Cape Arid National Park

280,000ha.

Cape Arid National Park has a varied landscape of sandy plains and heathland, beautiful beaches and rocky promontories. Inland from the coast there are low granite hills, and in the northern part of the park is the Russell Range, with Mount Ragged (594m) as its highest peak.

At the east end of the park is Nuytsland Nature Reserve, bordering the Nullarbor Plain. Within the park there are beaches extending for 20km from the mouth of the Thomas River in the west to Cape Arid, above which rises Mount Arid (356m). From the hill there are good views of the varied coastal scenery and the innumerable little islands at the east end of the Recherche Archipelago. Granite promontories shelter the sandy beaches (good fishing and water sports in summer). Occasionally whales and seals can be observed.

There are a number of walking trails in the park, and there is also pleasant walking round the inlets and on the beaches.

The Thomas River at the west end of the park, Seal Creek and Jorndee Creek can be reached on a gravel road. Mount Ragged can be reached only in an all-terrain vehicle.