Top 10 4x4 Tracks in Australia for 2026

If 2026 is the year you finally point the bonnet at the big stuff, this list is for you. These 4x4 tracks in Australia aren’t just “a drive” — they’re the kind of routes that test your patience, your prep, and your ability to keep your right foot calm when the terrain gets properly lumpy. Pick one for a long weekend, or stitch a few together for a full-blown lap.

How we picked these tracks for 2026

A quick heads-up: conditions change fast in this country. A track that’s mint one season can be closed, washed out, or fire-affected the next.

So this isn’t a “fastest way to flex on Instagram” list. It’s a real-world shortlist based on:

 Icon status (tracks people talk about for years)

Legal access (no dodgy private land shortcuts)

Variety (sand, rock, alpine, outback, beach)

Trip planning reality (seasonal windows, permits, closures)

You’ll also see me call out seasonal closures where they’re known to affect early 2026 planning.

Before you go: permits, closures, and being a good sort

A few golden rules that’ll save you grief (and maybe a recovery bill):

Check seasonal road closures before heading into alpine areas — Victoria’s seasonal closures generally run from after the King’s Birthday long weekend through to the end of October (sometimes longer if conditions are rough).

Remote desert parks can close over summer for safety. For example, SA’s Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park has a summer closure window listed for late Nov to mid-March. 

Beach and island driving often requires a Vehicle Access Permit (VAP) in QLD recreation areas like K’gari. 

In the Kimberley, “open” still means “conditions apply” — the Gibb River Road is typically open in the dry season (roughly May to November), and river crossings can rise quickly.

External link picks :

Queensland Parks — vehicle access permits (VAP) info book.parks.qld.gov.au

Main Roads WA — Gibb River Road travel info mainroads.wa.gov.au

The top 10: 4x4 tracks in Australia to plan for 2026

Pick 1 — Old Telegraph Track (Cape York, QLD)

Cape York has a way of making you feel small — in the best possible sense. The Old Telegraph Track (often called the “Tele Track”) is the classic: creek crossings, chopped-up entries, and that constant little voice asking, “Do I really want to drive this line… or the chicken track?”

If you’re heading to spots like Eliot Falls, access can involve Old Telegraph Track creek crossings (and some can be over a metre deep in sections). That’s not beginner territory. 

Best window: Dry season (generally May–October) for passable roads and fewer surprises. 

Good to have: recovery points you trust, a mate on comms, and the humility to walk a crossing first.

Pick 2 — K’gari (Fraser Island) Beach Runs + Inland Tracks (QLD)

K’gari is basically a sand-driving masterclass with the ocean as your soundtrack. You’ll do plenty of time on hard-packed beach “highways”, then duck inland onto softer, chopped-up tracks that punish lazy tyre pressures.

Before you go, lock in your Vehicle Access Permit (VAP) — it’s required for K’gari recreation area driving. 

Best window: Outside peak holiday crush if you can swing it.
Watch-outs: tides, salt, and soft exits (the ones that look easy… until they aren’t).

Pick 3 — Simpson Desert Crossing (QLD/SA/NT)

This one isn’t about one “hard obstacle”. It’s about hours of rhythm — dunes, dune after dune, and the mental game of staying smooth.

On the QLD side, parks guidance notes you’ll need a high-clearance 4WD and you’ll follow signs at Big Red toward the QAA Line. 

If you’re running the SA side (or travelling through SA’s Simpson Desert national park areas), a Desert Parks Pass is mandatory for entry/camping in SA’s Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park. 

Important for early 2026 planning: SA lists a summer closure period (late Nov to mid-March) for public safety due to extreme heat.                 

Pick 4 — Victorian High Country: Billy Goat Bluff + mates (VIC)

If you like steep climbs that feel like they go forever, the High Country delivers. Billy Goat Bluff is a proper rite of passage — rocky, relentless, and unbelievably scenic when the ridgelines open up.

But timing matters. Parks Victoria seasonal closures generally run after the King’s Birthday long weekend until the end of October. 

Best window: Late spring through autumn (when it’s open and stable).
Driver tip: low-range early, and don’t cook your brakes on the way down.

Pick 5 — Gibb River Road + Pentecost River (Kimberley, WA)

The Kimberley doesn’t do half measures. The Gibb River Road is a dry-season classic with corrugations, creek crossings, and side tracks to gorges that’ll ruin you for normal holidays.

Main Roads WA notes the Gibb is typically open during the dry season (May–November), and calls out the Pentecost River as a major crossing with fast-rising levels and other hazards. 

Best window: mid dry season if you want more predictable crossings.
Reality check: even when the main road’s open, side roads can be closed.

Pick 6 — Bungle Bungle Access Track (Purnululu NP, WA)

The drive into Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) feels like you’re being let in on a secret. The access track is 4WD territory, and once you roll in, the landscape looks like someone designed it for a movie set.

DBCA notes seasonal closures for Purnululu due to the wet season (generally around Nov–Apr) and says to check park alerts before travel. 

Best window: dry season (plan for dust, not bogs).
What bites: corrugations + sharp rock edges = tyre punishment if you’re careless.

Pick 7 — Canning Stock Route (WA)

The Canning Stock Route isn’t “a track” so much as an expedition. It’s remote, long, and famous for the kind of emptiness that makes you hear your own thoughts a bit louder.

Tourism WA notes that permits are required for travel on the Canning Stock Route. 

Best window: cooler months when temps aren’t trying to flatten you.
Non-negotiables: serious fuel/water planning, comms, spares, and a conservative mindset.

Pick 8 — Googs Track (SA)

Googs Track is sand-driving with a proper outback feel — dunes, scrub, and that steady whump-whump rhythm as you crest and drop, crest and drop.

SA parks info includes Googs Track within Yumbarra/Yellabinna areas, and lists a closure period from 1 Dec 2025 to 16 March 2026 for public safety during summer. If you’re planning early 2026, that matters. 

SA’s environment site also frames Googs as a bucket-list 4WD route (and yes, it’s long and dune-heavy). 

Pick 9 — Border Track (Ngarkat Conservation Park, SA/VIC)

This is the kind of track you do with a steady pace and a good tyre gauge. The Border Track runs through Ngarkat and is properly popular for a reason: sand, ruts, and a bush setting that feels a long way from the daily grind.

Parks SA notes the northern one-way section is open 1 April to 31 October, and travel direction rules apply (north to south). 

Best window: cooler months, when sand is more manageable and fire danger is lower.

Pick 10 — Stockton Sand Dunes / Worimi Conservation Lands (NSW)

If you want a quick-hit sand trip with big grins per kilometre, Worimi Conservation Lands (Stockton Dunes) is a ripper.

NPWS notes visitors need to buy a Beach Vehicle Permit before arriving, and that annual NSW park passes aren’t valid for Worimi Conservation Lands. 
Worimi Conservation Lands’ own beach driving page also reinforces the need for a valid permit. 

Best window: year-round, weather-dependent.
Tip: drop pressures early, and leave room for other vehicles — dunes get chaotic fast.

Gear that makes these trips easier (without overthinking it)

The best trips aren’t the ones where you carried the most gear. They’re the ones where you carried the right gear.

Shade you’ll actually use (because lunch stops become longer when you’ve got cover):
OPENROAD 270 Awning

A proper recovery plan (not just vibes):
OPENROAD 13500Ib electric winch

Clean camp routines (especially on beach/desert runs)
OPENROAD shower awning

Keep it practical. If it doesn’t get used on a two-night trip, it probably doesn’t deserve to come on a two-weeker.

Final word (and a small nudge)

If you take one thing from this list, make it this: the best 4x4 tracks in Australia reward patience more than horsepower. Walk the crossing. Drop the pressures. Let the track set the pace.

When you’re ready to kit up for 2026 — shade, storage, and recovery gear that’s built for real miles — check out OPENROAD’s touring essentials and subscribe for more trip guides, packing lists, and track-ready setups.