Perth’s best waterfall and wildflower trail combos
It’s no secret that spring is most people in Perth’s favourite season.
Yes, summers are amazing and endless days at the beach are the best and yes, autumn is also pretty great (hello colours in the Hills and lovely walks in Hyde Park), but spring in Perth with the waterfalls and wildflowers and lovely sunny days and the promise of all things bright and beautiful? Yup, that’s the good stuff.
Of course, some people are more waterfall people and some people are more wildflower people, but in honour of our favourite season – and to give us some light at the end of the tunnel to get us through these wet winter days – here are the best places to see waterfalls AND wildflowers in Perth. You’re welcome.
Serpentine Falls, Serpentine National Park
Perth’s OG waterfall and wildflower walking trail is Kitty’s Gorge, though don’t worry, you don’t have to commit to the full 14km trek to be able to enjoy the wildflowers and waterfalls here. A short walk through the bush from the car park to Serpentine Falls will still tick the boxes, though the view from Baldwins Bluff is much more impressive. You can even bring your swimmers if you’re game enough! Come early to avoid the crowds.
Hovea Falls & National Park Falls, John Forrest National Park
Known for its waterfalls and wildflowers as much as it is for its famous kangaroos, a visit to John Forrest National Park is a Perth spring staple. If you’re feeling especially active, you can also combine the waterfall loop with a walk through Swan View Tunnel along the old railway track, but otherwise, the two waterfalls will definitely do.
Lesmurdie Falls
A winter favourite, Lesmurdie Falls is even more beautiful in spring when the bush is filled with colour and all the birds and bees are out in abundance – along with photographers and daytrippers, so come early or avoid weekends and sunsets if you want it all to yourself!
If you’re feeling lazy and don’t fancy the whole 2.5km loop up and down (and back up again) the waterfall then you can just park at the bottom of the falls and walk to the base from there. The epic views and flowers on the long walk more than make up for the slightly sore calves though.
Ellis Brook
A lot of heavy rain is usually a key component to the water part of Ellis Brook’s Sixty Foot Falls, but even if it isn’t in flow, the walking trails are still a gloriously floral feast for the senses – and you can get your water fix at the turquoise pool at the old quarry.
Of the four trails, only the aptly named Sixty Foot Falls Circuit takes in the waterfall, though come late July/early August, this biodiversity hotspot turns it up to 11, with a plethora of flowers and orchids just waiting to be discovered.
Rocky Pool
While technically you might be hard-pressed to call Rocky Pool in Kalamunda a waterfall, there is water (at least in winter/spring!) and it does “fall” down a series of not-so-steep descents, and the wildflowers are on point too, so we’ll take it.
Best visited in spring, follow the walking trails through bushland dotted with orchids until you reach the namesake natural pool where you can take a dip, relax or just soak up the nature all around you. The path back up the stream is pretty too, with little tiny cascades and lots of purple flowers – but be warned, it gets super slippery after heavy rain.
Noble Falls
Waterfall – check, wildflowers – check, pub across the road for a nice hearty lunch and a pint after – check! Just off Toodyay Road, Noble Falls is a great spot for a perfect Sunday arvo waterfall and wildflower wander.
While it can get a little busy around the picnic area and the playground, if you’re after a little serenity, follow the 3.5 km walking trail, where you’ll get some peace and quiet and plenty of orchid-spotting opps.
F.R Berry Reserve
A short way from Noble Falls, Berry Reserve is unfortunately lacking in berries, but makes up for it with its colourful waterfall – if you know, you know – and its orchids. While the reserve copped the full force of the 2020 fires, the bushland is healthy, happy and almost as bushy as ever, and the fertile ashy soils left behind make for the ideal conditions for WA’s wildflowers, so at least that’s a small silver lining.
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Syd’s Rapids, Walyunga National Park
Again with the is-this-a-waterfall-or-isn’t-it thing, Syd’s Rapids might technically not count, but it’s water, it’s sort-of cascading, and it’s really pretty and filled with flowers, so we’ll take it. North of the Swan Valley on the Great Northern Highway, Walyunga National Park is a bit of a hidden treasure, where you can check out the trails, go for a quick kayak and/or have a picnic, and then swing by a winery on the way home – go on, you’ve earned it! Or, if you fancy a side of stars with your waterfalls and wildflowers, you can even camp overnight.
Araluen Botanic Park, Roleystone
Another spring hotspot, Araluen Botanic Park may be a little more…manicured than some of the other results on this list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as magical. The main draw here is the tulips, which definitely steal the show, though there are plenty of wildflowers and other flowers to see as well.
On the waterfall front, the creek flows through the gardens year round, trickling down to the Old Swimming Pool, while on the other side of the park, there’s a lute-shaped waterfall cascading down steep stone terraces at the Grove of the Unforgotten to the Pool of Reflection.
More like this:
30 Awe-Inspiring Waterfalls Around Perth & WA
The Best Waterfall Hikes Around Perth
Where to see the Best Wildflowers in Perth
Article by Cassie Wilkins