Best Walking & Hiking Trails in Kakadu

Discover the best trails for exploring Kakadu National Park by foot.

Kakadu National Park is the largest national park in Australia, covering roughly 20,000 square kilometres of land. It’s no wonder that this national park is such a popular destination to visit. There are plenty of ways to explore Kakadu National Park from tours to hiking.

Below are five of the best walking and hiking trails in Kakadu National Park!

1. Jim Jim Falls

The Jim Jim Falls hike is two kilometres long and takes around two hours to complete. This is a bit of a difficult hike but it’s well worth it once you reach the end.

If you visit Jim Jim Falls in the dry season, the waterfall will likely be a small trickle. If you visit during the wet season, the waterfall will be cascading strong and mighty.

2. Anbangbang Billabong

The Anbangbang Billabong is one of the best wetland hikes in Kakadu. The walk is a 2.5 kilometre loop and takes one or two hours. Please note that this walk is closed during the wet season.

While following this walking trail, you’ll see an abundance of flora and fauna, including a range of colourful birds. This is also a fun trail if you’re travelling with children, as it is mostly flat and even

3. Maguk (Barramundi Gorge)

One of the best waterfall hikes in Kakadu National Park is the Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) trail. This trail is less than two kilometres long and takes around an hour.

This trail will lead you to the Maguk swimming hole. You can bring your swimwear and reward yourself with a refreshing dip in the swimming hole. Though you will see crocodile signs along this path, there are park rangers who consistently monitor this area for your protection.

4. Bark Sandstone Walk

The Barrk Sandstone Walk is one of the best long hikes in Kakadu. The walking trail is about 12 kilometres long and takes around 6 hours to finish.

When following this hiking trail, you will pass some incredible rock art at the Anbangbang Gallery. Following the gallery, you’ll come upon the Gunwarrdehwarrde lookout, which offers incredible views of the national park. Some parts of this walk will lead you through shrubs so we recommend wearing long pants.

5. Ubirr Rock

The best sunset hike and rock art viewing spot is the Ubirr Rock walk. This walking trail is a one one kilometre loop with the option to climb 250 metres to the top of the rock. It will take around an hour to complete this hike, along with any time you factor in for watching the sunset.

This incredible walk will lead you to some of the most fascinating rock art in Kakadu National Park. Each painting portrays a different story such as hunting and the Traditional Owners’ relationship with the land.

Ubirr Rock is a popular sunset viewing spot in the national park, so make sure you give yourself enough time to stake out a good spot. Please note that this is a culturally sensitive area, so while you can have a sunset picnic, alcohol is not permitted.

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward began with a passion for travel and turned it into a thriving tourism business. He co-founded Sightseeing Tours Australia after starting out as a tour guide in Melbourne. Cameron delights in helping visitors get the most from their trip to Australia. Whether he's leading tours or writing about his favourite places, Cameron loves sharing his local insight with fellow travellers.