Daniel LimFrom adventurous hikers who are looking to conquer their next hike to those who simply want to enjoy a quiet walk along some of the most beautiful trails in Western Australia, Perth is home to some of the most scenic hiking trails for everyone!
Surrounded by coastal terrains, Perth has many great hiking and walking trails that you should definitely consider when you are visiting the capital city of Western Australia. Here are some of the top 7 hiking trails that we highly recommend you to check out when you’re in Perth:
Bibbulmun Track, Kalamunda
The Bibbulmun Track promises to be one of the most challenging hikes in Perth – surely not to be missed if you are an avid hiker. It stretches almost 1000km from Kalamunda, a suburb on the outskirts of Perth, to the historic town of Albany on the South Coast. The track passes through the vast karri and tingle forests, down misty valleys, over large granite boulders and along picturesque coastal landscapes.
Image credit: ronyberco
Hikers will also pass through some of the most scenic national parks and reserves along this trail. Given the sheer distance of the Bibbulmun Track, it is not surprising that hikers require about six to eight weeks on average to complete the full length.
Alternatively, you might want to consider shorter hiking routes, such as the route from the Mundaring Weir Hotel to the Golden View lookout (about 8km), where you will be treated to the panoramic view of the Mundaring Weir dam and Lake CY O’Connor – an equally mesmerizing experience!
Getting there: There are multiple designated access points that you can reach by driving. The North Terminus is at Kalamunda, 24km (30 minutes) east of Perth while the Southern Terminus is near the Albany Visitor Information Centre, located about 418km south of Perth (4.5 hours). Public transport to the Track towns is available via TransWA while Transperth offers public transport bus services to the Northern Terminus in Kalamunda.
Bells Rapid Walk Trail, Swan Valley
The Bells Rapid Walk Trail is an easy family-friendly circuit track, leading to one of the best vantage points of majestic boulders and rapid waters during the annual Avon Descent Winter event. On this walking trail, you have the option of choosing between two short walks – the River Walk (2.5km) or the Goat Walk (3km).
The Bell Rapids area is also a perfect spot to have picnics, bushwalk and to just bask in nature. If you are lucky, you might even spot some kangaroos, which can be easily spotted in the area at certain times of the year!
Image credit: Jean and Fred
The Swan Valley area also offers many other walking trails like the Noble Falls Walk Trail, the Wandoo Heights Trail and the Whiteman Park Bush Walking Trails, which include smaller trails of varying difficulty levels, ranging between 2km to 4.3km. After your hike, you can also choose to take a short drive up to Swan Valley, and indulge yourself in a gourmet winery lunch and explore the area.
Getting there: The Bells Rapid is about 35km from Perth City (45 mins drive), where the trail starts at the end of Cathedral Avenue, off Great Northern Highway in Brigadoon.
Scarborough-Trigg Heritage Trail, Scarborough
The Scarborough-Trigg Heritage Walk trail passes through the coastlines of Scarborough, the quiet bush trails of the Trigg Bushland Reserve and the Trigg Beaches, offering only the best of Mother Nature all in a single trail.
Comprising a total of three different trails – the Scarborough Coastal Loop (1.2km), the Trigg Coastal Loop (2.9km) and the Trigg Bushland Reserve Loop (3.2km) – the Scarborough-Trigg Heritage Trails spans a total of 7.3km. From amazing coastal views of beach fronts to sightings of reptiles and birds, the Scarborough-Trigg Heritage Walk is the perfect leisure trail to appreciate the elements of man and nature all at the same time. It is recommended that you take the trail during the evening to catch some of the most glorious and beautiful sunsets you will ever find in Perth!
Image credit: Tom Rodgers
Getting there: You can reach the Scarborough-Trigg Heritage Trail by Public Transport via a Train and Bus Transfer (40-50mins) or by car as it is a short 16km from Perth (20min).
Law Walk, Kings Park
The Law Walk is a 2.5km circuit urban bushland walk that provides visitors with spectacular views of the pristine Swan River and natural bushlands. Hikers can get an interesting glimpse of the rich biodiversity along the Mount Eliza escarpment, which include flocks of birds flying over the Swan River and dolphins frolicking.
The entire walk usually takes about 45 minutes to complete and includes some steep features that hikers have to overcome, which is why the locals sometimes refer to the walk as “The Rollercoaster”. Needless to say, the hike will definitely be worth your while if you are a nature lover, as you will enjoy the great views of King Park, right at the heart of the Botanic Garden!
