The WA coast is vast, the city sprawling, the hills and bush magnificent—and the outdoor adventures countless. It’s Perth—a metropolis, sure—but an outdoor lover’s dream when it comes to amazing adventures.
I grew up here, then travelled the globe, and a few years later landed right back in my hometown. And you know what? Some of the best adventurers I’ve had have been right here in my backyard. I’m going to let you in on the very best of them.
Here are our 17 top ideas for adventures to get you out of the house or office.
Jump to:
- Explore the King’s Park trails
- Go bouldering in the hills
- Strip off at the nude beach
- Go trail running at Bald Park
- Ferry to Rotto for the day
- Cast a line out at South Beach
- Head to Tim’s Thicket for the ultimate 4WD
- Brave an open water swim
- Check out a waterfall
- Stand Up Paddle board on the Swan River
- Spot kangaroos at a cemetery
- Rock climb at Mountain Quarry
- Set up your slack line in one of these spots
- Beach run from Port Beach to Scarborough
- Snorkel at Mettam’s Pool
- Brave the haunted Swan View Tunnel
- Head cliff jumping at Black Wall Reach
1. Explore the King’s Park trails
Did you know King’s Park is a bigger inner-city park than New York’s Central Park? It’s friggin huge, a playground for wanderers, offering a web of trails that’ll make you forget the CBD is one bus stop away.
Whether you’re a trail runner, walker, bird watcher or just want to reconnect with nature, exploring King’s Park’s incredible trails is a must. All paved trails are marked, and these will put you into the heart of KP. It’s the dirt trails which are more subject to exploration, some taking you on wild journeys through the forest.
2. Go bouldering in the Perth Hills
Climbers rejoice! The Perth Hills, a measly 30-40-minute drive from Perth CBD, offers a range of epic bouldering spots if you’re up for a rope-free hang.
Avon Valley National Park, Walyunga National Park, Nyaania Creek Reserve, not to mention Boulder Rock in Midgegooroo National Park, all offer solid bouldering and rock climbing options. Each location has dozens of routes, heights and grades.
Want more info? Check out our post: Our 7 favourite crags for outdoor bouldering in Perth
3. Strip off at the nude beach
If a birthday suit is your preferred outfit, you have a couple options in Perth to strip off and enjoy the sunshine. The nude beaches on the WA coast are Swanbourne Beach, a city nudist’s hotspot, and Port Kennedy Nudist Beach, a little past Rockingham.
4. Go trail running at Bald Park
Bald Park is another incredible inner-city park, which faces the beautiful stretch of City Beach ocean and is home to several incredible trails.
Bald Park will get the calves burning but the views from the top are worth the hike. There’re a few parking spots at the top of the trails, so you can ease into your trail run (or walk) with a nice descent… or claim you forget your joggers and just kick back with a view.
5. Ferry to Rottnest for the day
Rotto—Perth’s island paradise—doesn’t need to be an overnight affair. In just over half an hour, you can take the ferry from Fremantle (or the 45-minute route from Hillary’s Boat Harbour) and be selfying with Quokka’s, snorkelling over pristine coral and freediving for crayfish.
If you leave early, that gives you an entire day to explore the island.
6. Cast a line out at South Beach
Those hunting WA’s best fish don’t need to hit the water or take a long drive. A Freo favourite, South Beach offers excellent beach and rock fishing.
Park up on the grass and take the short walk to the rocky jetty, where the herring, bream and even the odd King George whiting await.
7. Head to Tim’s Thicket for the ultimate 4WD
Another day trip that’ll be stored in the memory bank for eons is a trip to Mandurah’s most popular 4WDing beach, Tim’s Thicket. The closest of its kind to Perth, beach driving at Tim’s is super popular among surfers, fishers and of course 4WDers.
On a busy day, you might queue for a few minutes to get on the dirt road to the beach. But there’s so much open coastline to drive on once you make it to the sand that you’ll always feel like it’s your own beach.
Want more info? Check out our post: Tim’s Thicket beach: A guide to Perth’s closest 4WDing beach
8. Brave an open water swim
Perth’s exceptional beach options means you’re spoiled for choice for a sensational open water swim. While Scarborough and Trigg often have too much swell or current for the open water swimmer, Port Beach, South Beach and Cottesloe Beach offer awesome stretches of water to roll the arms over.
If the men in gray suits worry you, the Cottesloe Eco Shark Barrier and Groyne is secured to Cott Beach’s shores from October to March.
