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  1. Home ›
  2. Australia's North West ›
  3. Kimberley ›

Wolfe Creek Crater National Park

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National Park

The Wolfe Creek meteorite crater is the second largest crater in the world from which fragments of a meteorite have been collected. The crater is 880m across and almost circular.

Essential information for all parks of Australia's North West
Essential information for all parks of Kimberley

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Contact Information

Kununurra

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Phone: 
+61 (0)8 9168 4200
Address: 
Lot 248 Ivanhoe Road KUNUNURRA PO Box 942 KUNUNURRA 6743
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Opening Information

Road access may be closed during the wet season (usually October to April).

Park Location

160km S Halls Creek.

Park Information

Dating has shown that the meteorite crashed to Earth around 300,000 years ago. It would have weighed more than 50,000 tonnes and is thought to have been travelling at 15km a second, a speed that would have taken it across Australia in five minutes.

Crater creator

The Wolfe Creek meteorite crater was only discovered by Europeans during an aerial survey in 1947. However, it has long been known to Aboriginal people, who called it Kandimalal, and tell of two rainbow snakes who formed the nearby Sturt and Wolfe Creeks as they crossed the desert. The crater is believed to be the place where one of the snakes emerged from the ground.

Enjoying the park

Sightseeing, walking, photography and nature observation are the most popular activities. Viewing the crater rim is a must. Another spectacular way to view the crater is to take an aerial flight from Halls Creek. A camping area in the national park is free to visitors and includes cleared sites and toilets.

Crater climb

A 400m return walk to the top of the crater rim involves a steep rocky climb. Climbing down into the crater is not permitted because the steep terrain and loose rocks make it dangerous.

Dragons and cockatoos

Among the broken rocks on the crater wall you may see a brown ringtail dragon stalking insects that frequent the flowering shrubs. Mammals are active at dawn and dusk, avoiding the heat of the day. Spectacular and noisy Major Mitchell cockatoos harvest seeds from the wattles and paperbarks of the crater floor.

Know before you go

The best time to visit the park is from May to October, when the weather is fine and temperatures are moderate. The park is generally only accessible to conventional vehicles during the dry season. No water is available so please bring ample supplies with you. Leave rocks and cultural artefacts as you find them. No bins are provided so please take your rubbish with you. 

Getting there

Wolfe Creek Crater National Park lies 145km from Halls Creek via the Tanami Road and access road (gravel and only accessible to conventional vehicles during the dry season), a two to three hour drive. All access within the national park is on foot.

We recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of Wolfe Creek Crater National Park.

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Flora & Fauna

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The Atlas of Living Australia (Atlas) contains information on all the known species in Australia aggregated from a wide range of data providers: museums, herbaria, community groups, government departments, individuals and universities.

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Visit the Atlas of Living Australia page for this area.
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Downloads & Resources

Wolfe Creek Crater in Australia

Shell Beach Conservation Park, Tourism Western Australia
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