Day walks for families:
I’ve been putting together Simply Trekking’s new day walks for families, children aged 3+ and thought with the rain starting – water – kids just love playing in it – waterfalls, streams, brooks even puddles! My list started in the Perth hills then my memory got quite carried away cause I’d enjoyed so many memorable overnight camps at pools, rivers, dams so my list went east, north and south west WA. You can still have great family adventures staying in Western Australia, adventures only 30 minutes from the city. Here is the list of all those places you can day visit or overnight camp from Perth Hills to Walpole.
Putting these together brought back one special memory, it was of me and my then husband and our kids 4 and 7 taking off on Sundays for Perth hill adventures. We’d look for paths along little bubbling brooks we found our kids likes these the most. My husband and I could sit on the banks, our family completely alone, sipping our thermos of tea whilst the kids played very happily. Yes, they often did get wet, slip, slide but we chose shallow streams and I always carried a change of warm clothes and shoes for them both, also winter thermal jackets so that we got back to our car warm and happy. Also an afternoon tea in the car helped to keep tired little kids happy whilst we drove home.
Amongst the list are some deep pools of water. Please parents, be watchful and put those phones away and be with your kids. I’ve kept it brief as you can just google and you will get detailed info, directions. Happy family days.
Don’t feel like leaving the city, here is a few water nature playgrounds for kids:
- Bicton Baths
- Swan River, Ashfield Flats river walk- flat wetland sanctuary on river, Garvey Park to Riverside Gardens-both sides of Swan lots of birdlife.
- Woodlupine Brook reserve to Mills Park follows path of brook
- Beenyup Swamp circuit, Woodvale
- Kings Park has a man made stream for kids to play in.
Perth Hills
- Lesmurdie Falls NP and Munday Regional Park – well known but only 30 mins from city
- Hovea Falls, John Forrest NP – another well known and close to city
- Ellis Brook Valley Sixty Foot Falls – towards Armadale but lesser known or visited
- Serpentine Falls – add in Kitty Gorge and Baldwins Bluff Trail. A nice climb for a great view, lots of tracks here linking through to Jarrahdale
- Rocky Pool, Kalamunda NP – just off Jorgenson Park down the Bibb Track there is a lovely stream bubbling over and through granite then you come to Piesse Brook and if you follow the gravel road to the left and you get to Rocky Pool. There is a shorter access to Rocky Pool but I always like the meandering stream beside the Bibb Track to Rocky Pool as a full day out
- Manns Gully, Bibbulmun Track park at Discovery Centre Mundaring follow the track to Ball Creek campsite 2,7 km, Manns Gully is another 2 to 3 km along the track, sit and have lunch on the big granite nice even when the water isn’t flowing. When the water is flowing walk a little further, across the gravel road and down the Bibb Track on the other side following the stream, there’s even a little waterfall
- Wungong Dam – Armadale I haven’t been here yet so not sure how good for kids it would be
- Bells Rapids, Waylunga NP – The Avon River flows very quickly along this path, lots of rocks for kids to climb on but keep a close eye, the water is a bit treacherous
East and North of Perth
- Noble Falls, Gidgegannup – a convenient stop on the way to Toodyay, stretch the kids and dog legs, small but quite spectacular and very popular for catching up with friends for lunchtime barbecues
- Lake Leschenaultia – well known camp ground that has a short walk that can be lengthened www.lifeofpy.com
- Cobblers Pool, Avon Valley NP – Bald Hill campground is a wilderness experience so close to Perth with panoramic views over the Avon Valley, you access the river out of the NP at Cobblers Pool
- Avon River, Toodyay – the picnic grounds next to the river are great for kids
- Dewars Pool – at the corner of Bindoon-Dewars Pool Rd and Bolgart Rd a pool 40 years ago when we had the rainfall, but once the stream fills its still a nice stop on round trip from Perth for kids to explore
- Julimar NP – there is a pretty little stream, 4WD check the Julimar map to find it, no paths but if you want a nice adventure that others don’t know about, to follow the stream and return, don’t get lost!!
- Moore River – really just a rest stop next to the river on the way up the coast but kids might enjoy stretching their legs exploring
- Ellendale Pool – another beautiful hidden camp stop going north close to Greenough/Geraldton in the winter stillness with the colourful reflections from the rocks and trees quite the photographers heaven
Southwest of Perth
- Yalgorup NP – Mandurah, my google search says it has ten lakes, a protected wetland system, must check it out
- Marrinup Falls – has a walking trail not sure if I’ve been there might be on the Bibb Track?
- Lane Poole Reserve, Dwellingup – popular and good for swimming in the warmer months
- North Dandalup Dam – water corp area but lovely picnic area and walks, for kids to access water after heavy rain there may be a flow out the spillway
- Lake Navarino (Waroona Dam) – popular for water-skiing, camping and bushwalking
- Logue Brook Dam, Harvey – also know as Lake Brockman and there is the Harvey Dam, Stirling Dam, Glen Mervyn Dam, Drakesbrook Weir, South Dandalup Dam, Wellington Dam, Canning Dam!!
- Black Diamond Lake, Collie – man made and yes the colour has to be seen to be believed, quite lovely
- Honeymoon Pool and Potters Gorge – Wellington NP old favorites for families
- Leschenault Peninsula, Belvedere – not a river but I’ve included it as it has a sense of isolation and memory – in the 70’s I visited the commune that lived there!!
- Barrabup Pool, Nannup – any time of the year especially good when its hot and you need to cool off
- Glenoran Pool,Donnelly River, Manjimup – an old favourite… the kids and I used to camp right next to the pool and wake to the reflection of the trees in the water – can’t camp so close now but still very lovely
- Blackwood River, Warren River, Alexander Bridge – great place for kids to play whilst camping, all old favorites
- Beedelup Falls, Pemberton – not that easy for kids to play here now but if you walk from car park on Bibb Track through to the Beedelup Falls Hut, the stream beside it is small and kid friendly
- Big Brook Dam, Pemberton – walk trails
- Circular Pool, Walpole – I found this one last year not far out of Walpole and quite lovely, rocks can be slippery so supervise kids closely
- Deep River, Walpole – not a kid friendly river (yes its deep) but there’s lots of walks that you can do from the car park like out to the coast and if you follow the Bibb Track towards Walpole it climbs up steeply to the hut at Mt Clare nice place to for lunch
- Lake Poorrarecup, Cranbrook – haven’t been here but I remember the local families saying that it is their recreation hangout
Cape to Cape Coast
- Ellensbrook House – there is a small weir to find, another is follow the Bibb Track past the waterfall and you come to Ellenbrook campsite on the brook, another is from the car park walk to the coast, the brook comes out there and its a safe wet wonderland for kids, another from the coast south is a track to a wonderful coast rock pool like Injidup..not sure where that track is now.
- Injidup Natural Spa (Wyadup Rocks) – voted as one of the best natural rock pools
- Quinninup Falls, Wilyabrup – nice walk from the car park for kids and after rains the falls are pretty and you and kids can get quite close to the falls, accessed from the Cape to Cape track as well
- Kevill Road Waterfall – also known I think as Yalgardap Falls, Margaret River – easy to access, little known
Goodness, I didn’t realize there were so many. I’m sure there’s some I’ve missed within the area I’ve touched and if so I’d love to know so I could find them!
Simply Trekking run day walks for families to introduce you to us and our trekking style, try out our gear and experience a little piece of Western Australia with your family. Click here to find out more about our toddler walk Meet the brook Fairy, a toddler meander or maybe your looking for a day walk to challenge your 5 to 12 year old, Lesmurdie falls valley family hike
