Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) walk

How to get there

1. 4WD. Unsealed access. [VERIFY] Access Report for open/closed, GVM limits and creek crossings.
2. From the Kakadu Highway toward the Mary River / southern sites. Fuel at Cooinda or Pine Creek / Jabiru before you commit — do not rely on a bowser at the gorge.
3. Jim Jim and Twin Falls area is closed for all of 2026. Maguk is not a substitute “secret Jim Jim.” It is its own site with its own crocodile and road rules.
4. No public transport. No reliable mobile coverage on the walk itself — Maguk campground is listed as a coverage point 2 km from the falls, not a promise of signal at the pool.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Only start if today’s Access Report and on-site signs still say Open. Open is not a hotel-pool clearance. Crocodile management is ongoing.
2. Walk the signed 2 km return. Carry water. Picnic only where signed.
3. Never enter water unless it is a designated, officially surveyed and signed plunge pool that day. Residual risk remains even then.
4. Return the same way with daylight margin. Remote southern tracks are a poor place to finish after dark.

Status first — listed Open on the 11 Sept 2026 Access Report

Access Report (11 Sept 2026, 2:24 pm Darwin): Maguk is listed Open. Official comments: crocodile management activities are ongoing to reduce saltwater crocodile risk; enter the water at your own risk; traffic management on the road. That is not a cleared hotel pool. [VERIFY] again the morning you drive.

Treat swimming as a separate permission from “the walk is listed open.” Only designated, surveyed plunge pools, and only after you read that day’s signs. Residual risk remains.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on the Access Report and kakadu.gov.au before you drive.