How Hot Is the Pinnacles Desert, and What Should You Bring?

From December to March the Pinnacles Desert is usually hot and dry, with an afternoon sea breeze and a fire danger that is often extreme (Parks and Wildlife Service). Pack a sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a full water bottle and closed shoes for sand, plus a warm layer if you stay past sunset. The easiest way round the heat is to arrive late in the day: Lumineer Adventure Tours’ Pinnacles: In-Desert Sunset BBQ & Stargazing & Sandboarding leaves Perth after lunch and reaches the pillars before sunset, from US$163 a person (checked November 2026).

Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.

When it is hot

The Parks and Wildlife Service’s visitor guide sets out the year in three parts. Summer days between December and March are usually hot and dry, with a sea breeze in the afternoon, and the fire danger is often extreme. Most of the park’s 540 mm of rain a year falls between May and September. From September the weather warms up while the days stay mild and the wildflowers start, which the guide calls the best time of year to explore the park.

Plan your shade before you set off. The Pinnacles Desert Discovery, where the Emu Walk Trail starts, has toilets, a shade shelter, an interpretive centre and a shop; out among the pillars you are on yellow sand and low heath. The animals have their own answer to the heat: the guide notes that wildlife rests through the hottest part of a summer day and comes out in the early morning and evening.

What to bring for the day

• Sun protection. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. A hat and sunglasses for the day are on Lumineer Adventure Tours’ list, and a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen on WA NT TOURS' list too.
• Water. Bring your own bottle. It is on Lumineer Adventure Tours’ list, and one of its guests in April 2026 refilled bottles at a rest stop after the dunes. Bottled water and sunscreen come with take you there tours' day.
• Shoes for sand. Closed, comfortable shoes: comfortable walking shoes for Australian Pinnacle Tours' day, comfortable or hiking shoes and clothes that can get dirty for WA NT TOURS', and no high heels on Lumineer Adventure Tours’.
• A fly net, if flies bother you. A fly net is among the things not included on WA NT TOURS' day, and a guest on Australian Pinnacle Tours' day in May 2024 suggested buying one at the gift shop before setting off among the pillars.
• Cash and a camera: both are on Australian Pinnacle Tours' list.

What to leave behind

The vehicles have little room. Lumineer Adventure Tours has no luggage capacity and does not allow luggage or large bags, and there is no phone charging on the bus, so start with a full battery; a charged smartphone is on its list. Food and drinks are not allowed in WA NT TOURS' vehicle.

After sunset

On an evening tour the heat goes with the sun. One of Lumineer Adventure Tours’ guests in July 2026 wrote that “it gets surprisingly cold once the sun goes down”, while one in November 2025 found that “it wasn’t cold”. Warm clothes for the night are on the tour’s list whatever the month. For the night side in more depth, from layers to torches, pinnaclesstargazingtour.com has a guide to dressing for the stars.

Fire and safety in the park

Cervantes, the town with shops and fuel, is 20 km by road north of the Pinnacles; Lake Thetis lies 1.7 km south-east of it. You may not light a fire anywhere in Nambung National Park; your own gas appliances are allowed, and Hangover Bay, 6 km by road from the Pinnacles, has free sheltered barbecues (Parks and Wildlife Service). The park’s visitor guide also suggests downloading the free Emergency+ app before you go: where there is no mobile coverage you cannot call 000, but the app gives your GPS location. Alerts for the park are posted at alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au.

If the midday sun is what worries you, an afternoon start solves most of it: Lumineer Adventure Tours puts you among the pillars in the late light, cooks dinner at sunset and spends the cooler hours after dark on the stars.

See dates for the desert and dunes tour