Yanchep National Park
Unofficial operator’s manual — koalas, Crystal Cave, Ghost House ruins and a realistic half-day from Perth.
Independent guide · Not affiliated with DBCA · Content reviewed 2026-09-13 · not walked
What this guide is for: picking one hero (koala + picnic, booked cave, or Ghost House), keeping vehicle entry separate from cave tickets and camping, and leaving with a reverse clock. Explore Parks WA / DBCA sets alerts, fees, hours and official rules.Always confirm on the official Yanchep National Park page and alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au before you travel.
Part of National Parks Guide Australia
This unofficial Yanchep guide is in that network. Not government. Compare parks on the hub.
Browse all parks → nationalparksguide.com.au
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Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees, Parks Passes, Crystal Cave tickets and official Park Stay bookings are never affiliated.
- Koalas
- Crystal Cave
- Ghost House
- Loch McNess
- Kangaroos
- Spring wildflowers
- Henry White camping
- Whadjuk & Yued Country
Before McNess
Fees, how-long & stay first
The main choice
Pick one hero
Most first Yanchep plans fail by stacking koala, cave and Ghost House onto a late Perth start. Choose the path that matches energy and bookings.
Most first visits
Koala + picnic
- · McNess House, then the boardwalk
- · Short wetlands or Dwerta Mia if energy holds
- · Kangaroos on ovals — keep distance
- · Cave only if already booked
Open family half-day →
Full day
Ghost House Walk
- · 12.4 km Class 3 · ~5 hours
- · Walk Safe at McNess
- · Water + lunch — not a koala add-on
- · Cave is a different day
Open Ghost House plan →
Pick your path
What kind of Yanchep day?
Family / first visit
Koala boardwalk
~240 m · viewing hours [VERIFY]
Managed colony, raised boardwalk. Talk may be suspended. Pair with a picnic oval — keep distance from kangaroos.
Half day
Caves Walk + Crystal Cave
~4.5 km Class 3 + 45-min tour
Book the cave first. Parks Pass does not cover the tour. Height restriction ~1.23 m.
Full day
Ghost House Walk
12.4 km · Class 3 · ~5 hours
Register Walk Safe at McNess. Soft sand, heat, limestone trip hazards. Not a family add-on.
Overnight
Henry White Oval
Park Stay only · unpowered
Official camping, not a day car park. Book parkstay.dbca.wa.gov.au. Water not guaranteed.
Spring window
Wildflowers
Roughly Aug–Oct · still book cave if that’s the hero
Kangaroo paw, Yanchep rose, orchids in situ. Crowds rise. Stay on tracks.
Featured walks
Boardwalk, cave loop, Ghost House
Tuart woodland · Photo: Calistemon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ghost House Walk
moderateThe signature long day: yellow markers from McNess / Loch McNess wetlands through tuart and banksia to the Ghost House limestone ruins and back. Register Walk Safe. Carry lunch and water. Not a Class 1 family stroll.
- Grade
- Class 3 loop — moderate fitness, mixed sand and limestone
- Time
- About 5 hours — allow most of a day
- Distance
- About 12.4 km loop [VERIFY Trails WA / visitor guide]
View guide →
Caves Walk
moderateLoop from McNess past Crystal Cave (and toward Cabaret / Yonderup context). Limestone, some sandy/gravel middle section, views to Boomerang Gorge and tuarts. Book the cave separately if you want underground.
- Grade
- Class 3 loop — some sandy and rocky limestone
- Time
- About 2 hours
- Distance
- About 4.5 km loop [VERIFY]
View guide →
Koala boardwalk
easyShort boardwalk to a small managed koala colony in the visitor precinct. Weekend and school-holiday queues are the failure mode. Daily talks have been suspended at times — [VERIFY] animals and talks on the day. Do not treat this as wild bush koala tracking.
- Grade
- Short boardwalk (~240 m) [VERIFY live notes]
- Time
- 15–40 minutes including queues and watching
- Distance
- About 240 m [VERIFY]
View guide →
Heat, ticks and Walk Safe — not crocs or snow
- No dogs. Keep distance from kangaroos on the ovals.
