Perth to Avon Valley National Park
If you want a quick break from Perth without spending hours on the road, Avon Valley National Park is an easy choice and one that offers the kind of classic Western Australia landscapes that people often think they need to drive far longer for.
To enjoy Avon Valley yourself, all you need do is pick up a rental car in Perth, drive for a little over an hour, and you too can soak up the natural vibes that has been attracting travellers for decades — and even the occasional bushranger.
Map of day trip to the Avon Valley
Learn about Avon Valley National Park
Established in 1971, Avon Valley National Park was created to safeguard the Avon River and the flora and fauna that thrive in this region of the Darling Range. It offers a mix of open woodland, rugged granite outcrops and quiet river flats, and if you’re looking for somewhere to reconnect with nature after the hustle and bustle of Perth, you’re in the right place.
The area is also both culturally and historically significant. The park lies on Whadjuk Noongar Country and has long been part of a cultural landscape connected by movement, story, and seasonal food gathering. The Avon River formed an important pathway and resource, and visitors today are encouraged to treat the area with respect and to follow park guidelines that support ongoing care of Country.
In more recent times, in the mid 19th century, Western Australia’s most famous bushranger Moondyne Joe spent a spell in the area fencing in springs and trapping escaped horses. Moondyne was the Aboriginal name for the area, and while the remains of Joe’s corral were sadly destroyed by bushfires, his name has lived on.
Flora and fauna at Avon Valley National Park
The park sits in a transition zone between the wetter forests to the south and the drier woodlands to the north, so the plant life changes as you move through the park. You’ll see jarrah and marri trees at elevation, with wandoo woodlands and powderbark further inland. In spring — which runs from late August to October — Avon Valley’s bush comes alive with blooming orchids in shaded gullies, everlastings brightening the ridges, and the whole park blanketed in soft lashings of colour.
On the wildlife front, Avon Valley delivers ... if you’re patient. Kangaroos and wallabies graze in the open at dawn and dusk, keep your eyes peeled for goannas baking on smooth stones, and a sharper eye still may spot chuditch and echidnas. The park’s birdlife is even more impressive, and more than 100 species have been recorded within the park, including weebills, short-billed black cockatoos, brown honeyeaters and rufous treecreepers. Bring binoculars if you enjoy birdwatching and morning walks often reveal fantails weaving through the undergrowth, treecreepers tapping upon trunks, and flocks of honeyeaters feeding on blossoms.
Activities and staying at Avon Valley National Park
If you enjoy adventure, the Avon River adds another layer to the “Avon Experience”. After winter rains it’s possible to join white water rafting tours through the valley. Timing your visit for August means catching the Avon Descent, an annual two-day race that sends kayaks, surf skis and powerboats down the same waterway.
Avon Valley works both as a daytrip or overnight stay from Perth. Bald Hill, Drummonds, Valley and Homestead campgrounds all offer picnic tables, barbecue plates, fire rings (when permitted, and don’t forget you need to bring your own wood) and pit toilets, making them suitable for families and first-time campers alike. Camping facilities emphasise simplicity, which helps keep the atmosphere sedate.
Camping fees apply, and as sites cannot be booked in advance, they operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The campgrounds suit tents, cars and campervans, and the internal roads are usually suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles except after very heavy rain. No dogs (or other pets) are allowed within the park.
Best time of the year to visit Avon Valley National Park
You can visit Avon Valley year-round, but the experience changes with the seasons. Late winter and spring are ideal for wildflowers, cooler walking conditions, and a fuller river. Summer can be extremely hot and dry — and with it a high fire risk — making mornings and late afternoons the most pleasant times to explore. Autumn brings mild days, cool nights, and clear light, making it a more comfortable season for camping and wandering. Most travellers choose late August or October to see Avon Valley’s landscape at its most colourful.
With a rental car hired in Perth you gain the freedom to explore the park at your own pace, while if you’re travelling in a rental campervan, the park’s campgrounds give you a simple and quiet place to relax overnight without needing to arrange formal accommodation.
And all this without needing to drive for hours into the Outback!
