KEEP RIVER NP. The NT's best kept secret.
Often described as one of the Northern Territory’s best-kept secrets, Keep River National Park is an overlooked geological masterpiece. Covering over 574 square kilometres, it offers visitors a spectacular, crowd-free alternative to Western Australia's famous Bungle Bungles. The park is highly rated for its incredibly striking honeycomb-shaped sandstone structures, towering red rock pillars, and iconic boab trees that dot the rugged landscape.
Keep River dates back to Dreamtime, when two Aboriginal people travelled from the sea to the land. They collected grass and bushes, made a large nest and started to jump around making noises like a Goorrandalng (Brolga). As the country listened, they were changed into Brolgas. This place is named Goorrandalng, the place of Goorrandalng and if your lucky you’ll see two Brolga’s.
Located in the north-west corner of the Northern Territory, sitting just 3 kilometres east of the Western Australia border, the park is accessible off the Victoria Highway roughly 70 kilometres east of Kununurra making it super easy for day trips to be immersed in this stunning location.
All the roads in the park are unsealed, often corrugated with a few soft stretches, so if your visiting in the dry season it’s possible to head into Keep in a 2wd, but during the wet a 4wd is essential as there are several creeks that may be flowing. At the entry there are some great info boards where you can get clued up about Keep NP with flora and fauna, local indigenous history and what to do in Keep. If your camping, this is the last place to book a site as phone service is very limited further on in the park.
KEEP RIVER NP. The NT's best kept secret. KEEP RIVER NP. The NT's best kept secret.
After an overload of info the next stop along the way is the Ranger Station,
which is located near a permanent billabong known as “Woorrilbem”, the traditional Indigenous name for Cockatoo Lagoon. The billabong holds deep family stories during the harsh station days where Indigenous families used the safety and seclusion of Woorrilbem to hide from authorities and trackers. Historically and even today the site is valued as a rich source of bush tucker, including water lilies, fish, freshwater mussels, and long-necked turtles. Inside the Rangers station there’s a plethora of information on Keep River and the surrounding area, which is always a good place to visit and indulge in what they have to offer.
There’s only one road in and out of keep River so it’s pretty easy to find all the points of interest along the way as the park is well signposted. The next stop is the Ginger’s Hill Walk, which is a 200m uphill walk that leads to a traditional stone hawk-hunting hide built by a local Miriwoong elder, Ginger Packsaddle Banminyarri.
What he did was build a small rock structure shaped in a curve with branches on the top as a roof. The hunter would hide inside and light a small fire attracting birds of prey, he would then wave feathers above the structure and when a curious bird came close enough, it would be grabbed and prepared for a meal.
A short drive further up the road to the left is Goorrandalng campground and walking trail, this is the only campground where generators are permitted. Leaving from the campground it’s a 2 km walk that weaves through sandstone outcrops that offers stunning views of rock formations.
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The next stop along the Keep River Road is into the day use area and Jenemoom Walking trail. It’s a beautiful walk that follows the bed of the Keep River to sites once used by the Miriwoong people in the wet season, to shelters and evidence of their occupation to middens containing the remains of many meals over many years. There’s plenty of rock art to see in the shelter once you get your eye in, with images representing animals, people and other objects.
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The final destination in Keep River is Jarnem, which is the northern campground plus the start of the Jarnem walking trail. This seven km looptrack gives you three options from the Jarnem campground - the complete loop 7km, walk to the lookout and back 5.5 km, or walk to the art site and back 5.2 km.
Starting at the campground the loop trail winds its way through eucalypt woodlands and then as you climb high past dramatic, beehive-shaped striped sandstone structures. These breathtaking formations closely resemble a smaller version of the famous Bungle Bungles. Midway along take the side track to the lookout where you’ll have stunning views across the flood plains to formations, where at any hour the sun highlights multiple rock outcrops.
Down in the valley, the walking trail weaves around more towering sandstone pillars, where lush palms and pandanus are dotted around them all reaching for the sunlight above. In the bottom of the valley is Langgerrbi or Nigli Gap, a shelter once used by the local Miriwoong people where rock art can still be seen.
Keep River NP offers unforgettable camping across two main vehicle-accessible campgrounds, Jarnem and Goorrandalng. Tucked against the Western Australia border, these sites immerse visitors in dramatic landscapes of sandstone formations and ancient eucalypt woodlands. For travellers seeking ancient history, raw outback beauty, and serene isolation without the heavy tourist traffic, Keep River is an exceptional hidden treasure.
WHERE IS KEEP NP
Keep River National Park is an incredible, overlooked wilderness packed with unique geological formations, massive boab trees, and deep Indigenous cultural history. Located right near the NT–WA border, on the traditional lands of the Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people, this hidden gem spans over 570 square kilometres of striking geological wonders.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Keep NP offers hiking tracks, photography opportunities, and visiting cultural sights as well as two beautiful camping areas. Both camping areas have composting toilets, wood fire bbq’s and non potable water. Easily accessible by 2wd vehicles, it’s a calm place where it’s widely celebrated for its vibrant orange and grey-striped sandstone structures, which closely resemble the famous Bungle Bungle Range.
OTHER INFO
If your camping at Keep NP, bookings are done online at www.nt.gov.au/parks/find-a-park/keep-river-national-park. Visiting the park is best done during the cooler months if your tackling any of the hiking trails. Make sure you carry plenty of water and start the trails early in the morning before the midday heat. There is no phone service at the camping areas. The Ranger Station has drinking water, phone service and you can visit the information centre at Cockatoo Lagoon to learn more on the area. Saltwater crocodiles are very likely to inhabit all the waterways in Keep River National Park. Do not swim in any of the waterways in the park.
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