- Ghost House: water, lunch, Walk Safe, yellow markers vs Caves Trail.
- Crystal Cave is guided only. Parks Pass does not cover it.
- 000 needs reception. Download Emergency+ before you leave town.
- Summer: start early, check emergency.wa.gov.au.
- Official: Explore Parks WA · Emergency WA
Itineraries
Plans that respect cave times
3–5 hours on the ground (plus ~45–60 min each way from Perth CBD)
Half-day family: koala, short walks, picnic
McNess House, koala boardwalk, picnic oval, then either Wetlands Walk or Woodlands / Dwerta Mia — not Ghost House, not a walk-up Crystal Cave promise, not Henry White as a day carpark.
Open plan →
Most of a daylight day (about 5 hours walking plus McNess logistics and Perth drive)
Full-day Ghost House Walk
The signature long day: Walk Safe at McNess, yellow markers, wetlands and paperbarks, tuart, Ghost House limestone ruins, Shapcott’s country, return. Not a koala-boardwalk add-on and not a 3 pm cave tour.
Open plan →
Half day (walk ~2 hours + tour ~45 minutes plus waiting and Perth drive)
Caves Walk and Crystal Cave
Book Crystal Cave first, walk Caves Walk (~4.5 km Class 3) with Boomerang Gorge views, do the guided tour, then stop. Passes do not cover cave tickets. Cabaret Cave is exterior / functions only.
Open plan →
Free Yanchep day-trip checklist
Packing ticks, koala / cave / Ghost House order of stops, fee systems kept separate — free download, no email required.
- Before-you-leave packing ticks
- Perth day-trip, half-day family, or Ghost House day
- What to skip when heat, fire or bookings fail
- Official DBCA links to verify conditions
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.
Stays & tours
Town stays and optional Perth–Yanchep tours if you want them. Gear searches are on the kit page. Park fees, official cave tickets and Park Stay are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Yanchep (primary) · Two Rocks · Joondalup · Wanneroo · Perth
- Hotels & stays in YanchepClosest town · not Henry White camping
- Two RocksNext coastal town north
- JoondalupLarger hotel / rail-hub option
- WannerooCorridor base toward Perth
- PerthCity start for a genuine day-trip
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official DBCA park fees and Park Stay bookings are never affiliated.
Guided tours
Optional — useful for first visits from Perth without a car
A tour does not replace checking Explore Parks WA / DBCA alerts, heat, Walk Safe or cave bookings yourself.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees, Parks Passes, Crystal Cave tickets and official Park Stay bookings are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy
FAQ
Common Yanchep questions
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Is there an entry fee for Yanchep National Park?
Yes — standard WA vehicle park entry applies (Explore Parks WA Around Perth table, [VERIFY] live): private vehicle 12 or fewer occupants $17 (concession $10); motorcycle $10; large vehicle 13+ occupants $8 per occupant (concession $3.50). Walk-in / cycle-in typically no vehicle fee. A Parks Pass covers entry, not Crystal Cave tickets and not Henry White camping. Exception: a 13+ occupant private vehicle pays at both Yanchep and Nambung if visiting both the same day. This site never sells park entry.
How long from Perth?
About 50–60 km / 45–60 minutes north of the CBD on sealed 2WD roads in ordinary traffic. Private vehicle or an organised tour is the realistic default. [VERIFY] public transport — historically the nearest Transperth stop sat some distance from the entry.
What should I do first?
McNess House: pay or show a pass, toilets, map. Then pick one hero — koala boardwalk + picnic, booked Crystal Cave, or Ghost House as a real day. Do not stack all three plus Treetops on a late start.
Can I camp in the park?
Yes, at Henry White Oval only — book parkstay.dbca.wa.gov.au. Unpowered. Separate camping fee plus vehicle entry. Yanchep Inn is commercial lodging, not official camping. This site never affiliates Park Stay.
Is this site official DBCA / Explore Parks WA?
No. Independent unofficial guide published by Farming Domains (Ian Piggott). For alerts, fees, hours and official rules use Explore Parks WA / DBCA only. We do not publish a contact email.