Looking for WA’s most amazing outback 4WD tracks? Here are 10 of the most epic off-road routes for beginners to experts.
I’ve spent most of my life exploring the lesser-known parts of Western Australia’s remote outback regions, and a lot of the less remote and more popular regions as well. I’ve put together this list, to share my knowledge of some of WA’s best tracks.
We’ve rated each track by difficulty level. Here’s an explanation of what each level entails.
–Beginner – These tracks are perfect for your first few times out. They’re a bit easier, as well as not too remote, so if you do get stuck, it’s not the end of the world.
–Intermediate – You’re going to run into more situations where experience will matter, or they’re a bit more remote.
–Advanced — We highly recommend that you’ve been on more than a few beginner or intermediate tracks if attempting an advanced one by yourself. Otherwise, we recommend doing them as part of a tag-along 4WD tour.
The Canning Stock Route
We’re coming straight out of the gate with one of the longest, most remote and most notorious 4WD tracks anywhere, let alone Western Australia. This track goes through several regions of WA, so it gets its own section.
The Canning Stock Route was the longest stock route in the world and likely one of the most difficult. With wells constructed in 1920, it served as a passage for drovers to bring cattle from the pastoral lands of the Kimberley, so they could be brought South and exported.
This is certainly not for the faint hearted or ill-prepared.
The southern end of the track starts in Wiluna, near the Goldfields region and the Northern end finishes in the Kimberley, near Halls Creek. The Canning Stock Route passes through the Gibson Desert, the Little Sandy Desert and the Great Sandy Desert, eventually reaching the Tanami Desert.
Canning Stock Route – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Advanced
—Length: 1,850km
—Duration: Approximately 21 days (don’t trust the RAC articles that say 14).
—Water: There are several wells that are still functional, and water quality varies. Some water may need to be filtered. Bring enough drinking water for at least 12 days.
—Fuel: Typical fuel stops include Parngurr, Punmu and Kunawarritji. Bring enough fuel to allow for 1,000km of off-road/sand driving. This terrain can demand up to 19L/100km in some diesel cars and over 22L/100km in some big petrols such as a Y62 Patrol or Dodge Ram.
—Civilisation: You are going to be very remote on the Canning Stock Route. There are no towns and even the small communities are few and very far between. If you break down, getting towed could cost more than $15,000. Your on your own out there, so plan accordingly and bring some method of communicating via satellite.
—Best Times to Visit: May to September.
—Permits: $300
—Extra considerations: Most mechanical failures on the Canning Stock Route occur due to the corrugations and the heavy loading that accompanies such a long, self-sufficient trip. It’s hard to overstate just how significant the corrugations can be. I’ve personally seen a brand new bull-bar fall off where it had sheared through the in-built crumple zone section. Shock absorber failures are a reasonably common occurrence and I have also seen a fuel filter housing shake loose. Your biggest prevention is going to be checking bolts before you leave, taking a bottle of Loctite with you and semi-frequent checking of accessories and the engine bay before you take off in the mornings.
The Pilbara
Rudall River Track (Karlamilyi National Park)
The Rudall River Track goes through what was previously known as the Rudall River National Park, which is now known as Karlamilyi.
Karlamilyi is Western Australia’s largest and most remote national park and the Rudall River Track goes right through the guts of it.
Situated between the Little Sandy Desert and the Great Sandy Desert, this is an arid, harsh and rugged area that requires a lot of preparation and will consume the ill-prepared.
Rudall River – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Advanced
—Length: Approximately 1,100km between fuel stops. The Rudall River track is about 400km, but it starts approximately 300km from Marble Bar at the North end and roughly 400km from Newman where the Southern end meets the Talawana Track.
—Duration: Allow 5 days minimum, to see the sights properly.
—Water: There are some unofficial water sources if you know where to look, but you should carry enough drinking water for the whole trip.
—Fuel: A standard tank plus two jerry cans, should be sufficient. Allow for more than 1,100km of off-road and sand driving.
—Civilisation: You’re on your own out here. There are no supplies available at Telfer.
—Best Times to Visit: May to September
—Permits: Nil permits required.
—Extra considerations: The corrugations are very severe, as the tracks are not maintained. There are no services or support available that you might typically expect from a national park. The tracks are rocky, and punctures are likely. Bring a plug kit and two spares.
Talawana Track
The Talawana Track isn’t much of an experience in and of itself, however it is a key access point to two of the greatest tracks in Western Australia: The Canning Stock Route and the Rudall River Track.
The Talawana Track was one of Len Beadell’s tracks that he surveyed and pushed in. These days, the first 250km or so, are more of a gravel road, until you reach the Cotton Creek Access Road turnoff. Parngurr community used to be known as Cotton Creek. From this point, the next 60 to 80km resemble the original track and is unmaintained. The track meets the Stock Route at Georgia Bore, between wells 22 and 23.
