12 best wheelchair and pram-friendly walk trails around Perth

Paved walkways and wheelchair-accessible public restrooms are just some of the facilities that make these 12 tracks some of the best for wheelchair users and families with young children.

1. Swan River Bank

No detail is spared in the John George Walk Trail and Woodbridge Riverside Park and Play Space’s accessible designs. The 5.5 km-long return trail begins and ends at the park and playground, where you can find inclusive parking with extra-wide spaces and spaces for vans with rear lifts. The flat, paved path winds along the Swan River through swamp sheoaks and paperbarks, terminating at Reg Bond Reserve.

Complete some or all of the walk before firing up a barbecue at the picnic area beside the playspace. It’s one of Perth’s most accessible, and includes an accessible seat on the flying fox, wheelchair-accessible toilets/a changeroom with a ceiling lift, and placards around the park with sign language prompts.

2. West Coast Drive

WA’s sandy coastline is one of its biggest drawcards. Follow along one of its most scenic stretches on West Coast Drive's shared, paved pathway. Parking (including ACROD bays) is available anywhere from Trigg Beach to Hillarys Boat Harbour, so pull up wherever is free and head off either north or south.

Stop-offs are aplenty, with cafes — Canteen, Spinifex and Little Bay, to name a few — easily accessible lookouts and calm bays every few hundred metres. At Mettams Pool, there’s a ramp down to the sand, from which the water is just a few steps away.

Given the beauty and convenience of this walk, the path tends to get very busy on weekends. Factor this into your plans to assess the best time to visit.

Whiteman Park

Choose your own trail adventure at the sprawling, 3,732-hectare Whiteman Park. Paths snake right the way through the banksia woodlands and wetlands, most of which are paved and obstacle-free. Occasionally, there are some paths with a few log steps or a bridge crossing, but there are alternate routes should you need them. As you go through the park, see if you can spot king skinks,long-necked turtles, and wedge-tailed eagles.

Animal lovers can see even more wildlife at Caversham Wildlife Park, which — along with the three nearby museums — are all wheelchair and pram accessible. The Bennett Brook Railway is also suitable for wheelchair users, with a dedicated train carriage that safely transports you to see the sights around the park.

4. Rockingham Foreshore

In its entirety, the Weld Street to Secret Harbour Rockingham Foreshore Flow walk trail seems a mammoth task. But, the more than 20km trail is easily divided into manageable chunks for a more leisurely weekend wander.

One of the most accessible sections centres around the Rockingham Beach Jetty area, where you’ll find plenty of gift and homewares stores, cafes and accessible public restrooms. Getting onto the sand and to the water is made easier for wheelchair users and prams, with beach access matting laid out in front of the ramp access to the Beach Bowl from October to April each year.

Weekends can get very busy, so arrive early to find the most convenient parking bay.

5. Bibra Lake

With purpose-built, dual-access pathways, exploring the greater Beeliar Wetlands section by section is easy. Start by the Bibra Lake Playground, and you’ll find an entry point onto the looped trail just beyond the carpark (which has ample accessible parking). As you’re making your way around the banksia dampland, there’s every chance you’ll sight cockatoos, brush-tailed possums and possibly even the elusive quenda.

Back at the playground, children with limited mobility can join in play with swings, a seesaw and a flying fox with supportive seating. There are also wheelchair-accessible drink fountains, barbecues (with ignition buttons suitable for people with low vision or limited dexterity), and a fully-equipped Changing Place restroom with adult-sized change tables, a lift, and a shower.

6. Lake Joondalup Circuit

Though Lake Joondalup is just two streets back from the busy Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre, its tree-lined walkway and gently rustling reeds feel a million miles away from the fluorescent lights and shiny window displays. Pull up at Neil Hawkins Park (ACROD bays available) to start the loop, then choose your desired destination and trail length. Before heading off, go to the end of the accessible viewing platform for uninterrupted water views.

When hunger strikes, the Joondalup city centre is just a 20-minute walk or a 3-minute drive from the carpark. You’re spoilt for choice with Varsity Burgers, Nandos, Cinnayum and Tao Cafe all within a block of each other.

7. Carine Regional Open Space

Don’t have all day to tackle a trail? Try the short but sweet loop around Carine Regional Open Space’s Small Carine Swamp. The path is a consistently flat combination of concrete and consolidated limestone, looping through the paperbarks and gums of the wetlands and passing by horse-filled paddocks.

There is accessible parking off Monyash Road, by the Riding for Disabled Association, where children and adults with disabilities can enjoy horse-related activities. Make a morning of it and go for a ride, wander around the wetlands and enjoy a picnic on the grass of the recreational area to end your day.

8. Coastal Mindarie and Quinns Rocks

Have a four-legged family member who wants to come along for a morning stroll? Bundle them in the car and head towards Mindarie, where you can set out on foot or wheels along the bicycle path for the local dog beach at Quinns Rock.

Park at Portofino’s Bar and Kitchen, grab a takeaway coffee and head north to let the dog off the lead and get some exercise. Alternatively, head south, and you’ll wind up at Mindarie Marina, where even more food and drink options are at your fingertips, including the ultra-dog-friendly Union Kitchen.

The north and south paths can get quite hilly, so consider this when planning.

9. Kings Park

Visiting springtime Kings Park is the easiest way to see Western Australia’s colourful wildflowers. Concrete paths wind through blooming flowerbeds and native scrubland, and an accessible steel bridge with views of the Swan River arches through a canopy of gums. People with mobility issues can pre-book a free wheelchair from the Visitor Information Centre. To see more of the park without covering so much ground, hop aboard the Perth Explorer bus, which has room for wheelchairs and prams.

All parking lots in Kings Park have ACROD bays available, and each toilet has disabled access. The main visitor area has a bathroom with an adult change table, and all bathrooms near children’s play areas have baby change tables.

10. Hyde Park

Hyde Park is a perennial favourite with families. Shaded by mature Moreton Bay Fig Trees and jacarandas, the looped walk trail, lake, and multiple playgrounds are the perfect place to wander and play for a few hours. Some of the trees have grown so large that their roots are impacting the edges of the pathways, but stick to the centre, and you’ll avoid the obstacles.

Bring a coffee and sandwich from nearby Chu Bakery and enjoy while the kids play. At the corner of Glendower and Throssel Streets is a playground with ramps and ground-level play for children with reduced mobility and a liberty swing for children in wheelchairs.

11. Lake Monger Reserve

One of Perth’s more popular accessible walks is the flat, paved loop around the 110-hectare Lake Monger Reserve. The lake is at the centre of the loop, fringed by reeds and native shrubbery, a natural habitat for black swans, great egrets and yellow-billed spoonbills. On the outer side of the trail are ample parklands with playgrounds, nature trails and a busy mountain biking practice track.

Take your time, stopping at the lookout points for a rest as you need. Make it to the Dodd Street playground for a bite from the local food van, What The Flip?, or an Acai Corner treat near the pump track.

12. Settlers Common Walk Trails (East)

Flora is at the front and centre of Settlers Common, with 318 plant species found within the bushland reserve, two of which are 'Declared Rare and Priority Flora Species'. See how many you can spot along the paved Jeeriji Trail, the park’s most wheelchair and pram-friendly.

You can access the trail from Observation Circle, where you’ll also find accessible parking spaces and a rest area with a shaded picnic table. From both the trail and picnic area, it’s easy to take in the beauty of the wider Darling Range Regional Park. Keep your eyes trained on the underbrush to spot tiny colourful orchids, or look skyward to see cockatoos and western whistlers.

Thank you to PBF Australia for the support in writing this article.