Margaret River’s best walking and hiking trails

Margaret River’s best walking and hiking trails

Margaret River walks and hikes

Whether you’re after a quick walk, a full day’s walking or even a multi-day hike, the Margaret River region has you covered.

Here are a few suggestions to get a healthy dose of fresh air and immerse yourself in the region’s spectacular landscape on foot.

Carter Road Trail Head

For a quick nature fix, without leaving Margaret River township too far behind, head to the Carter Road Trail Head. Located a few kilometres northwest of Margaret River, the Carter Road Trail Head is set among the forest and along the picturesque Bramley Brook.

There are four fantastic short to medium length walk trails to suit everyone. The longest trail is the 3.4km Big Brook Walk, an easy grade circuit trail that crisscrosses the Bramley Brook and follows a section of the Rails to Trails Trail. Another medium grade walk is The Old Chimney Walk, a 2.7km circuit walk that takes in the old chimney and the original mill at Wharncliffe.

For an extra challenge, The Pine Plantation Walk 1.7km and the 3km Bridge Walk have some steep grade sections.  Both walks offer plenty of stunning views along the way.

Ten Mile Brook Trail Walk

This is a joint cycle and walk trail to the Ten Mile Brook Dam which serves as a water catchment area for Margaret River. The 15km return walk starts at the Rotary Park and is classed as an easy gradient with most of the trail on gravel road.

Much of the trail follows the river and is at its prettiest when the river is at its fullest. Once you’ve reached the dam, there’s a nice picnic stop at Rusden Picnic area before you head back.

The walk starts at the Rotary Park on Bussel Highway.

Wadandi Track

Formerly known as the Rails to Trail Track, the Wadandi Track is a joint cycle and walking trail that follows the former Busselton to Flinders Bay Railway.

The full trail is yet to be completed, but for now, you can enjoy the 25km section from Cowaramup to Witchcliffe in the south. This easy grade trail passes through natural bushland, vineyards, farmland and takes in some of the local heritage surrounding the timber trade.

Cape Naturaliste to Sugarloaf Rock

Enjoy one of the most scenic corners of the coastline on this stunning 3.5km section of the Cape to Cape trail. This section of the trail is a mix of bitumen and timber boardwalk making it suitable for wheelchairs and prams.

This is a great walk for the whole family and takes in the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, as well as the Sugarloaf Rock formation. There’s also an option to walk to the Whale Lookout, with good chances of seeing the migrating humpback whales between June and October.

For more trail notes and a map click here.

Wardanup Trail

The 6.3km Wardanup Trail starts and ends at Rabbit Carpark in Yallingup. The trail passes through Yallingup township, the gardens at Caves House and Ngili Cave before it climbs over Wardanup Hill.

The trail has some fairly steep sections and covers a wide range of terrain including a walk along the beach. The hard work is well rewarded with sensational views of the Yallingup coastline.

Click here for trail notes and map from TrailsWA.

Quenda Trail

This pleasant 4km circuit walking trail is fun for the whole family and starts at Rabbit Carpark in Yallingup. From here the trail winds around the back of Smiths Beach, then takes you on to a section of the Cape to Cape Walk and follows the beach before winding back up through the dunes above Smiths Beach and back to Yallingup. You can, of course, do it walk in either direction and start and end at Smiths Carpark.

Click here for trail notes and a map from TrailsWA.

Possum Spotlighting Trail in Busselton

Give the kids an excuse to stay up late with this night walk through the Tuart Forest in Busselton.

The big appeal of this 1.5km walk is that it’s done by torchlight, with the chance to see possums and other night creatures. The walk begins at the Layman picnic site in Busselton – bring a torch, it’s dark.

You can also take nocturnal wildlife tour to see woylies and other creatures of the night. For tour details and prices click here.

Cape to Cape Walk

The best hiking trails in Margaret River

Image Tourism Western Australia

The 135km long Cape to Cape Walk is one of the country’s premium long distance walking trails. The trail follows the spectacular coastline stretching from the northern terminus at Cape Naturaliste all the way to Cape Leeuwin in the south.

It’s a five to six-day hike to complete the trail from end to end. However, the great things about the trail is that you can do as much or as little as you want with some of the best sections within easy access from almost all of the beach car parks along the coast. Although you can’t go wrong whatever part of the trail you choose to walk, some of the highlights of the trail include:

  • Hamelin Bay to Cosy Corner
  • Castle Rock to Wyadup Beach
  • Smith’s Beach to Canal Rocks

There are some great tour options for the Cape to Cape Track that cater for a single day or multi-day hikes; including this 8-day tour from Perth, that you can find details for here.

Want more trails

Be sure to visit the excellent TrailsWA website. Here you’ll find comprehensive trail notes about all kinds of trails throughout Western Australia. This includes walking trails as well as cycling trails, kayaking trails, 4WD and even bridle trails.

Margaret River walks and hikes

More articles on Margaret River

Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve wine

Forest camping in Margaret River for less than $10 a night

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

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18 Comments

  1. Casey says:

    Great read Nina, will bookmark this for our next trip south 🙂

  2. Linda says:

    Some nice suggestions. Would be good to link to the trail info on Trails WA for each trail. http://www.trailswa.com.au

    • Nina B says:

      Thanks for the suggestion Linda, that’s a great idea. I’ll add the links to TrailsWA. It’s an excellent site that covers most trails across WA.

  3. Jenelle says:

    I really have to convince my friends to do a hike on one of our trips! We always end up winery/ brewery hopping and I am always the skipper, so a hike sounds like a more interesting change of pace!
    xx Jenelle
    http://www.inspiringwit.com

    • Nina B says:

      Absolutely, it doesn’t need to take a big chunk out of your day either. You can take a walk before or even in between your visits to the wineries and all other attractions. My fave walk at the moment is from Smiths Beach to Canal Rocks. Beautiful!

  4. Reni says:

    Hi Nina

    Great post. Wish we had known all that before going to Margaret River. There are so many great walks…. but well… looks like we have to revisit 😉

    By the way, we’re back to WA.

    Best wishes from Kununurra 😀

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  9. […] Another great idea is to drop into the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse just down the road from Dunsborough where an easy climb of 59 stairs will give you the most incredible reward of breathtaking panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and surrounding areas. For more walking trail options in the southwest click here.  […]

  10. […] picturesque hiking and walking trails can be found here. Always check first that dogs are permitted to hike these trails with you. Another good resource […]

  11. […] This is a 15 km joint walk and cycle trail along the river. For more details see the article on Margaret Rivers best walking and hiking trails […]

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