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Cave

A Cave Guide for Curious Travellers

Stalagmites, stalactites, underground streams and sunken forests, some of the Margaret River Region’s most compelling landscapes lie just beneath the surface.

Carved over thousands of years, more than 100 limestone caves run the length of the Leeuwin–Naturaliste ridge in Australia’s South West.

Six of these caves are open to the public, each offering a unique view of the Margaret River Region from below – think tranquil reflections and ancient fossils to softly lit chambers and climbable passages.

All six caves line the aptly named Caves Road between Yallingup and Augusta. Whether you choose a self-guided exploration, fully guided tour with a local expert or a hands-on climb, there’s a cave experience here that will fit naturally into your trip – one step down at a time.

Aerial view of a family standing on a timber viewing deck at Ngilgi Cave’s Ancient Lands Experience, gathered around a large circular map of Cape Naturaliste with interpretive panels and bushland surrounding the platform.

Ngilgi Cave and the Ancient Lands Experience, a self-guided journey through bushland and underground chambers.


Ngilgi Cave Ancient Lands Experience in Yallingup

Self-guided, family-friendly and full of highlights

Begin on the Ancient Lands Experience, an interpretive trail through native bushland. Interactive installations trace 600 million years of geological history, showcase local flora and fauna, and honour the Wadandi People’s enduring custodianship.

At the cave entrance, descend into softly lit chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites, helictites and vividly coloured shawls. A guide in the main chamber shares stories and insights, but you set the pace.

Feeling adventurous? Detour into the crawl tunnel, a rite of passage for all ages, then finish your visit at the nature-based play area where kids can continue the adventure above ground.

Ngilgi Cave was Western Australia’s first tourist attraction and has been wowing visitors for over 100 years. Ngilgi Cave Guide Georgia May first visited the cave when she was young and has been amazed by its natural wonder ever since.

The mystery of Ngilgi’s chambers and changing depths brings a real sense of awe, but what really excites me are the crystals found further into the cave – their purity and untouched beauty is an experience in itself.

Visitors stand on a viewing platform inside Mammoth Cave, surrounded by tall stalactites and stalagmites in a large, softly lit limestone chamber.

Mammoth Cave self-guided tour with audio commentary through spacious limestone chambers.


Mammoth Cave in Boranup

Self-guided with audio commentary, fossils and forest immersion

Descend a gently sloping boardwalk into the accessible entrance chamber, where a shallow stream meanders across the floor through spring before retreating during summer.

With your headset (available in several languages), wander at your own pace as the commentary reveals Mammoth’s story: limestone formed over millennia, the palaeontological digs that uncovered thousands of megafauna fossils, and the rare sight of a 50,000-year-old Zygomaturus jawbone still embedded in the wall.

Emerge through a moss-draped doline into towering karri and marri forest, follow the forest trail, then choose one of two paths for a peaceful return beneath the canopy.

Visitors stand on a boardwalk inside Lake Cave, looking at stalactites and shawl formations reflected in the calm water of the underground lake, softly lit within the limestone chamber.

Lake Cave, a fully guided tour through an underground chamber of tranquil water reflections and delicate formations.


Lake Cave in Boranup

Fully-guided, spectacular formations and water reflections

Follow a dramatic stair descent through a sunken karri forest to the cave chamber below. The fully guided tour takes you along the cave’s length, where the lake’s glassy surface mirrors delicate shawls, flowstones and the iconic Suspended Table – a multi-tonne flowstone shelf poised just above the water.

As the region’s most active show cave, gentle water movement and dripping formations create a tranquil atmosphere. Watch droplets gather on straw stalactites before they fall into the lake and send ripples across its surface. At the end of the tour, ascend the steps at your own pace through the doline and back into the forest.

Visitors walk along an elevated boardwalk inside Jewel Cave, surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites in a large, warmly lit limestone chamber.

Jewel Cave, a fully guided tour through expansive chambers with dramatic crystal formations.


Jewel Cave in Deepdene

Fully-guided tour through vast chambers and sparkling formations

As the largest cave open to the public in Western Australia, Jewel Cave unfolds in expansive chambers draped with feathery shawls, soaring stalagmites, and one of Australia’s longest straw stalactites.

Jewel Cave Manager Rikki Andrew calls the cave “an underground wonderland, with its massive caverns and abundance of crystal formations, there is something to leave you in awe in every single cavern.”

On a fully guided tour, you will learn about the cave’s dramatic origins and the slow geological processes that shaped each formation over thousands of years.

When planning your descent into your next cave adventure, always travel light, wear enclosed shoes and book in advance to ensure your spot.