Elephant Rocks: Everything you need to know

The southwest of Western Australia is full of some pretty magical little places, and Denmark is up there with the best of ‘em.

Surrounded to the east with lush native woodland, and to the south by the beautiful Harding River and part of the Great Australian Bight, it’s the perfect stopover on your way further south to Albany and Esperance, or just a place to clock some proper holiday time in its own right.

There’s a bunch to do and see in Denmark, and one such must-do is visit the glorious Elephant Rocks and Elephant Cove.

What is Elephant Rocks?

A stunning rock formation that resembles a herd of elephants playing in the water, Elephant Rocks are huge, cracked oval boulders overlooking the Great Southern Ocean. It’s right next to the tranquil beach that is Greens Pool, and both are part of the William Bay National Park – a scenic, rugged stretch of coastline near Denmark.

Where is Elephant Rocks?

Elephant Rocks are a 10 minute walk from the Greens Pool car park or they have their own car park within the William Bay National Park. The area is only around 15km west of Denmark, and a five hour-plus drive south of Perth.

If you’re coming from that way it’s pretty much straight down Albany Highway until Denmark-Mount Barker Road, then South Coast Highway and finally William Bay Road. The trail is easy enough to follow Greens Pool if you want to set up camp for the day on that protected area of beach.

Image via Shutterstock / Dylan Alcock

What to do at Elephant Rocks:

Walk with giants – the rocks themselves are a stunning site to behold and plenty of fun to climb over, just be wary of the Great Southern Ocean, which can be rough in certain conditions. There is also a staircase that descends down between the rocks into Elephant Cove, where you can walk through a narrow section of the rocks onto the beach.

As Elephant Cove is more exposed to the elements, people generally tend to swim and chill by the beach around the corner at Greens Pool, which is much more protected.

What not to do:

Go it solo – as we mentioned above the ocean can be quite unruly in certain conditions, and is often prone to surges that can sweep you out to sea at a moments notice.

Be a hero – Elephant Rocks are fantastic fun to climb, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t steep sections that’ll have you floundering in the ocean in no time, so be careful!

Anything else?

Denmark is an absolutely stunning part of the world, and a must-do if places further north like Margaret River and Dunsborough are getting a bit too crowded for you. From Shelley Beach and Peaceful Bay to the Valley Of The Giants Treetop Walk and Monkey Rock, there’s a plethora of experiences on offer.