How to book Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) campground in the Kimberley: dry-season dates, the 180-day window, wet-season closures and how to catch a cancellation.
About Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge)
Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) is one of the West Kimberley's most striking stops. The gorge runs for 3.5 kilometres through the Napier Range, which was once part of an ancient Devonian coral reef, and fossilised marine life is visible in the limestone walls. In the wet the Lennard River flows through the gorge; in the dry it shrinks to pools lined with trees, where freshwater crocodiles bask in big numbers. Don't swim.
It's a highly spiritual place for the Bunuba people, the Traditional Owners, and is linked to the story of Jandamarra. The Limalurru (Lillimilura) police outpost ruins are nearby, and Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) National Park, which has no camping, is 36 kilometres to the south-east. Fitzroy Crossing and Derby are the nearest towns.
The campground is close to the gorge. The 1.9-kilometre return Gorge Trail and the 1.2-kilometre Savannah Walk loop both start nearby.
The campsites
This is a very large campground without marked sites. It has two areas:
- A generator area, where generators can run between 7am and 8pm only
- A quiet area, with no generators at all
You choose an area when booking, then camp in any suitable vacant space in it. Park Stay WA lists around 150 bookable units here, which reflects capacity across the open areas rather than individual numbered pads.
Facilities:
- Flush toilets and showers
- Picnic tables and benches
- Communal firepits. Campfires are allowed seasonally in the provided rings only, and you must bring your own firewood
- No drinking water, so bring plenty
- No dogs or other pets
- Intermittent mobile and internet coverage
Carry portable toilet waste out to an authorised dump point.
How booking works
Bandilngan is booked through Park Stay WA, DBCA's booking system. Bookings are essential and made before arrival. There's no booking fee, and the camping fee is paid by Mastercard or Visa when you book. A per person camping fee and a per vehicle park entry fee apply; entry can be paid when booking, on arrival, or with a park pass. Trailers and caravans don't pay entry.
The seasonal twist: DBCA opens bookings up to 180 days ahead only for 1 June to 31 October. Any nights outside that range become bookable only once the park's seasonal opening and closing dates are confirmed. DBCA says the park opens in the dry season, generally between May and November, and closes in the wet because the roads become impassable.
As of October 2026 the current season is winding down. Using the rolling 180-day window, nights from 1 June 2027 should start opening around early December 2026. Maximum stay is 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights.
When it sells out
The Gibb River Road touring season drives demand, and the cooler months from May to July (DBCA quotes around 35°C days and 12°C nights) are the most popular. WA school holidays in the middle of the year are the tightest. Early and late season nights are easier, but the heat climbs fast outside those months.
How to get a cancellation
Kimberley trips change all the time: a cracked windscreen, a closed road, a slower pace. Under DBCA's terms you can cancel or change up to 11:59pm AWST the day before arrival, and those nights go back on Park Stay.
- Grace period. Bookings made 3 or more days ahead can be cancelled free within 48 hours.
- Free-cancellation cut-offs. Removing dates is free more than 14 days ahead for peak dates and more than 5 days ahead otherwise; after that the fee is one concession camper fee per night per site.
- Late changes. Road conditions shift plans, so nights often free up close to arrival.
You can watch Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) on Aussie Camp Alerts for specific dates. It also works as a season-opening watch: we alert you when nights go from unavailable to bookable, which is handy when DBCA confirms early or late season dates.
Getting there
The park is on the Fairfield Leopold Road. DBCA's visitor guide gives about 150 kilometres from Fitzroy Crossing and 155 kilometres from Derby, and says the only access is by unsealed roads in a four-wheel drive. Conditions change quickly, and roads are often closed from October to April. Before heading in, check with the Derby or Fitzroy Crossing visitor centres or DBCA's Parks and Wildlife Service in Broome, and look at Main Roads WA's road condition reports. Day-use areas are open 6am to 6pm.
Nearby alternatives
There aren't other Kimberley campgrounds on our list yet. If you're heading south down the coast, the Ningaloo campgrounds are worth a watch:
- Osprey Bay: the biggest campground in Cape Range National Park
- Yardie Creek: small and close to the gorge in Cape Range
- Big Lagoon: a Shark Bay campground in Francois Peron National Park