8 Awesome dog-friendly walking trails near Perth

8 Awesome dog-friendly walking trails near Perth

8 Awesome dog trails near Perth

With the wildflower season upon us, now is the perfect time to hit the walking trails and enjoy some of the native bushland surrounding Perth.

So that our four-legged besties don’t have to miss out on the fun, here’s a list of some great dog-friendly walk trails near Perth.

1080 Baiting

Please beware of the increased baiting of 1080 around Perth and WA by the Department of Parks and Wildlife. Unfortunately, 1080 is highly toxic to our pets, please take note of all warning signs in regional parks across the state.

Noble Falls Walk Trail, Gidgegannup

Located a few kilometres east of Gidgegannup, Noble Falls are a great, dog-approved outing. The highlight here, of course, is the waterfall, which is at its best during the winter months.

From the main picnic area, there’s a lovely 3.5km loop walk along the Wooroloo Brook. the trails are especially nice during wildflower season in spring.

Well behaved dogs can walk off-leash and for a special treat (for the humans), head to the Noble Falls Tavern across the road after the walk.

Click here to download a PDF of the walk trail.

Roley Pool Reserve

Roley Pool Reserve is a gorgeous bush reserve located in the Roleystone hills and one of the best dog-friendly walking trails around Perth. There’s a lovely trail that follows the Canning River towards Roley Pool, which used to be a favourite spot for a swim among the locals.

Parking is along Soldier Road.

 Jorgensen Park Kalamunda

Head to the Perth Hills for this fantastic dog exercise area on the outskirts of Kalamunda. Jorgensen Park was the original site of the Kalamunda Golf Course and incorporates a 2.7km walk that follows the old fairway and takes in a section of the Bibbilmun Track. Time this with the Kalamunda Markets and you have a perfect day out in the Perth hills.

Dogs are permitted off-leash, but keep them leashed near the children’s playground.

Bold Park, Floreat

Dog friendly walking trails near Pert

For a dog-friendly walk trail near Perth, Bold Park provides the perfect escape. Located off Oceanic Drive in Floreat, this 437-hectare large bushland reserve is bigger than King’s Park. It’s also home to over 300 species of local native plants.

The park has several walking trails that will reward you and pooch with both city and coastal views. The longest walking trail is the 5km Zamia Trail that winds around the reserve. For the best views, head up the boardwalk to Reabold Hill for 360 views of city and coast. Please ensure that your dog is on a leash as you enjoy these trails.

Lane Poole Reserve, Dwelligup

This one is a bit further afield, but well worth the 1.5 hour drive from Perth. Located 7km south of Dwellingup, Lane Poole Reserve is a 50,000-hectare large reserve along the picturesque Murray River.

Dogs are permitted at Lane Poole Reserve, as long as they’re leashed. There are plenty of walking options here for you and your furry ones, including the 9km King Jarrah Track. This five-hour walk is sure to give your dog a great workout with the highlight being the 250-year-old tree, the King Jarrah.

Lane Poole Reserve also has several fantastic campsites, which all permit dogs and is an ideal getaway for a weekend.

For more information about Lane Pool Reserve, click here.

Railway Reserve Heritage Trail

The Railway Reserves Heritage Trail is a 59km trail that retraces the old Eastern Railway that linked Fremantle to York in the 1880s. The Heritage Trail passes through several towns, including Mundaring, Hovea and Parkerville and provides spectacular views as well as historical points of interest.

The dog-friendly hiking trail starts from Bellevue, the most western point, to Wooroloo with several access points along the way to join the trail. Alternatively, there’s also an option to complete a 41km loop trail. The trail takes a few days to complete, but can also be done section by section.

Dogs are permitted everywhere along the track except for the section through John Forrest National Park.

For more information about the Railway Heritage Trail, click here.

Ellis Brook Valley, Gosnells

There are two great reasons to visit Ellis Brook Valley. One, it’s the richest wildflower location in the Perth Metropolitan area and two, it’s home to the stunning Sixty Foot Falls for both you and your dog to enjoy.

There are four walk trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels. The highlight though has to be the steep ascent to the top of the waterfall.

Ellis Brook Valley is located in the city of Gosnells.

For more information about Ellis Brook Valley, click here.

Kwinana Loop Trail

This is a relatively new trail that loops around the outskirts of Kwinana with excellent views of Cockburn Sound and Kwinana City. The 21km Kwinana Loop Trail has plenty of hills and twists to give even the fittest dogs a good workout. Get your dog panting all the way up to  Chalk Hill Lookout for panoramic views of the surrounding areas.
The trail is designed for walkers and mountain bikers, so keep dogs leashed to avoid any collisions between bike and dog.

