you have relaxed a little, you will want to give some thought to continuing to the west as detailed in the second part of our Gibb River Road itinerary.
Pre-Departure Checklist
Before you commit to the Kalumburu Road, make sure you’ve sorted the following:
- Fuel tanks topped up at Drysdale River Station.
- Jerry cans full.
- Water containers topped up.
- Rubbish disposed of (watch the bulldust!).
- Uunguu Visitor Pass purchased ($55/person).
- Tyre pressures checked and adjusted for conditions.
- Recovery gear accessible (you won’t need it, but Murphy’s Law).
- Enough food and supplies for 3 days with contingency.
The Bottom Line
The Mitchell Plateau side-trip isn’t for everyone. It adds three days to your Gibb crossing, burns through fuel, and tests your patience on some genuinely challenging roads. But Mitchell Falls is one of those places that reminds you why you hitched up the van and pointed it towards the Kimberley in the first place.
Go early in the season when the water’s still flowing. Leave early in the morning to beat the heat. And don’t rush it—you’ve come a long way to be here.
See you out there.
Other Pages in this Series
- General Information about the Gibb River Road
- Towing the Eastern Gibb: Kununurra to the Mitchell Falls Turn-off: this are the details for days 1 to 6 on the 14 day itinerary.
- Towing the Western Gibb: The Mitchell Falls Turn-off to Derby: details for days 6 to 14 on the 14 day itinerary
- The Gibb River Road Express: 8-Day ‘Best of’ Caravan Itinerary: for those with only 8 days available but want to hit all the best places.