The Pinnacles

The Pinnacles is a landscape of thousands of limestone columns rising from golden sand dunes throughout Nambung National Park in Western Australia. The formations vary in height and density, creating a natural maze-like pattern across the desert floor that shifts visually as you move through it.

The limestone columns formed approximately 500,000 years ago from shells and marine organisms when seawater covered this region during a warmer period. As the land rose and the sea retreated, softer materials around the structures eroded over millennia, leaving behind the hardened pillars visible today.

The Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre presents educational displays about geological processes and regional wildlife through scientific exhibits and interpretive materials.

You can explore the site on foot using walking trails or drive through in a vehicle, both are well-maintained and accessible throughout the year. Bring water and sun protection since the exposed sand offers little shade and the sun can be intense.

Each column contains a different mix of shells, algae, and sand cemented together, so every pillar has its own color and texture pattern. Some are nearly white while others are tinted orange-red by iron oxides, creating a colorful mosaic across the landscape.