Francois Peron National Park

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Cultural Recognition

We recognise and acknowledge Malgana people as the traditional owners of Francois Peron National Park. Wulyibidi is the Malgana name for Peron Peninsula and Gutharraguda, meaning ‘two bays’, is the name for Shark Bay. 

A photo taken by a drone at Big Lagoon in Francois Peron National Park. Bright orange sand/dirt makes up most of this image. It is flat and bare in the foreground, and slopes upwards to form a dune in the midground. The dune is sparsely covered by small green shrubs. To the right of the image, the sand gives way to the turquoise ocean, and a person can be seen pulling a kayak out of the water.
Francois Peron National Park is known for being a place where “the desert meets the sea”. Photo credit: Tourism WA

Empty headingOverview of Francois Peron National Park

Francois Peron National Park is a nine-hour drive north from Perth, but it’s definitely worth the travel! 

One of this coastal park’s main attractions is the spectacular contrasting landscape. The rich red desert meets the white, sandy beach, which leads to the clear, turquoise ocean. 

Francois Peron National Park is also home to an incredible array of wildlife – especially in the surrounding waters. Dolphins dance gracefully through the waves, while manta rays, sea turtles and dugongs leisurely glide through the water. You might even spot a humpback whale from August to October! 

A two-wheel-drive vehicle will get you to the Peron Heritage Precinct, which features interpretive displays, a grassed area, barbecues and a walk trail.  

From here, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is needed to explore the rest of the park. However, there are numerous four-wheel-drive tours that depart from nearby Shark Bay and Monkey Mia. 

Some wonderful spots to see include Cape Peron, where you can try and spot ocean wildlife from the top of the red cliffs, or explore the rock pools on the beach below. Skipjack Point Lookout is also one for the list, offering a walk trail and spectacular views over the Shark Bay Marine Park. 

Dogs are not permitted within the national park.  

Fees apply for entry into Francois Peron National Park, which contribute to park management, including protection of the environment and the development and maintenance of visitor services and facilities. 

Cost of Entry*

Private vehicle with up to 12 occupants  

  • $17 per vehicle  
  • $10 per vehicle concession  

Private vehicle with more than 12 occupants  

  • $8 per occupant 6 years or older  
  • $3.50 per occupant concession  

Motorcycle  

  • $10 per motorbike  
  • No concession  

No entry fee applies if you walk or cycle into the park.

*Prices accurate as of January 2024, refer to the Explore Parks WA website for up to date pricing.

A photo of the beach at Cape Peron. A bright red, rocky cliff face borders the beach. The sand at the bottom of the cliff is cream-coloured and flat, and leads to the calm ocean. Two people can be seen walking along the beach in the distance, away from the camera.
A photo of four kayaks laying on the beach, right by the water at Cape Peron. The water is clear, flat and calm. The sky above is bright blue, with a few white whispy clouds.
A photo taken at a beach in Francois Peron National Park. In the distance, one person sits in a camping chair, and a child stands next to them holding a fishing rod. They are right by the water’s edge. The water is calm and flat. The sky is clear and the sun is low to the horizon, indicating it’s later in the day.
A photo of a person sitting on a wooden bench atop a sand dune in Francois Peron National Park. The bench sits beside a flat path made of wood planks. The path and bench are surrounded by orange sand and green and grey coastal shrubs. The white sand beach and turquoise water can be seen below. The sky above is blue and mostly clear.
A photo of a white four-wheel-drive on a beach in Francois Peron National Park. The blue ocean can be seen behind the car, and the iconic red cliff face of Cape Peron can be seen in the distance. The sky above is bright blue and clear.
A photo taken on the beach at Cape Peron. The light brown-orange sand on the right slopes downwards to meet the flat, clear ocean on the left. A child walks away from the camera along the beach. The land curves to the left in the distance to form a point, atop which sits a red-coloured cliff. The sky above is clear and blue.
A photo taken at Krasker’s Tank. There is an interpretive sign to the right, featuring information about Krasker’s Tank. Slightly further back is the tank; wooden poles form a four-legged structure, atop which sits a sheet of steel. These objects are surrounded by green bushes and shrubs. The ground is made of rich red dirt, and the sky above is mostly clear and blue.
A photo of the hot tub at Peron Homestead Precinct. The hot tub is a short, wide, round structure made of corrugated metal, and full of water. There are a couple of wooden benches around the outside of the hot tub. The area is fenced, and some grass and trees can be seen on the other side.
A photo taken of the walkway at Skipjack Point. The walkway is flat and sealed and runs over the red sand dunes before turning to the left. Green and grey coastal shrubs sparsely cover the dunes around the walkway. The ocean can be seen in the distance and is turquoise in colour before turning dark blue as the water deepens. The sky above is bright blue and clear.
A photo taken at Cape Peron from the top of a sand dune. The rich, orange-coloured sand dune can be seen in the foreground, with a person standing atop it in the distance. In the midground, past the dune, is the turquoise-coloured ocean. Above, the sky is blue and clear, besides a few small white clouds.
A photo of a child in a t-shirt and shorts, laying on their back on the sand. Their arms are stretched out to the sides, while their legs remain together. Patterns in the sand show the child has been moving their legs and arms in and out, to form the shape of an angel in the sand.

Every Kid in a Park Resources

Discover fun activities to do at any park!

