Why you shouldn't miss hidden gem Millstream Chichester National Park in Western Australia

Top 5 things to do in Millstream Chichester National Park

We've just left Millstream Chichester National Park a couple of weeks ago and think it's one of those best kept secrets in WA that lots of people skip when touring through the Pilbara Region.

Even if you are short in time, a day trip to Millstream Chichester National Park is definitely worth it. We spent 3 days / 2 nights at the national park campground near The Millstream Homestead early April and could have easily stayed a couple of days longer. The kids also loved exploring this beautiful national park with rolling hills, spectacular views and the best rock pools and swimming spots hidden from mass tourism. It's truly an oasis of deep gorges and palm fringed rock pools that certainly is a must-go-to for families with kids.We even had a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny at Millstream Homestead, where the kids went Easter Egg Hunting throughout the Homestead, in the restored family kitchen, on the green lawns and its beautiful surroundings. The Millstream Station was first established in the 1800's and gives you an insight about how the first early European settlers lived here. 

Ideal trip length: 2-3 days

Best time to visit: March - October

Budget level: $

Yindjibarndi Country

After setting up camp in the heat of the afternoon, we went straight to Deep Reach Pool (Nhanggangunha) to cool off for a sunset swim. It's a gorgeous big place that feels like it's a river, but it is actually maintained by the aquifer beneath the park. It's home to the Warlu serpent, a powerful ancestral being connected to water, creation and the carving of Country. The Yinjibarndi people share stories of Warlu and ask you to swim safely at Deep Reach as it is the home of Barrimurdi, the Warlu, or serpent. These stories speak of how rivers, waterholes, and pools—like those at Millstream—came to be. As with many Dreaming stories this remains an important part of living culture today. Also meaning to treat the place with respect and keep noise at a minimum.

This Dreamtime story is that of a great sea serpent who became angry and came out of the sea, got up from the north and made a deep trench in the land, digging it halfways, and came up along the rive. Making waterholes where he rose above the ground again, and made Millstream pools such as Deep Reach Pool. Our three little wildlings loved hearing and learning about the story of Warlu Serpent, often painted as a giant snake or water snake. Questions - specifically by our youngest wildling Faas (7) flowed as fast as the rivers — how were the pools made, where did Warlu travel, what happened next? It turned into a connection to the stories held in the land beneath our feet. Did you know there even is a Warlu Way, a self-guided drive to follow the journey of the Warlu serpent?

Getting there

If you have a 4WD vehicle, the best trip in our opinion is via a dirt road from Tom Price to Millstream Homestead. It's a direct road via the Rio Tinto Railway Access Road, a 182km trip. This route involves roughly 82km of unsealed, dusty gravel roads through the breathtaking Pilbara region. To travel this private road you must get a free permit online or get one at the local visitor centre in Tom Price or Karratha.

This is absolutely one of the most scenic drives we've done so far. Although the road was very corrugated when we went there (early April 2026) with our Ford Ranger and off-road Golf Caravan, and drove carefully and slowly (40km an hour), it took us about 3 hours from Tom Price to Millstream Homestead. We spoke to another couple with an off-road rental campervan that same day, who drove the same dirt road with an average of 80km an hour and didn't think it was very corrugated. So yes, it really comes down to your car or campervan and if you are towing or not towing. 

The scenery is beautiful, you drive alongside a train track that goes back from the mines filled with iron ore. There was quite some truck traffic due to the mining industry in that area. The kids loved 'racing’ the trains and were really impressed with the length of it. We've never seen such long trains in our lives before. We left Tom Price about midday, so we could drive during the hottest time of the day and arrived at Millstream Homestead around 4pm. 

You can also travel to Millstream Chichester National Park via Karratha. This is a completely sealed road and just a two hour drive from Karratha. The last 5 to 10 kms from the sealed road into the two national park campgrounds (Stargazers and Miliyanha Campground) is on a well-maintained gravel road that is an easy drive for 2Wcars too.

Where to stay

There are two national park campgrounds that can be booked via Western Australia's national parks website, Park Stay WA (find more details at parkstay.dbca.wa.gov.au). The Miliyanha Campground, 50 meters from Millstream Homestead, where we stayed, has two drop toilets, a camp kitchen with hot water(!), a gas barbeque and space to relax during breakfast or dinner on one of the two picnic tables. It's an excellent camp kitchen to use for cooking, doing your dishes, mingling with other campers or just relaxing in the shade. 

Stargazers campground, in a bush setting, is very close to Deep Reach Pool and only open between April and October. It has drop toilets and some sheltered gas barbecues, but is less equipped compared to Miliyanha Campground. On both campsites you have to bring your own water. Generators are welcome, all sites are unpowered, campfires are not allowed, and dogs are prohibited. 

