Cape Le Grand National Park

Cape Le Grand National Park protects 31,000 hectares of coastal heath, granite peaks, and white-sand beaches about 50km east of Esperance. It contains some of the finest beaches in Australia — Lucky Bay, Thistle Cove, Hellfire Bay, Rossiter Bay — each slightly different in character but all sharing the same extraordinary sand colour and turquoise water.

The park also has good walking. Frenchman Peak (262m), a striking granite dome at the eastern end of the park, has a cave at the top that frames a view of the bay below. The Le Grand Beach walk (about 15km one way, usually done as a two-day overnight) passes through the heart of the park's coastal scenery. Spring wildflowers (August–October) are spectacular — the Recherche region has very high plant diversity, and the heath between the granite outcrops produces colourful displays of banksias, hakeas, and orchids. Entry fees apply; pay at the self-registration station at the park entrance.

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A story
Cape Le Grand was named after the French ship Le Grand, which visited the area during the Baudin expedition of 1803 — the same voyage that mapped much of Australia's southern coast and named hundreds of features. The French and the British were in a quiet race to chart and claim the continent at the time, and this remote corner of Western Australia bears French names as a result.

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