Cape Range National Park is a national park in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, 1,105 kilometers (687 miles) north of Perth. The park covers the western side of the North West Cape peninsula and spans an area of 47,655 hectares (117,760 acres). The nearest town is Exmouth, and directly off the coast lies the Ningaloo Reef. The area formed over time as the land slowly rose from the sea floor, followed by changing sea levels, wind, and water erosion that gradually wore away the land. This process left behind rugged limestone, deep canyons, and beautiful, untouched beaches.

There is also a place with the same name as the Shire of Exmouth, but the boundaries of the national park and this area are not the same.

Overview

The Cape is a raised land made of limestone on the North West Coast. It has plateaus that reach up to 314 meters (1,030 feet) and forms the main part of the peninsula that stretches to North West Cape.

Yardie Creek is a deep canyon where water is blocked by a sandbar. This location is inside the park.

More than 700 caves are found in the park, and many more may still be unknown. Over 630 types of wildflowers grow in the park, usually blooming at the end of winter. These include the bird flower and the desert sturt pea.

The area was used for farming and raising animals starting in 1876 when J Brockman bought land rights covering North West Cape. In 1888, Brockman sold parts of the land to Thomas Carter, an ornithologist, including Yardie Creek and Ningaloo Station. Carter was the first person to settle in the area and started a farming station in 1889. The area became a national park in 1964, and the nearby Ningaloo Marine Park was established in 1987.

The park has many types of plants and animals. Plants include mangroves, acacia, spinifex, grevillea, verticordia, eucalyptus, and minilya lily. Animals found in the park include rock wallabies, red kangaroos, emus, euros, 100 different bird species, and 80 reptile species.