Explore Yanchep National Park: Best Camping and Hiking Adventures

When we visited Yanchep National Park for the first time in November 2022, we simply had to come back for more.

It was the first stop on our roadtrip to Exmouth and Cape Range National Park, after we had collected our rented autocamper/RV in Perth. We had left Perth during rush hour and done our grocery shopping in a suburb, and we were desperate to see wild Australia after landing in Perth from our 20-hour long travel from Denmark.

We entered Yanchep National Park during the last light of the day, where most tourists had left and the animals were grazing peacefully by the big lake.

What a joy it was to experience such a tranquil place away from the hustle and the bustle of rush hour in Perth.

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Red kangaroos peacefully grazing in Yanchep National Park

After seeing only a glimpse of Yanchep National Park, we decided it should be the last stop before yet again returning to Perth 15 days later.

Since we did not have a booking for the campground that first time we visited Yanchep on that evening, we had to stay at a free rest spot at Moore River Rest* among many other campers and four-wheel driver’s and their tents.

Once returning to Yanchep National Park, we booked two nights at Henry White Campground on a tarmac spot under the trees. From here we had our base, where we would explore the trails in the following days.

Entry to Yanchep National Park

Entry to the Yanchep National Park is not free, and tickets (park passes to the national parks) can be bought at the entrance or online. If you have visited any of the other stunning national parks in Western Australia such as Kalbarri National Park, Cape Range National Park or Cervantes (Pinnacles), you hopefully already purchased a Holiday Park Pass or similar to save som AUD$. Always have your Holiday Park Pass displayed in your vehicles driver’s mirror while parked – not while driving.

Camping in Yanchep National Park

It is only possible to camp on the designated campground Henry White Campground in Yanchep National Park. For free camping, I recommend Moore River Rest (see more at the bottom of this post). It is not allowed to camp on the parking lot by the entrance to Yanchep National Park.

Henry White Campground

Once we had booked two nights at the Henry White Campground, we could finally relax and ‘settle down’ before commencing the next days’ adventure.

We were greeted by the host at the campground entrance, after entering the pin code to access through the campground gates. These hosts are in charge of the campground for one month at a time, and have extensive knowledge of the areas while also keeping the campground, toilets, communal kitchen etc. clean.

Important and useful things to know about camping at the Henry White Campground

There is no drinking water available at the Henry White Campground.
There is no grocery store here either. It is possible to pitch up tents or park your vehicle (RV/autocamper, 4WD etc.) on either a tarmac spot or on sandy/grassy spots (called ‘old’ or ‘former oval’).
There are hot and cold showers and toilets at the campground, which makes it easier for you to save water from your freshwater tank! It is possible to dispose of grey water from your autocamper/vehicle at the site.
There are plenty of wildlife around the area, including red kangaroos in the communal area. Hikers and other by-passers can enter the area, and several of the trails come by the campground. There are ticks and lots of mosquitoes at night.
For booking and more, head to the official website at the Parks and Wildlife Service here

Trails in Yanchep National Park

Visiting Yanchep National Park meant walking and hiking some of the trails in the area, and the ones we did are marked by an asterisk (*).

There are nine different trails in or going through Yanchep National Park, and these are the following seven trails that can be done on a day hike or less:

Dwerta Mia – 2.1 km
Wetlands – 2.7 km*
Woodlands – 2.6 km
Caves – 4.5 km
Ghost House – 12.4 km*
Yanchep Rose – 14 km
Cockatoo 17.5 km

A map and a list of things to do in Yanchep National Park

Here I am admiring a tall Balga grasstree in Yanchep National Park. Notice the tall flower at the top!

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Longer one-way trails in Yanchep National Park

These two following trails are much longer, one-way hiking trails entering Yanchep National Park, and they are not recommended for your visit in Yanchep National Park. However, some of them intersect the other and shorter trails such as the Ghost House.

Yaberoo Budjara – 28 km (one way)
Coastal Plain Walk Trail – 51.8 km (one way)

As you can see on the photo below, some of the trails intersect at various sections.

Trail signs with six symbols in Yanchep National Park

The Ghost house walking trail (12.4 km circuit)

Along the 12 km long trail you will encounter a variety of the specialities in Yanchep National Park. You will explore the different habitats of shrub land, wetlands and forest.

It is an ideal walking trail to carry out for a half day trip in Yanchep National Park.

We came across one of the limestone caves, where we found a beehive. We saw some interesting birds and reptiles along the path as well, but due to the heat most animals were hiding in the shade.

En route on a walking trail in Yanchep National Park

Australia native flowers in Yanchep National Park

My best advice for the Ghost house walk besides packing the most needed essentials listed is to begin early in the day, especially during spring and summer.

From my side, the hike is not ideal for a summer hike as it gets quite warm on the trail, and on many of the sections you are exposed to the sun with little shade.

A few years ago a huge forest fire decimated Yanchep National Park (and the surrounding suburban areas), killing much if the wildlife and trees in the area. This meant that for a long while it was not possible to do these hikes, as large areas in the park were destroyed by the fires.

Prepare yourself for this nature walk and bring your lunch, several liters of water, sunhat, sunscreen, hiking shoes and insect repellent along for the adventure.

Be sure to catch the afternoon ‘Freemantle Doctor‘, the cold sea-breeze, after your long hike around Yanchep 🙂

Wetlands trail 2.7 km

As the name suggests, the Wetlands trail take you around the lake and wetlands in Yanchep National Park. It is an easy stroll that take you through some dense vegetation with multiple viewpoints in the National Park. There was plenty of wildlife around the trail, with birds such as the Sacred Kingfisher.

The Wetlands trail in Yanchep National Park

The Australian Ringneck is also encountered in the park

Other activities to do in or around Yanchep National Park

See the koalas in their enclosure (fun story: when it was first built, the entreneurs didn’t consider the koalas excellent tree-climbing skills, making them escape artists until they fixed the ‘problem’)
Try the treetop experience
Visit the golf course
Visit the Gravity Discovery Centre and observatory (where you can book an evening event and see the dark night-sky!)
Enjoy a beverage at the local café and have a look in the chocolate store too

Always respect any wildlife encountered. Do not attempt to pick up, touch or feed any of the wild animals in the park.

Alternative places to stay near Yanchep National Park

*Moore River Rest is a free rest area for travellers along the highway. It is situated quite close to the national park, and as the name suggests it is close to the river, where you may also find some wildlife. It is a rather large area, where maybe 20-30 vehicles were parked for the night. Usually you are only supposed to stay there for one night only, but we heard that people stayed there for longer, maybe because if it’s proximity to Perth.

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that you may have a wonderful visit in this extraordinary National Park in Western Australia 🙂

– Traveling Female Ornithologist