For more information about the Kwinana Loop Trail, click here.

Whistlepipe Gully Walk

This is a lovely walk along the Whistlepipe Gully located in Mundy Regional Park in the Perth hills that will get any dog’s tail wagging. Particularly pretty during wildflower season, the Whistlepipe Gully Walk also takes you past the ruins of what looked like an interesting architectural project.

This is a relatively easy walk but there are a few slippery sections across the rocks to be wary of.

The Gully can be accessed from Kalamunda along Orange Valley Road, or off Lewis Road in Forrestfield.

For more information about Whistlepipe Gully, click here.

Bells Rapids

Located on Cathedral Drive in Brigadoon, Bells Rapids is a wonderful dog-friendly spot for a walk and picnic along the Swan River.

There’s a 5.5km circuit trail that crosses the wooden walk bridge and gives the best vantage point to see the Bells Rapids. See this blog post here for more details about Bells Rapids.

Lesmurdie Falls

Lesmurdie Falls inside Mundy Regional Park offers several beautiful dog-friendly walk trails in the Perth Hills. Enjoy the gorgeous scenery of Perth’s prettiest waterfall and the surrounding bushland.

Please keep your dog on a leash and be mindful of the steep incline as you walk along the trails.

Why can’t I take my dog to a National Park

On a closing note, a quick reminder about why dogs are not allowed in National Parks. It can be frustrating for dog owners. However, remember that these areas are here to protect native wildlife and provide refuge for many species that are rare or endangered. Dogs and other pets, unfortunately, cause a disturbance to vulnerable wildlife and native species.

I hope you and your four-legged friends enjoy these walks!  Let me know in the comments below if you went on any of these walks or know of others that should make the list. 

You may also like:

The Dog’s guide to Margaret River – where to camp and drink wine with your dog

The Dog’s guide to going north – dog-friendly campsites from Perth to Exmouth

18 Comments

  1. Rod Annear says:

    Spell check
    It should Lane Poole Reserve Dwellingup

  2. Susy says:

    I live in Busselton do you know of any dog friendly walks down this way?

    • Nina B says:

      Hi Susy, I’ve been looking high and low for dog-friendly bushwalks around your area. Unfortunately the only walks I could come up with so far are the Eaton Foreshore in Bunbury (a bit far from you I know) and I suspect that there are several walks along the Margaret River Heritage Trail that allow dogs. I’ll do some more investigating and will see if I can write a blog post about dog friendly bushwalks for the southwest.

      • Susy says:

        Thanks, yeah I’ve tried to research it myself and haven’t come up with much yet

        • Nina B says:

          The Heritage Trail in Margaret River is dog friendly, as long as dogs are on a leash. That includes a few shorter walks and circuits. Would love to know if you find any others.

  3. Andy says:

    Good to hear the pooches are catered for in the west. NSW can be a little harsh on the doggies. The Railway Reserve Heritage Trail and Whistlepipe Gully Walk sound like interesting adventures!

    • Nina B says:

      Walking is much more fun with a pooch. Luckily we have a few beautiful options where the four-leggers are welcome too. Not sure if my dog could handle the full 40km on the Heritage Trail but the Whistlepipe Gully Walk is a good, shorter options.

  4. […] 8 Awesome dog friendly bushwalks near Perth  […]

  5. […] 8 Awesome dog-friendly walking trails near Perth […]

  6. […] a location close to home, such as a local park, bushwalking trail or beach, and test your pet in the car. You can bring treats, their favourite toy or bedding if it […]

  7. Todd says:

    Lesmurdie Falls is also good, lots of trails around there.

    And a bit further south, is Bungedore Park just off Albany Hwy on the hill above Armadale.

    • WA Explorer says:

      Thank you so much for those tips, this post gets so many visits every day that I’m very happy that I can add a few more dog-friendly trails to the list. I’m sure this will get lots of tails wagging.

  8. Stef says:

    Lane Poole is only pet friendly in the camping areas and day use areas, dogs are not allowed on the walk trails due to 1080 poison bait (this info comes from the Parks and Wildlife website)

    • WA Explorer says:

      Many thanks for the comment. This is from the website. Dogs are allowed in the recreation area of Lane Poole Reserve but must be kept on a leash at all times. The Department conducts baiting with 1080 poison as part of its Western Shield animal conservation program in the park. This includes the King Jarrah Walk Trail, the Fawcett Track, the Bibbulmun Track and the Munda Biddi Trail.

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