Located only 45 minutes north of Perth’s city centre you’ll soon understand why Yanchep National Park attracts over 240,00 local, interstate and international visitors each year.
Take part in a guided tour of Crystal Cave, Aboriginal cultural experience subject to availability, or a leisurely boat tour on Lake Wagardu.
Enjoy BBQ and picnic facilities, row boat hire, scenic walk trails, koalas, kangaroos and an abundance of other native animals and plants in one of the state’s oldest national parks.
Visit McNess Visitors Centre for tour bookings and a wide range of souvenirs, experience the hospitality of the historic Yanchep Inn or tempt your sweet tooth at Chocolate Drops.
Entry Fees
Entry fees to Yanchep National Park:
Site Description National Park
Site Facilities BBQ Area, Cafe / Coffee Shop, Carpark, Information Centre, Picnic Area, Public Telephone(s), Rest Area, Visitor Information Centre
Tour Types Tours by Arrangement, Guided Tours
Attractions Aboriginal Sacred Sites, Caves, Wildlife
Aboriginal occupation of South Western Australia dates back more than 40,000 years. Around Wanneroo and Yanchep, artefacts have been found that date from between 6,500 and 1,700 years ago. Although population sizes appear to have fluctuated, the coastal plain supported comparatively high numbers of people because of the abundance of food and water.
The Bulrush in the park, provided the opportunity for large neighbouring Nyoongar groups to meet. Bulrush roots were pounded into a paste and used as a type of flour. The name Nyoongar people referred to this plant as Yandjip or Yanget, hence the name Yanchep.
Wagardu Lake at Yanchep National Park, is extremely significant to the Aboriginal people of the area. According to Aboriginal tradition, the lake is inhabited by a Waugal (rainbow serpent) and the activities of the Waugal ensure that the springs that feed the lake continue to flow.
Yanchep National Park provides visitors with opportunities to participate in a diverse range of activities, and Aboriginal cultural programmes. Local Aboriginal people (Nyoongars) teach their traditional lifestyle and culture.
This includes 'Share the dreaming' which is an introduction to the language, how they lived, the tools they used in everyday life, and how they lived off the land and water. The tool making activity is a great one to watch, as you see the Nyoongars use natures resources mixed together with fire, wood and stone to make their tool.
The Bush Tucker walks take you through the bushland of Yanchep National Park, where the Nyoongars explain what plants you can eat, drink and use for things such as medicine and healing. The didgeridoo dance activity is a dance lesson with a difference. Watch some of the traditional dances and then have a go. You then catch your breath while listening to the didgeridoo. There is a chance to learn how to throw a boomerang and spear and have an understanding of how these tools were used by the Nyoongar people.
Crystal CavesThe caves of Yanchep National Park range from narrow tunnels and vertical shafts to large caverns containing streams and pools. More than 400 caves have been recorded in the park and several of these are open for a variety of experiences. Caves set aside for activities include the Silver Stocking Banquet Chamber in Cabaret Cave for seminars and special events, the wild caves of Yonderup, Yanchep and Mambibby for adventure caving and the well lit corridors of Crystal cave for family and education tours.
Crystal cave, recorded by Yancheps first European settler Mr Henry White over 100 years ago, has a number of still active areas where speliotherms such as stalagmites, helictites, columns and shawls continue to form. Classified as an epiphreatic stream cave, crystal formations estimated at over 60 000 years old and up to two metres in length are formed when winter rains dissolve small amounts of surface cap rock that is then redeposited on the roof and floor of the cavern below. You enter Crystal Cave by way of a staircase that winds its way down through a natural collapse referred to as a doline. Entrances to other caves may be through a vertical solution pipe as in Jackhammer cave or through an original entrance formed by a stream as can be seen at Lock Overflow cave.
Although threatened gondwanan species and ancient bacteria forming moon-milk can be seen on cave tours in Yanchep, it is worthy to note that more recent icons such as Sleeping Beauty, Queen Victoria and a pair of hugging Polar Bears also present themselves in Crystal Cave. Travellers must be wary though of entry into Yonderup Cave, where crocodiles and the demons pit lie within the butcher's cold room, and experience doubly fraught with danger as you enter only with hardhat and cavers torch. Narrow crevices open up into large caverns, which means crawling and climbing.
There are a number of interesting bush walks throughout the park with maps available from the visitor centre, offering some spectacular scenery. Walk trails are from 500 metres to three and a half days. This is a great way to see nature.
Allow one and a half hours (Two kilometres).
This easy trail meanders around the fringe of the lake and allows walkers to visit areas only seen by few in the past. To gain maximum enjoyment takes time to stop, look and listen.
Over 70 species of plants have been recorded in the area adjacent to the trail, which passes through differing plant habitats eg. Aquatic, lake margin, tuart- banksia woodland, each with its attendant fauna to fill a "ecological niche".
To the north of the causeway section extensive areas of rushes, reeds and sedges have overgrown the wetlands. This is a favoured breeding area for many species of Lake Fauna. On most days grey fantails can be seen.
Paperbarks dominate the lake margin on the western side, the trail wends its way through bushland and glimpses of the lake vista can be seen farmed by paperbark branches. Tuarts are restricted to limestone areas of the western coastal plain south of Perth. Yanchep is their northern range as large trees. The large specimens seen at the tuart rest site are estimated to be about four hundred years old.
From here the trail leads you through sparse bushland and then clumps of sword rush - careful they may cut if you pull them. In the backwaters, area of Yanjidi, bulrush can be seen growing and quite often wild ducks and swamphen will be seen searching for food. Large swamp Banksia and Wattles strive in these damp growing conditions.
The trail terminates at the parking bay adjacent to the road and west of the lake overflow. After walking the trail a trip on the launch "Miss Yanchep" will enable you to gain more insight into the remarkable interaction of life on the lake.
Beware of snakes - snakes occur in the area but are more frightened of you than you are of them. Please leave them alone.
This stunning region offers pristine beaches, charming coastal towns as well as majestic hinterlands and national parks. Read more ...
