The loop road
Driving among the pillars.
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The Pinnacles Desert is an area of limestone pillars in Nambung National Park, near the town of Cervantes in Western Australia. Thousands of yellow pillars stand on yellow sand, like a scene from another planet, and it is one of the best known day trips north of Perth. The tallest pillars reach about 3.5 m. Some are far taller than they are wide, like columns, hence the name, while others are only a metre or so high, like short tombstones. Many show slanting lines left when the wind changed direction as the limestone beds formed. Those shaped like mushrooms arose when the softer lower layers wore away faster than the hard cap. You can drive a loop road among the pillars, with places to stop and walk, or go up to a lookout. The colour changes a great deal with the light, as the sand turns gold towards sunset and shadows stretch out behind the pillars. Signs ask visitors not to climb or sit on the pillars. It is 17 km in a straight line from Cervantes and about 165 km in a straight line from Perth, so allow a full day. Do not climb the pillars, which are fragile. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen, as the site is exposed, and avoid midday in summer. Spring and autumn are kinder, and spring brings wildflowers.
Driving among the pillars.
Golden sand and long shadows.
Hard caps above soft layers.
Nambung National Park, near Cervantes, Western Australia
The fee is per standard vehicle of up to 12 people, not per person.
No, signs ask you not to climb or sit on them, as they are fragile.