Guide · Western Australia ·
Cape Le Grand National Park: Lucky Bay and walks
Cape Le Grand National Park is about 50 km south-east of Esperance in Western Australia. The Department of Parks and Wildlife has closed it because of bushfire. The department says the park is within 45 minutes' drive of the town, and its page points to the Le Grand Coastal Trail and the climb up Frenchman Peak. It also names spots such as Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay and Thistle Cove.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Cape Le Grand; Park closures.
Check closures and fire warnings first
The Parks and Wildlife closures page lists two notices headed "Cape Le Grand National Park CLOSED due to bushfire", dated 17 and 18 November. On 17 November the ABC quoted Ian Hughes, the Esperance parks and visitors services coordinator, who said the park would stay closed until further notice. Check that it has reopened before you plan a trip.
The New Daily reported on 18 November that four people died in fires near Esperance and that several fires were raging there. Parks and Wildlife posts park alerts on its website. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the Bureau of Meteorology and the ABC post emergency warnings. Check the park alerts and the emergency warnings, then call the Parks and Wildlife office in Esperance on (08) 9083 2100, Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, except public holidays.
A notice on the Parks and Wildlife page for Lucky Bay said its campground and day use area were due to close for redevelopment from 15 July until 31 October 2015. It said the closure would include access onto the beach and the coastal walk trails. Ask the Esperance office whether that work is finished.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Park closures; Lucky Bay; Cape Le Grand; Safety. ABC News, 17 November 2015. The New Daily, 18 November 2015.
Getting there, fees and camping
The drive from Esperance is on sealed road, and so are the roads to the park's recreation sites. The one exception is the spur road to Rossiter Bay, which is graded for two-wheel drive.
A day entry pass costs $12 for a vehicle with up to 12 people, or $6 at the concession rate. A motorcycle pays $6. Walkers and cyclists enter free. If you camp, the pass for your arrival day covers the whole stay, and camping fees are extra.
Cape Le Grand Campground is at Le Grand Beach. It has 15 individual sites, solar hot water showers, septic toilets, a camp kitchen and drinking water, but no dogs are allowed. Camping fees are per person, per night: $10 for an adult, $6.60 with a concession card and $2.20 for a child aged 6 to 15. Camping is free for children aged 5 and under. Bookings cannot be made, and sites are first come, first served.
At the campground, campfires and solid fuel appliances, including stoves, barbecues and heaters, are banned at all times. Your own gas or liquid fuel barbecues, stoves and heaters are allowed unless a total fire ban is declared.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Cape Le Grand; Campground; Le Grand Beach; Park entry fees; Camping fees.
Lucky Bay and the other bays
Parks and Wildlife calls Lucky Bay's white beach and turquoise water a must-see. It says the sheltered bay suits swimming, snorkelling, fishing, surfing and launching small boats. Matthew Flinders named the bay in 1802, when his ship HMS Investigator sheltered there from a summer storm.
The Lucky Bay page also warns that the beaches are "notoriously treacherous for vehicles". It says a vehicle can easily bog in wet or dry sand that looks safe. It advises asking a ranger about surface conditions and tides.
The department says Hellfire Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the park. The bay has toilets, barbecues and a large picnic shelter, but no drinking water. Thistle Cove has a "whistling" rock, but no drinking water.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Lucky Bay; Hellfire Bay; Thistle Cove.
Frenchman Peak
The Frenchman Peak walk is 3 km, and Parks and Wildlife says to allow 2 hours return. It grades the walk Class 5, difficult. The route climbs the east slope to the 262 m summit. The views take in the park, the southern coastline and islands in the Recherche Archipelago. A large cave sits near the top.
Follow the rock cairns and take no short cuts. The Frenchman Peak page calls the rock "deceptively steep, especially on descent". It does not recommend the walk in wet or windy weather.
Parks and Wildlife says the peak's Aboriginal name is Mandooboornup. It calls the peak an important place in local Aboriginal mythology.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Frenchman Peak; Cape Le Grand.
The Le Grand Coastal Trail
The trail runs from Le Grand Beach to Rossiter Bay by way of Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove and Lucky Bay. Parks and Wildlife gives the length as 15 km one way. It calls the trail a one-day hike for the experienced walker and says to allow 8 to 9 hours. You can also break it into four shorter sections. Rock cairns, wooden pegs and pruned vegetation mark the path, except on the beaches.
| Section | Time to allow, one way | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Le Grand Beach to Hellfire Bay | 3 hours | 5, difficult |
| Hellfire Bay to Thistle Cove | 2 to 3 hours | 5, difficult |
| Thistle Cove to Lucky Bay | 1 hour | 3, moderately easy |
| Lucky Bay to Rossiter Bay | 2 to 3 hours | 4, moderately difficult |
The four section times add up to 8 to 10 hours, our sum. Two other department pages differ from the table. The Hellfire Bay page gives 2 hours to Thistle Cove. It grades its walks to Thistle Cove and to Le Grand Beach both Class 4. The Thistle Cove page says 45 minutes to Lucky Bay.
Sources for this section: Parks and Wildlife: Coastal Trail; Hellfire Bay; Thistle Cove.
Weather and safety
The Bureau of Meteorology has Esperance figures for 1969 to 2015. They put the mean maximum at 26.2°C in January and February and 17.2°C in July. On average, July is the wettest month, with 96.4 mm, and December is the driest, with 19.1 mm.
Parks and Wildlife says coastal risks in the Cape Le Grand area are significant. It says feral bees are a known problem there and advises avoiding active hives. It points rock fishers to RecFishWest's website for safety information. The department's pages for Frenchman Peak and the coastal trail say no drinking water is available. Carry your own water.
Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, Esperance climate statistics. Parks and Wildlife: Cape Le Grand; Frenchman Peak; Coastal Trail.