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There’s no doubt that WA’s many national parks offer an abundance of excellent hiking trails, but once you’re done hiking, what about those other drawcards?
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The arrival of spring inspires many of us to get active after the winter chill, and there’s no better place to get outdoors and enjoy the burst of colour that spring brings than in one of the state’s many national parks. Not up for hike?
That’s okay because not every national park visit needs to involve a long walk and a heroic blister. Across WA, some of the best outdoor adventures are found close to the car park, by a pristine beach, under the stars or high among the trees — if you know where to look.
‘Wild’ is the key word for D’Entrecasteaux — a narrow and remote strip of wilderness stretching between Augusta and Walpole. From windswept beaches with crashing surf to its towering cliffs of volcanic rock, this is a place where it’s hard not to be awed by the power of nature.
It’s also a park that is always changing, with the Yeagarup Dunes forever on the move.
Beside the freshwater Yeagarup Lake, these dunes are one of the largest land-locked mobile dune systems in the Southern Hemisphere. They are slowly heading inland, surging towards the karri forest, and swallowing up the wetlands in their path. The dunes can be explored on foot or can be crossed by four-wheel drive en route to the beach.
More stable is Black Point, a vast outcrop of hexagonal volcanic rock that has remained largely unmoved for 135 million years. The point can be accessed by a short walk along the beach, and if the weather is right,
visitors may be treated to the organ-like music created as the wind and waves weave through the gaps in the basalt. Two separate, bookable campgrounds are nearby for those wanting to stay awhile on the Southern Ocean coast.
After the wild D’Entrecasteaux coast, Walpole-Nornalup National Park is your gateway to the forest. The Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk allows you to tiptoe through the tingle trees — ancient giants thought to be around 400 years old.
The accessible path is a half-kilometre loop lifting you 40m off the ground, high above the forest canopy.
There are also a number of prize picnic spots, such as The Channels, where you can overlook the channel between the Walpole and Nornalup inlets, surrounded by mighty karri, marri and more tingle trees.
Mount Clare offers a gentle walk to a summit spot with forest views, and the imaginatively named Sandy Beach allows for fishing and kid-friendly swimming.
If you fancy getting out on a boat, Coalmine Beach is an ideal place to launch, with accommodation available at a nearby holiday park. And there are plenty of trail options available, including one that leads from here back to Pioneer Park in Walpole.
Kalbarri might be famous for its trails, but there are some outstanding views in reach without donning your hiking boots. The Kalbarri Skywalk consists of twin cantilevered platforms sitting more than 100m above the Murchison River Gorge and affording spectacular views — with café treats close at hand.
Those wanting to walk a bit further can peer through Nature’s Window – a wind-eroded opening in the layered sandstone that frames another view of the river.
The walk is only a kilometre there and back, with spectacular views of the gorge available from a sealed path before you encounter the final, rocky section.
More experienced walkers may prefer the Loop Trail — a challenging 9km hike taking you deeper into the gorge.
The views above the park are no less spectacular. Night-time guided tours at the Skywalk can help you explore the universe without walking anywhere.
A supplied astronomy telescope offers a tour of the Milky Way, planets and constellations — and the glimpse of the occasional meteor. Stop in at Red Bluff Beach on your way to experience the setting sun lighting up the rust-red cliffs.
Wildflower enthusiasts are unlikely to find a better spring showcase than this park in the Great Southern.
Around 75 endemic species are found nowhere else outside this biodiversity hotspot, 250 more are classed as rare, and with the total number of species approaching 1800, it’s unsurprising that the blooms here comprise 20 per cent of the state’s described plant species.
September’s Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show is the highlight of this seasonal abundance, but the local visitor centre can direct you to a self-drive tour — note that not all the roads are sealed.
Twitchers are just as well served, with more than 200 bird species calling the park home. Come at the right time of year and your birding binoculars might also help you catch a glimpse of migrating southern right and humpback whales between July and October as they shelter and nurse their calves in the shallow bays. Smaller scale ocean dwellers will find plenty here to keep themselves busy, with an array of beautiful beaches ideal for swimming, snorkelling, and surfing — and inlets providing calmer waters for fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
Accommodation options include campgrounds at Four Mile Beach (book in advance) and St Mary’s Inlet (which is first come, first served). Fitzgerald River is usually one of the state’s quieter parks, but it’s best not to leave it too late to nab a berth, as St Mary’s Inlet is quite a long way down an unsealed road.
Beautiful beaches are the prize attraction here, with the picturesque and sheltered Lucky Bay voted the whitest in Australia (not without controversy), courtesy of its brilliant sands.
Le Grand Beach, just around the headland, is less sheltered but no less pretty, and adorned with some great (in size and appearance) rock formations that demand to be clambered over.
Both beaches are served by bookable campgrounds within a stone’s throw of the shore. Park yourself down for a few days and make the most of the clear waters for fishing, surfing, swimming or getting out on a boat. Do be aware that Lucky Bay has more recently proved more treacherous to vehicles. The sand may well be less stable than it appears.
Flora and fauna abound, with the heathlands home to kangaroos, pygmy possums, and colourful wildflowers, including banksias. Indeed, beachgoers shouldn’t be surprised to see roos roaming the shore or even indulging in a spot of sunbathing.
This park is a place of contrasts — to the west are lagoons and turquoise waters, to the east rugged gorges and canyons. Relax on pristine beaches or go four-wheel driving over dry creek beds along gorge floors.
Alternatively, compromise on a boat tour through Yardie Creek Gorge, home to a permanent water source running between sheer and spectacular cliffs.
Usually top of visitors’ lists, Yardie is an ideal starting point to acquaint yourself with some of the park’s diverse wildlife, such as the endangered black-flanked rock-wallaby. Expect also to see echidnas, roos, and emus alongside birds including ospreys, egrets and red-capped plovers.
The big draw for wildlife is often the hardest to spot. Loggerhead turtles love the Ningaloo Reef and have several established rookeries within the park. (They also tend to be bolder and more curious than other turtles, happy to glide by snorkelling visitors.) Spring isn’t the best time to see them, however. Between November and February turtles come ashore to nest, with the next generation emerging to scramble for the waves between January and March.
Accommodation options are plentiful, with a number of bookable campgrounds, including one within a short distance of Yardie Creek Gorge, and Sal Salis, a luxury eco resort that allows residents to sleep mere metres from Ningaloo Reef. Before travelling, check current park alerts, as parts of the Ningaloo Coast were affected by Tropical Cyclone Narelle in 2026.
At around 627,000 hectares, Karijini is WA’s second largest national park and also one of the most isolated. Nearby Tom Price is around 45 minutes away, but the drive from Perth is a full day’s slog, with many adventurers breaking up the journey by stopping in at Exmouth en route.
If you are coming from Exmouth, it’s best to travel via Paraburdoo and not to be led off the sealed road by your onboard navigator.
Once you’re in the park, most of the roads are sealed and suitable for a two-wheel drive, but conditions can vary.
Gorge visits should be high on your itinerary, promising picturesque freshwater falls and secluded swimming holes. Highlights include Dales Gorge, featuring Fortescue Falls, Fern Pool and Circular Pool, with a well-maintained campground a short walk away (best to book ahead).
More glamorous options are available at the Karijini Eco Retreat, which has an alfresco bar and restaurant, as well as a range of eco tents. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, consider a canyoning and abseiling tour that will take you through a number of iconic spots and into a few lesser-trodden locales.
Images from Tourism Western Australia, Frances Andrijich, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions
