Best Natural Waterfalls In Perth Near Me

4worldlovers: The area is especially popular in Spring when the falls are flowing and wildflowers are on display.

Several walk trails are available from here of varying degrees of difficulty including:

4worldlovers: Close to Perth, scenic views, walk and bicycle trails, historic buildings, lots of wildlife – all you need to do is pack a picnic!

A quick 30-minute drive from Perth and you will arrive in Western Australia’s first and oldest national park.

You will find an abundance of beautiful spots to have a picnic or use one of the barbecues. There are two waterfalls that flow in Winter and Spring which is also the best time of year to see the stunning wildflowers.

There are many walk trails that lead you through jarrah, marri, flooded gums, swamp peppermint and paperbark trees and the spooky Swan View Tunnel. You might even see some of the native wildlife such as the western grey kangaroos lazing in the park.

Bring your bicycle to explore the Railway Reserves Trail or walk one of the other many trails, visit the lookouts and capture that perfect pic for Instagram of the views of Perth and the Swan Coastal Plain.

4worldlovers: Walkers seeking an outdoor nature challenge will find short trails and long distance tracks in the native bush surroundings of the Perth Hills, including the iconic Bibbulmun Track. There are many trails of different lengths and levels of difficulty, many with evocative names such as Whistlepipe Gully and Rocky Pool, just perfect for enticing you outdoors!

Tips: When using your Smart Device, ensure your GPS / Location is enabled and permitted on your browser - this allows your movement to be tracked to show your current location on the map. Follow the highlighted route of the trail.

Parking: Some of the City's local walk trails are popular and get busy. With limited parking in some areas, visitors are encouraged to show consideration to residents in the surrounding area and to follow signage and park accordingly. Infringement penalties may apply.

Regardless of the time of year please check to ensure the area you want to experience and explore is safe to do so.

Summer: With high temperatures and dry fuels there is always the potential for fire.

Autumn & Winter: Flooding, Fire or Smoke Warnings may be issued in various areas where controlled burns are being conducted.

Be responsible and prepared when doing any walk - ensure you have appropriate clothing, footwear and water for the journey. Stay alert to your surroundings.

Walk trail information has been prepared as a guide - although every care has been taken to be accurate it should be noted that specified times to do each trail will depend on the person(s) doing the walk and as each season varies the terrain may vary accordingly.

Dogs Permitted Trails: Please keep your dogs on leash unless signage permits otherwise.

The Perth Hills area is home to many National and Regional Parks, many of which do not permit dogs (with exception of approved assistance dogs) to protect indigenous fauna and flora and as consideration of the rights of other park users. Permitted areas for dogs in National and Regional Parks and campgrounds are listed on the Parks and Wildlife Service website.

4worldlovers:
The Roleystone Hills area contains many great bush reserves, but a real gem among them is the Roley Pool Reserve. This reserve follows the Canning River along the steep sided Canning Valley for two kilometres between Heritage Drive and the Soldiers Road Bridge.


The original Albany coach road, surveyed in 1836, followed a well worn Aboriginal path up the valley from Kelmscott and along the reserve. In those days, when journeying to towns in the south west coaches were required to cross the Canning River at a ford where the Thompson Road Bridge presently lies and then traverse the hills to join up with what is now the South West Highway.

The reserve contains a thriving colony of Quendas (Western Brown Bandicoots), as well as Brushtail possums, Western Grey Kangaroos, and if you are lucky you may even see a native Water Rat which can usually be distinguished by a white tip to its tail.

The water is home to at least four native species of fish: Western Minnow, Pygmy Perch, Nightfish, and Freshwater Cobbler, as well as the introduced Mosquito fish and Carp. These feed on the native glass shrimp that can be seen in the shallows, as well as gilgies and juvenile marron.

The picturesque valley reserve, with attractive stony outcrops and permanent flowing water also has some of the oldest history of European settlement in Western Australia. The area was settled by Captain Charles Churchman in 1831.

The old ford was also the site of the first staging post for horse drawn carts on their journey from Perth to Albany. It later became the homestead site for the Buckingham family after they bought all 5559 acres of Roleystone from the late Churchman estate in 1856.

The Buckinghams at times helped Joseph Bolitho Johns, otherwise known as Moondyne Joe, (Western Australia’s own bushranger) who at times used the rocky outcrops along the reserve as shelter and protection.

The core of the reserve is the Roley Pool itself, which is a pretty natural pool that is accessed by steps from Collins Road. This is the original Roleystone swimming hole, and was a popular swimming place for Roleystone residents from the early 1900’s.

In its heyday in the 1920’s, Bert Collins would spent every Saturday afternoon teaching young people swimming and lifesaving at the pool which in those days was provisioned with change rooms and a fine diving board. For many many years it was the summer social scene not only for Roleystone residents but for the wider community. At the beginning of summer each year there would be community members taking out the rocks that had been rolled into the pools during the winter flow plus other debris therefore making it safe for all to swim in during the summer season.

Now the river and its banks have changed a lot from the days of Bert Collins swimming classes. The construction of the Canning Dam in 1940 moderated the natural winter floodwaters and the damming of adjacent tributaries and springs which naturally kept the water flowing all summer. Although it still retains a magic charm, the deep Roley Pool has now filled with sediments to waist height. The last time the river flooded during winter was in 1974, the last year that the Canning Dam overflowed. Since the damming of the last major tributary springs in the late 1980’s the only water source the river has to maintain its summer flow is a staged release by the Water Corporation of treated Perth drinking water which is released through a pipe in the Araluen Botanic Park.

The Department of the Environment currently has a project which is to ascertain the ecological water requirements of the Canning River. This will involve controlled additional water releases during winter.