If you like free camping there are few free camps mentioned on WikiCamps in this area, but there is one amazing spot that you should check-out if you visit in the colder months between June and September. It's a free roadside camp without any facilities, between Mount Herbert Lookout and Panorama Lookout. It has the most amazing views ever. It's called Mt Herbert Free Camp, there is no shade or any trees, so we didn't camp here due to the hot sunny weather in March and April, but def would like to come back one day to camp out here. It even has phone reception on top of the hill and is a short drive to the famous Python Pool.

What to do

1. Deep Reach Pool

About 5 minutes drive from the Homestead Campground you find Deep Reach Pool (Nhanggangunha). This large, natural water pool is a permanent pool and quite deep. There are two places where you can enter the water via a staircase with handrails. Getting to the pool is a 300m return walk, on a concrete even path, also accessible for wheelchairs, strollers etc. The viewing deck is an excellent point to visit during sunrise or sunset. Especially just before sunset is when the date palms on the other site of the pool catch the best last rays of sunlight.  

At the carpark there are disabled access toilets, near the waterfront there are gas barbecues, and shaded picnic tables are provided. Bring pool noodles, kayaks or your Standup Paddle Board to swim, kayak or float around. We swam across the pool to the other side to see the palm trees and many birds there from up close. 

2. The Snappy Gum Drive

Driving the Snappy Gum Drive with our 4WD was an absolute highlight during our stay. We did it on our second day of our stay in the afternoon, leaving around 4pm. The golden and red colours of the sky made the drive even more memorable. This 20km loop drive is not suitable for caravans and trailers, as it is a gravel road with numerous bends and inclines over the range. Make sure to check before leaving as it can be closed during wet season. After cyclone Narelle hit the Pilbara this drive was closed, but we entered it accidentally from a different road that wasn't closed and only saw the closed sign when finishing the drive. It wasn't too bad, but we had to cross one creek. Very doable. 

We loved the views from the top of the hills, the different landscapes, but the best part was, driving through and to square pool, where the water floads over the road and creats a natural spa next to the road.

3. Square Pool

What a hidden gem is Square Pool, nobody spoke about it when we asked in the Visitor Information Centre in Tom Price, where we specifically asked for the best rock pools and swimming holes. The only two that were mentioned were Deep Reach Pool and Python Pool, but if you ask us, Square Pool and it's natural alongside the road spa pool is so much more impressive and fun. 

It's hidden in a sudden bushland that is located alongside the Muddauthera Creek. You won't miss it if you drive the Snappy Gum Drive as it is part of that loop. But the best kept secret sits just off the road, where you have to wade through a bit of a murky stream into a bigger pool with views of ancient rock formations. When we went, as part of the drive later in the afternoon, nobody was there. Only the many birds made loud happy noises when we arrived. We could have swam here for hours or actually should have extended our stay with another day and come back for a whole day of swimming, sliding across the road and enjoying the natural spa. Such a little gem!

4. Python Pool

It's a great day trip from one of the two national park campgrounds (Stargazers and Miliyanha) to Python Pool, which is about an hour drive from Millstream Homestead. If you drive from Millstream Homestead directly to Python Pool, then the road is mainly sealed, but the last bit is a dirt road that leads you to the breathtaking viewing point of Mount Herbert Lookout & Panorama Lookout (scroll below). We came here after cyclone Narelle had hit the Pilbara Region making everything lush green, even the spinifex weren't yellow anymore. The pool is deep and can be cold in the cooler months like May - August (pack a pool noodle or other floatation aid), but if you visit this stunning swimming spot in March/April just like us, the water was very nice and even a bit warm, in which we could stay for hours. Still refreshing enough to cool down after a hot day. We love the spectacular backdrop of the imposing rugged ochre cliffs. If you want a quiet time with not many people around, go early in the morning, or late afternoon (just before sunset). Just be mindful when travelling in dry season, the water at Python Pool can become stagnant, and swimming might not be recommended due to algal blooms.

5. Mount Herbert Lookout & Panorama Lookout

On the way to Python Pool you drive by these two breathtaking lookouts. Make sure you come here during sunset, maybe just after your arvo swim in Python Pool. Watching the sun go down over this incredible ancient land of the Pilbara Region is something you won't easily forget. Don't forget to bring your camera. 

Last bits of info:

• Blackwater Disposal: Please don't empty chemical toilets into the park's composting toilets, as it kills the bacteria needed to break down waste.

• Fuel & Supplies: Make sure to fuel up as there is no fuel available in the park. The nearest supplies are in Tom Price or Karratha.

  
  

Enjoy your stay, keep chasing the wild. 🌿✨