The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Neerabup National Park

The Yanchep Koala Boardwalk is a close-up experience with Australia's beloved koalas. The boardwalk is short and flat and is a safe way to navigate koala habitat, leaving the animals in their natural environment without disturbing them. There is informational signage to read up on along the boardwalk as well.

The Ghost House ruins are all that is left of a historic homestead. The area was settled by Europeans who built this building, of which only a few walls remain today. The ruins sit on the northern end of Yanchep National Park and can be reached by the Ghost House Trail that loops back to the visitor centre where it started.

Loch McNess is a freshwater lake within Yanchep National Park. It's a popular area and is often walked past on the way to Ghost House Ruins but attracts swans and ducks and all sorts of other birds. This park is home to all sorts of animals like the Western Grey Kangaroo, koalas, quendas, Tammar wallabies, sugar gliders, and bats, and this lake is an important water source them.

This part of the track follows low limestone ridges that rise above the surrounding bushland. From these slightly elevated points, you can catch occasional peeks of the Indian Ocean in the distance beyond the coastal plain. Along this stretch, you’ll walk on the sandy soil and through vegetation typical of the limestone landscapes that shape this part of Perth’s northern bushland.

Neerabup National Park protects around 943 hectares of coastal bushland on Perth’s northern Swan Coastal Plain. The park supports diverse native vegetation and provides important habitat for wildlife, including threatened black cockatoos that feed in the woodland. Its long strip of protected bushland also preserves part of the historic route followed by the Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail.

Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail is a 28-kilometre walking, trail running and mountain biking path that follows an ancient Noongar pathway connecting the wetlands of the northern Swan Coastal Plain. The route traces the traditional movement track used by Whadjuk Noongar people between Lake Joondalup and Loch McNess, later becoming a stock route during European settlement. Today, the trail highlights the region’s natural landscapes and cultural history as it passes through several parks north of Perth.

Neil Hawkins Park is a great place for everyone to enjoy. It's wheelchair-accessible, has a kids' playground, and lots of amenities, including a bike repair station, ping-pong tables, restrooms, and more. There are also open fields to play in with mowed grass and bordering eucalyptus trees to lie in the shade under.

Lake Joondalup sits within the Yellagonga Regional Park. Lake Joondalup Circuit is a trail that encircles the lake and is great for a long run, walk, or ride. The full loop spans 16 kilometers, as this is the largest lake in the Perth metro area. While visiting the lake, you can catch a glimpse of Western Grey Kangaroos, quendas, Southwestern snake-necked turtles, or some of the 120 different species of birds that call this lake home.