Activity Sheet: Invent a Scent

Become a master of scents by searching for and combining the best smells of nature. Can you create the perfect perfume? This document is available to download as a PDF or Accessible Word version, to help you plan your visit. Download PDF version Download Accessible Word version

Activity Sheet: Seeing Sound

Sounds are only for our ears……. or are they? Find a quiet spot to sit and listen. What can you hear? Use this activity sheet to record and describe the sounds. This document is available to download here. Download your copy

Activity Sheet: Texture Tag

Use this activity sheet to go on an adventure and explore textures around the park! Touch leaves, bark and even the ground, and describe the features. This document is available as a PDF and an Accessible Word version, to help you plan your visit.   Download PDF Download Accessible Word version

Plants and Animals

See if you can spot some of these plants and animals during your visit!  

Ocean 

  • Bottlenose dolphin 
  • Manta ray 
  • Shark 
  • Dugong 
  • Turtle 

Land 

  • Racehorse goanna 
  • Thorny devil 
  • Emu 
A side-on photo of a bottlenose dolphin underwater. The dolphin has a long “snout”, and a curved body that is grey in colour. It has a curved dorsal fin on its back, and another fin on its chest.
A photo of a manta ray gliding through the water, taken from underneath. The ray is almost a wide diamond-shape, and looks to be varying shades of grey in colour. It has two (2) lines of gills that look like narrow slits. It has a long, thin tail.
A side-on photo of a shark. The shark’s nose comes to a rounded point, and it has a black, beady eye. It has five (5) vertical slits that form gills. It has a flat fin on each side of its body, and a dorsal fin on its back. It has a white underside, and a dark grey body and back.
A photo of a dugong swimming in water. The dugong is quite big, with a small round head, and a larger, long, round body. It has a small fin on each side of its body, and a large, disc-shaped tail. It is light grey in colour.
A photo of a turtle gliding through the water. It has a small, round head with large eyes. It has long fins that stick outwards just below its neck. It has a large shell that is brown and green in colour. Its two (2) shorter back fins can’t be seen in the photo.
A photo of a racehorse goanna. It’s a medium-sized lizard that is mostly brown in colour, with some small patches of black. Its tail longer than the whole length of its body.
A photo of a thorny devil. It’s a very small lizard that is completely covered in spiky thorns. It is brown, white and yellow in colour.
A photo of an emu. It has two (2) very long legs, and a large, round body that is covered in brown and cream feathers. It has a very long neck with a small round head, and a small beak.

Birds 

  • Cormorant 
  • Singing honeyeater 
  • Fairy-wren 

 

Plants

  • Wattle 
  • Hakea 
  • Grevillea 
  • Bush tomato 
  • Halgania 
A photo of the top-half of a cormorant. It’s a medium-sized water bird, with a round body and a long, slender neck. It has a small head and a long, thin beak. White feathers cover its underbelly, and dark brown feathers cover the rest of it.
A photo of a singing honeyeater. It’s a small bird with a round body, a small head and a long tail feathers. It is mostly light brown with patches of white. It also has bright yellow patches on its face and wings.
A photo of a fairy wren. It has a small beak and a round head that has patches of vibrant, bright blue feathers, and dark blue feathers. Its round body is dark grey in colour, and its tail feathers are dark blue. Its belly is light grey. It has two (2) short, thin legs.
A photo of some branches of a wattle tree. The branches are covered in flowers which are bright yellow and small, round and fluffy. They also have rows of thin, green leaves.
A photo of pincushion hakea flowers. The flowers have a large, red sphere in the middle, with lots of thin, white stems sticking out of it, resembling a pincushion. Large, green leaves grow between the flowers.
A close-up photo of a bottlebrush, or grevillea, flower on the end of a branch. The flower is bright red and made up of lots of tiny red stems, which make it resemble a bottle brush. Small green leaves grow along the branch until they reach the flower.
A photo of a bush tomato plant. The plant is made up of lots of light green/grey leaves, and small purple flowers. Amongst the leaves are small green tomatoes.
A close-up photo of halgania flowers. There are about eight (8) separate flowers bunched together. The flowers have five (5) small petals that are a vibrant mid-blue colour. The centre of the flower is a light yellow colour.

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Safety

We suggest reading this safety information about travelling, bushwalking, swimming, fishing, paddling, kayaking and snorkelling before your visit. 

Visit the Explore Parks WA website for more. 

A photo of a four-wheel-drive car on an unsealed road in Francois Peron National Park. The road is made of dirt, and is very bumpy. Coastal shrubs and bushes surround the road and the car. The sun is casting a warm orange glow over the landscape, making it hard to see much colour.
Care must be taken when driving on unsealed roads. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia

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Conservation

Francois Peron National Park is home to many plants and animals. Follow the tips below to assist in the protection of the Francois Peron National Park environment.    

  • Only follow marked walk trails and roads.   
  • Leave no trace. Ensure all food and rubbish is contained and out of reach of wildlife, and take all belongings with you when you leave.  
  • Only camp in designated sites.  
  • Do not feed wildlife.   
  • Do not disturb or displace plants and animals. 

A photo of Big Lagoon in Francois Peron National Park, taken from very high up by a drone. The lagoon is a large, circular, turquoise-coloured body of water. A small opening at one end of the lagoon forms a channel that meets the ocean. The lagoon is surrounded by dark green coastal shrubs and bushes, and red dirt.
It’s important to protect beautiful landscapes like this one at Big Lagoon. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia

Acknowledgements

Visit the Explore Parks WA website for more information about Francois Peron National Park. 

Nature Play WA would like to thank the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions for providing valuable information about Matilda Bay Reserve. 

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