Image credit: kcdtsg
Getting There: The King Park is about a 6km drive from Perth (15 mins) and can also be conveniently accessed by bus, from William Street Stand 1 towards Mounts Bay Road After Crawley Avenue (45 mins).
Burswood/Windan/Causeway Loop, Burswood
The Burswood Loop trail (6.2km) is located on the banks of the beautiful Swan River and is conveniently situated in the heart of Perth. The trail also cuts through Herisson Island, which is home to a colony of Western Grey kangaroos.
Passing through playgrounds near Optus Stadium and Claisebrook Cove along East Perth, hikers can take a quick respite by venturing out in the neighbourhood to explore some unique galleries and artisanal cafés in the area.
Image credit: Bronndave
Getting There: Burswood can be conveniently accessed by public transport via buses or trains from Perth city centre, as there are both regular bus services plying the Great Eastern Highway as well as regular train services towards Burswood station via the Armadale line. Burswood is also a quick ten minutes’ drive from the city centre.
Bold Park Walking and Bridle Trails, City Beach
Offering over 15km of walking trails and captivating views of the city and coastline, it is not surprising that Bold Park frequently comes up as one of the top recommended hiking spots in Perth. The longest trail is the Zamia Trail (5.1km) while the remaining trails and walks, of varying difficulty, range between 0.2km to 1.7km.
Spanning over a massive 437 hectares, Bold Park stands as one of the largest remaining bushlands in the urban area of the Swan Coastal Plain. Bold Park also houses and supports a diverse array of flora, fauna and fungi, with over 300 different species of local native plants and wildlife. The rich biodiversity of Bold Park makes it an ideal hiking spot for families – one that will both be a meaningful and educational experience for everyone!
Image credit: doigstar1
Getting There: Bold Park can be easily accessed by both public transport and car. Transperth bus route 81 travels along Oceanic Drive towards Bold Park while it takes about a 9km (17mins) drive from the city of Perth to reach Bold Park.
Rottnest Island Walking Trails
The Wadjemup Bidi is made up of 45km of walk trails of five different sections, each of which showcases culturally and environmentally important landmarks. The naming of the Wadjemup Bidi can be traced to the indigenous Whadjuk Noongar people, who first owned Rottnest Island; “Bidi” in Noongar translates to “trail” or “track”. The five sections of the 45km Wadjemup Bidi are:
Ngank Yira Bidi – Uncover Bickley Battery (9.4km, one way)
Completed in December 2013, this section crosses the south east corner of the Island, from Thomson Bay to Oliver Hill, where hikers can explore the remnants of Coastal Defence systems installed during WWII.
Gabbi Karniny Bidi – Discover the Salt Lakes (9.7km, loop)
Starting from Thomson Bay Settlement through Digby Drive, this hiking track passes through some beautiful lake systems where hikers can take a leisurely walk along the Lakes Boardwalk, which is described by some as a magical experience akin to “walking on water”.
Wardan Nara Bidi – Relax on Salmon Bay (10km, one way)
Hike along the coast of Salmon Bay through to the middle of the Island to explore some of the remaining WWII relics. Be sure to also check out the Wadjemup Lighthouse to get a panoramic view of the area, and then continue west to the world class surf break at Strickland Bay.
Karlinyah Bidi – Experience the Northern Beaches (5.9km, one way)
This hike will bring you through some of the most beautiful long sandy beaches and calm swimming lagoons within the reef, where you can enjoy the coastline breeze and terrain.
Ngank Wen Bidi – Explore West End (7.6km, loop)
This track is where marine life sightings are concentrated: New Zealand fur seals can be seen from the viewing platform at Cathedral Rocks while the West End boardwalk is a great place to spot dolphins and the seasonal migration of humpback whales!
The Wadjemup Bidi therefore successfully combines the environmental and cultural elements of Rottnest Island, making it a great place to hike while being captivated by the beautiful inland lakes, amazing coastal headlands and other natural and man-made attractions along the way.
Image credit: JanLeMann
Getting There: Rottnest ferries take approximately 25 minutes from Fremantle, 45 minutes from Hillarys Boat Harbour, or 90 minutes from Perth’s Barrack Street Jetty.
So there you have it, the best seven trails in Perth! Of course, we’re sure that there are some gems waiting to be uncovered, and if you know of any, let us know in the comments!
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