9. Check out a waterfall
The Perth Hills are home to a tonne of beautiful waterfalls, from the Sixty Foot Falls in Ellis Brook Valley to the Bells Rapids Falls in the Swan Valley to crowd favourite Lesmurdie Falls in Lesmurdie.
The sound of these falls are thunderous after heavy rainfall, so you’ll be rewarded for your visit in the winter months. They each offer awesome walking, hiking and running trails too, so even when the mercury rises, the sweat on the trails to these falls will be well worth it.
Especially if you have your SUP in the car for afterwards…
10. Stand Up Paddle board on the Swan River
Few cities in Australia allow you to grab a kayak or SUP and head out in front of its skyline for a paddle. But Perth is simply stellar for this, with the beautiful Swan River offering a wicked water platform for you to check out the city landscape and its surroundings. Start from the South Perth foreshore for epic city views, head to Point Walter for stunning natural scenery or even make your way to Bicton Baths for a calm inlet.
11. Spot kangaroos at a cemetery
Strange one but a good one, Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park in Padbury is home to a huge population of resident kangaroos. It’s a natural bushland cemetery—probably the most beautiful in Perth as far as cemeteries go—and if you’re looking for a close, memorable experience with some majestic local fauna, then the kangaroos at Pinnaroo will welcome you with open paws.
12. Rock climb at Mountain Quarry
There’s hardly a better spot in Perth for an outdoor climb than Mountain Quarry. You won’t be short of sport climbing here, with a tonne of bolted routes and even a few boulders to tackle. Plus, it’s open all-year round. All you need is the code to the combination lock by making a call to the Department of Parks and Wildlife Perth Hills District office.
Want more info? Check out our post: The Best Places for an Outdoor Climb in Perth
13. Set up your slack line
Make your own fun by stretching your slack line between the thick trees at South Beach’s grassy knoll, Sir James Mitchell Park in South Perth or the Scarborough beachfront. Steer clear of King’s Park, Hyde Park and Cottesloe Beach, as the NIMBY’s in these areas won’t allow it. Highliners looking for an inner-city option might set up a line between the cliffs at Black Wall Reach.
The Perth Slacklining Community on Facebook has a tonne of info if you’re new to slacklining in the area, including a regular Sunday Slack Jam at the spots I’ve mentioned (plus a tonne more).
14. Beach run from Port Beach to Scarborough
The most popular beaches in Perth arguably lie between Port Beach in North Fremantle to the surf-centric hub of Scarborough. And braving a long, 14km beach run will have you visiting them all.
A new take on the ‘Port to Pub’, the Port Beach run to one of the many great pubs in Scarborough is a premier sandy trot if you’re looking for the best beach trail in Perth.
15. Snorkel at Mettam’s Pool
You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Rotto, Margs or Yanchep when you head goggles first into the water at Mettam’s Pool in North Beach.
The reef is full of colour, swimthroughs and a tonne of spectacular sealife. Freedivers will love one of Perth’s most beloved water playgrounds, as will families looking for a chilled day on the sand after seeing the striking colours of Mettam’s coral reef.
16. Brave the haunted Swan View Tunnel
Back into the Perth Hills, the John Forrest National Park is home to the long-closed Swan View Tunnel. It operated from 1896 as part of the Eastern Railway that ran from Fremantle to York. It was decommissioned as a working tunnel in 1966, and nowadays hikers, cyclists and the occasional horse rider on the John Forrest Heritage Trail provide its only traffic.
It’s dark, super damp and infamously eerie; many agree it’s one of the most haunted places in Perth. If you’ve got the stomach for it—and the right gear—a hike through the long tunnel at night will get the pulse rising.
17. Head cliff jumping at Black Wall Reach
In the affluent suburb of Bicton lies an exceptionally fun area of cliffs, which is why Black Wall Reach is a household name among Perth locals. You’ll find teenagers getting their high-octane fix on most days, and you’ll see what the fuss is about when descending into the Swan River from about 15 metres high.
Exercise usual caution when cliff jumping: wait until the previous jumper is clear of your landing before launching off the cliff and if it’s not for you, don’t be pressured into making the leap!
Looking for other awesome swimming spots in Perth? Check out our list here: The top swimming holes near Perth, WA
Sure, it’s a growing metropolis, but Perth is an outdoor person’s dream. There you go, no excuses not to explore in Perth, with a bunch of exciting adventures available all within the city limits. Get out there!
Looking for your next adventure? Need some inspo to get you out the door? Try these guided adventure ideas.