Approximately 60km before the Cotton Creek Access turnoff, is where the Talawana Track meets the southern access to the Rudall River Track.
The Talawana Track does not go to Newman as described by many blogs. The western end of the track meets the Balfour Downs Road which then goes to the Marble Bar Road, which can be followed to the Great Northern Highway, just a little south of Newman
Talawana Track – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Beginner (but very remote)
—Length: Approximately 300km
—Duration: 1 day
—Water: Available at Georgia Bore, at East End. Water is hand pumped from the ground, and untreated.
—Fuel: Available from Parngurr community.
—Civilisation: Will cost at least $7,000 to be towed from the Cotton Creek Access Road turnoff to Newman. Most tow companies won’t even go that far, but we haven’t found anyone that will go all the way to Georgia Bore (trust me, we have tried).
—Best Times to Visit: April to October.
—Permits: No permits required.
—Extra considerations: The maintained section to Parngurr, is generally well maintained, but a few sections do get washed away most wet seasons. The unmaintained section (particularly past the Rewards Mineral turnoff) is corrugated to all buggery.
Gary Junction Road
The Gary Junction Road is one of the last truly remote outback routes that will take you through the most sparsely populated sections of Australia.
Another one of Len Beadell’s tracks, the Gary Junction Road spans from the Canning Stock Route at Well 33/Kunawarritji Community, all the way across to the Northern Territory, meeting the Tanami Track towards Alice Springs.
Gary Junction Road – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Advanced – Not overly technical, but very remote.
—Length: Approximately 1,000km
—Duration: 5 Days
—Water: No water available. You must be completely self-sufficient.
—Fuel: Last fuel (if heading East) is available from Kiwirrkurra. Expect to pay more than $3.40/L. Last fuel heading West is Papunya. Call any community in advance before departing, to double check fuel situation.
—Civilisation: You’re on your own.
—Best Times to Visit: May to September. It will exceed 50°C in summer.
—Permits: Separate permits are required for the Northern Territory and for Western Australia.
Kimberley
Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road was once one of the great remote routes of Western Australia. Tourism levels in the Kimberley, coupled with the increase in 4WD use since pandemic lockdowns in Western Australia, have seen wild increases in the amount of people travelling the Gibb River Road.
Aside from the level of corrugations this causes during the peak season, it’s also forcing new infrastructure upgrades. Combine this with a state government who seem determined to destroy the last remaining outback routes we have, and it’s not a matter of asking if the Gibb River Road will lose all of its wonder, but a matter of when.
The amount of bitumen encroaching on this track from the North as well as the South, increases every year.
All I can say, is that you should do the Gibb before it becomes a highway, or better yet, tell everyone you know to boycott it, in a last-ditch attempt to save it.
I grew up in the Kimberley and travelled this track hundreds of times with my Dad, who did a lot of remote work at communities. The difference between the track today, and how it was even only a decade ago, is heart braking.
Gibb River Road – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Beginner – but somewhat remote.
—Length: 650km.
—Duration: Can be done in one or two days, but there is more than two weeks’ worth of fantastic sights to explore. Give yourself enough time to stop at a lot of places along the way.
—Water: There
—Fuel: Available, but quite expensive. Can be done on a standard tank.
—Civilisation: If you break down on the track itself, you’re not going to perish, someone will come along. It may be a very expensive recovery however.
—Best Times to Visit: April to October
—Permits: Nil
—Extra considerations: Don’t be the sort of person that takes a caravan on the Gibb River Road and then complains that it’s too difficult and that extra infrastructure needs to be implemented for you and your idiot friends. Don’t cut branches to make the Kalumburu track wider, to accommodate your caravan either. I’ve seen both of these things occur frequently.
Goldfields Esperance Region
The Holland Track
Another piece of WA’s history, rolled into a stellar track that forms an awesome bit of adventure.
The Holland Track served as a passage for would-be gold seekers to travel from Albany, one of the predominant West Australian ports at the time, to Coolgardie in the Goldfields. It was surveyed and cut-in during the 1800s, to allow for travel during the Goldrush.
The Holland Track starts near Hyden at the South end and traverses sections of the Western Woodlands, before arriving into more arid and sparse scrub, that’s a classic sign of coming in the Goldfields region where the colour of the dirt starts to turn red.
Contrary to what’s espoused by many blogs, particularly the RAC’s, the Holland Track does not go from Hyden to Coolgardie (see distance below). It starts at the Hyden-Norseman road, approximately 60km from Hyden and finishes at Victoria Rocks Road, approximately 90km from Coolgardie.
