Yanchep National Park
- Introduction
- Fact file
- CALM Perth (08) 9582 9333
- Park ranger (08) 9561 1004
Introduction
Just a 45-minute drive from Perth, Yanchep is one of Western Australia’s oldest national parks. Lying on a belt of coastal limestone, the park has tuart and banksia woodlands, pristine wetlands, stunning underground caves and spring wildflowers. These features, combined with grassy, shaded picnic areas overlooking a picturesque natural lake, make Yanchep a popular day-trip from the capital. The park derives its name from the Aboriginal word for bulrush, Yanget, which is an edible reed that grows in the wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain. Yanchep’s wetlands are home to waterbirds such as black swans, kingfishers, purple swamphens, grebes, cormorants and egrets. Bush birds include parrots, fairy-wrens, honeyeaters and short-billed black-cockatoos. Western grey kangaroos graze on the picnic grounds, oval and golf course, and at the koala enclosure visitors can have their photo taken with one of these marsupials.Other park attractions include the Crystal and Yonderup caves, featuring magnificent limestone formations (tours available); a wildflower garden; Gloucester Lodge Museum with displays of local history (open weekends and Tuesday–Wednesday); and the historic Tudor-style Yanchep Inn, which offers accommodation, bar and restaurant facilities. There are cultural activities, such as didgeridoo and Aboriginal dance performances, and Aboriginal cultural tours (bookings essential). Rowing boats can be used on Loch McNess. Self-guided bushwalks include Boomerang Gorge, a nature trail for the disabled, which follows a collapsed cave system. The many picnic shelters, tables and free gas barbecues make Yanchep an ideal spot for family outings.
Fact file
Camping
No camping
Location and access
51 km north of Perth via Wanneroo Rd
Park Information
Size
2842 ha
Where to Stay
Perth (08) 9483 1111, 1300 361 351
Yanchep Inn (08) 9561 1001
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