Yanchep walks & trails

Guide updated 13 Sept 2026 · grades and open status change — verify Explore Parks WA / DBCA

Decision first: short family (koala / wetlands / Dwerta Mia), half-day Caves Walk + booked Crystal Cave, or Ghost House as a real day (Walk Safe). Distances below are planning ranges. Confirm on Explore Parks WA / DBCA and park alerts. Not walked for this date.

Decide before you start

Easy: koala boardwalk, wetlands, woodlands, Dwerta Mia / Boomerang Gorge loop.
Moderate: Caves Walk (~4.5 km) or Ghost House (12.4 km, most of a day).
Hard / multi-day: Coastal Plain (~52 km, 3 days, car shuffle, experienced only).

Tuart woodland, grass trees and a brick path in the developed visitor precinct, Yanchep National Park — Tuart woodlandPhoto: Calistemon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick comparison (planning only)

Walk	Effort	Time	Best for
Ghost House Walk	moderate	About 5 hours — allow most of a day	Fit walkers who want wetlands, tuart, ruins and a real day — not a koala-boardwalk add-on
Caves Walk	moderate	About 2 hours	Pairing a booked Crystal Cave tour with a half-day walk — not a substitute for the cave ticket
Wetlands Walk	easy	About 45–75 minutes	Families, birding, first-timers who still want a real walk without Ghost House sand
Koala boardwalk	easy	15–40 minutes including queues and watching	First-timers, kids, anyone who came for the managed koala colony
Woodlands Walk	easy	About 45–75 minutes	Shade-seeking first-timers, spring wildflowers without a 12 km commitment
Dwerta Mia	easy	30–70 minutes	Interpretive, mixed ability, a limestone nibble without Caves Trail Class 3
Coastal Plain	hard	About 3 days	Experienced walkers with a car shuffle — not a Perth afternoon

Easy / family

Wetlands Walk

easy

Relaxed loop around Loch McNess — paperbarks, yanget (bulrush), waterbirds. This is the wetland product. Mosquitoes are real. Stay on the path.

Grade: Short easy loop around Loch McNess [VERIFY class on Trails WA]
Time: About 45–75 minutes
Distance: About 2.7 km loop [VERIFY]

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Koala boardwalk

easy

Short 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]

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Woodlands Walk

easy

Tuart and banksia woodland loop from the developed park. Spring colour is garnish. Stay on track (dieback). A complete short walk if Ghost House is too much.

Grade: Short woodland loop [VERIFY]
Time: About 45–75 minutes
Distance: About 2.6 km [VERIFY]

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Dwerta Mia

easy

Easy interpretive walk with a short Boomerang Gorge option. Limestone country without committing to the 4.5 km Caves loop. Stay on signed paths.

Grade: Easy interpretive (~2.1 km, or ~500 m Boomerang Gorge loop) [VERIFY]
Time: 30–70 minutes
Distance: About 2.1 km, or a shorter ~500 m Boomerang Gorge option [VERIFY]

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Moderate day walks

Ghost House Walk

moderate

The 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]

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Caves Walk

moderate

Loop 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]

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Longer / multi-day

Coastal Plain

hard

Long one-way coastal-plain walk with overnight shelters (not Henry White Oval). Car shuffle required. Register / seek official advice. Water tanks variable. This is not the family picnic park.

Grade: Class 4 multi-day — experienced walkers, self-sufficient
Time: About 3 days
Distance: About 52 km one-way [VERIFY] — Yanchep (McNess) toward Neaves Road / Melaleuca Conservation Park

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Trail FAQ

Tap a question to expand the answer.

What is the best first walk in Yanchep?

Families: koala boardwalk (~240 m) plus wetlands or Dwerta Mia. Half-day with a booking: Caves Walk (~4.5 km) plus Crystal Cave. Full day: Ghost House 12.4 km Class 3. Always verify with Explore Parks WA / DBCA.

Do I need 4WD?

No for the standard visit. Sealed 2WD to McNess, campground, cave meeting points and picnic ovals.

Do I need a walk permit?

No general day-walk permit. Register Walk Safe at McNess House before Ghost House and other long trails. [VERIFY] current advice on the visitor centre page.