The Holland Way, incorporates sections of the original route that have since been turned into dirt road that traverses farmland. The Holland Track is just the section that goes through the original unadulterated bushland.
Holland Track – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced (see extra considerations below).
—Length: Approximately 310km. (640km according to the RAC, 220km according to the shire of Coolgardie, 260km according to Ronny Dahl)
—Duration: Can be done in a day, but we recommend taking three days or more to enjoy the sights and find some of the areas that are a short detour from the track.
—Water: There is no water available on the track.
—Fuel: A full tank should easily see you through it. Always a good idea to carry a Jerry can however.
—Civilisation: You’ll always be within a few hundred kilometres of a town. It’s not a thoroughfare so you wont see any traffic other than those specifically doing the track, but you will see someone within a day or two if you get really stuck. There are also mine access tracks that intersect at a few points.
—Best Times to Visit: Winter is when the track is the most difficult, but you can have camp fires. Summer makes for easier driving, but there are no fires allowed. Autumn or spring often make for the nicest trips through here.
—Permits: No permits required.
—Extra considerations: The Holland Track has become a bit of a mecca to people with heavily modified vehicles. Because of this, anything that looks like a puddle might actually be a very well disguised 2.5m deep quagmire that’s been carved out by 40” wheels. This is more prominent on the southern half of the track where the soils are comprised of a lot more clay. However, if you’re not driving a comp truck, you should drive around the bog holes.
Anne Beadell Highway
The Anne Beadell Highway is one of Len Beadell’s tracks that he surveyed and pushed through. It is very much not a highway.
Starting at Laverton in Western Australia and finishing in Coober Pedy in South Australia, the Anne Beadell Highway passes through the heart of the Great Victoria Desert.
Anne Beadell Highway – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Intermediate and very remote.
—Length: 1,375km.
—Duration: Approximately 7 days.
—Water: You must be self-sufficient.
—Fuel: Almost 800km from Ilkurlka Roadhouse to Coober Pedy.
—Civilisation: You are on your own. Towing could cost more than $15,000.
—Best Times to Visit: May to September.
— Permits: 4 separate permits required if traversing end to end.
Connie Sue Highway
Much like his other tracks which are named “highway” (Gunbarrel, Anne Beadell, Gary), Len Beadell’s Connie Sue Highway, is anything but.
The Connie Sue Highway travels North/South along the edge of the Great Victoria Desert between Cocklebiddy on the Nullarbor and Warburton in Central Western Australia.
At almost 800km long (if you consider it to start at Cocklebiddy and not Rawlinna), the Connie Sue Highway offers an adventure on it’s own, without even considering the other great tracks it leads to. However, you’re time will be limited, because the permits that are required to use the Connie Sue Highway, are only granted for a maximum of three days.
Connie Sue Highway – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Intermediate
—Length: 750-800km from Cocklebiddy to Warburton
—Duration: 3 Days, due to permit limitations.
—Water: Carry water for the entire journey.
—Fuel: No water available.
—Civilisation: You’re on your own. Prepare accordingly.
—Best Times to Visit: March to October
—Permits: Permits required.
Great Central Road
The Great Central Road, goes from Laverton in Western Australia, all the way through to Uluru in the Northern Territory.
It’s not a 4WD track and essentially just a dirt road (weather depending), but we have included it in this list because the landscapes are incredible and it also provides access/end points to many other great tracks on this list.
Great Central Road – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Beginner, but fairly remote.
—Length: 1,100km.
—Duration: A few days.
—Water: Carry enough for the trip.
—Fuel: Available every 300km or thereabouts.
—Civilisation: You should be self-sufficient.
—Best Times to Visit: April to September
—Permits: At least two permits are required
Gunbarrel Highway
Another one of Len Beadell’s tracks, the Gunbarrel was named after his intention of making the track as straight as the barrel of a gun in sections.
Extending from near Wiluna at the Western end, reaching near to the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory, the Gunbarrel passes through WA, the NT as well as South Australia.
The Gunbarrel is a true desert track, passing from the southwest edges of the Little Sandy Desert, through the Gibson Desert and close by to the Northern edge of the Great Victoria Desert.
“Outback” is a term quite often abused by tourism marketing campaigns, trying to describe any bushland or non-urban region that has even just a tinge of red to the soil. But with that said, the Gunbarrel Highway takes you through some Australia’s true outback regions.
Gunbarrel Highway – At a Glance:
—Difficulty Level: Intermediate in a technical sense, but very remote.
—Length: 1,350km.
—Duration: 4 Days.
—Water: Carry enough for the whole trip.
—Fuel: Available at Warburton.
—Civilisation: You’re a long way from anywhere. Be self-sufficient and have good off-road recovery insurance.
—Best Times to Visit: April to September
—Permits: 4 Separate permits required.
