1) Walk map - Shows route and waypoint locations

2) Photo from walk  (also see Photo Galleries)

3) 3D map view

4) Google map & Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

View SE across side valley to track

 to ridge off Horace Rd, May 2009.

Click on photo for larger version.

More photos.

Click here

for larger frame Google Maps image

of the walk area.

-Use zoom bar

for road details.

Step 1: Left Click here

For fly-in to waypoints and route

 on image of the walk area.

Or Right Click to

 "Save Target/Link As..."  kml file.

Step 2: Left Click here

For fly-in to 3D view

 of the walk area.

Or Right Click to

 "Save Target/Link As..."  kml file.

Hint: For enhanced 3D effect, set 'Elevation Exaggeration'

in Google Earth to "3" (via 'Tools' menu, 'Options' & 'View' tab).

          Route profile

20 kms ESE of Perth. 

7.5 field kms (or 8.5 kms for revised Start point). All on-track..

or 18 km alternative (if walk extended to include Victoria Reservoir-Bickley Brook Walk, Walk #3b).

EASY- MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

The walk is short but includes  some steep hills (also MEDIUM,  if combined with Victoria Reservoir-Bickley Brook Walk, but then quite long).

NO. GPS is certainly not required for navigation here but waypoints are provided in case you are new to GPS and would like to test your GPS navigation skills, or if you just want to remove any uncertainty at track junctions. 

See Google Map for start point on road map.

(Use zoom ladder for detail. Select 'Hybrid' to add satellite imagery.)

Orrong Rd or Albany Hwy to Welshpool Rd, then right onto Tonkin Hwy, left into Kelvin Rd (about 4 kms down Tonkin Hwy), right into White Street, and left into Hardinge Road.  Follow Hardinge Rd to the Start point at the car turning area at the road end (past Hardinge Park and Bickley Reservoir on the left).

2008 update: Parking at the vehicle turn-round area at the end of Hardinge Rd is no longer permitted. Park instead at the carpark at Hardinge Park (picnic area,  public toilets and barbecues nearby) and start the walk from there following the alternative waypoints below.

Alternative access is from the north at a carpark at 'Lions Lookout' on the south side of Welshpool Rd, Lesmurdie, less than 100m after the Crystal Brook Rd turnoff and on same side (see waypoint 'WSHPL' on map). Follow the track which branches left off an initial track only about 60m from the carpark entry and then heads initially SW. (Ignore an earlier track on the left which heads about SE.)

Other access options: Via Crystal Brook Rd (at 'CSBRK1'; opposite Fontano Rd.) near the foot of the Scarp; and the west end of Gilchrist Rd (at 'CAMP'), or Horace Rd (at 'HCERD') in the east.

North to Welshpool Road, or east to Gilchrist Rd, or south back to Hardinge Rd (and its extension along Bickley Brook).

/Highlights:

This short walk lies within part of the Korung National Park (named in 2008; formerly 'Pickering Brook National Park') and 'Darling Range Regional Park' system.  It is entirely on existing tracks (most of which are old vehicle tracks for fire access or forestry purposes). It is mainly a combination of two 'established' walk trails, the Lions Lookout Walk and the Bickley Reservoir Walk, plus part of the Darling Scarp Trail (not to be confused with the Darling Scarp Walk on WalkGPS).  These explore an area of the Darling Scarp (the western edge of the Darling Range) between Bickley Brook Reservoir in the south and Welshpool Road in the north. The walk includes some large areas of open heathland on the hillsides along the Scarp, with extensive views across the Swan Coastal Plain.  The walk also passes through some pleasant mixed forest and wandoo woodland around the margins of the old, dissected laterite plateau and its jarrah forest.

The main route described here doesn't include the actual Lions Lookout immediately adjacent to Welshpool Road in the north, but that can be easily included, either by starting the walk from the alternative access point in the north or by following either of the options included in the Route Notes, which will add 1.3 kms to the total walk distance.

Alternative walk routes:  The map shows (in dark green) several additional tracks, forming a network right down to the foot of the Scarp in the west (to Canter Court and Crystal Brook Rd). Additional waypoints are provided for these to allow flexibility to try different route combinations.

Extended walk option: If you'd prefer a longer and more demanding on-track walk (18 kms), then do the Victoria Reservoir-Bickley Brook walk first and if time and energy allows near the end of that walk, it can simply be extended by turning right down a fire control track at waypt '30' (less than 100m east of the Start point) to cross Bickley Brook and link into the Lions Lookout-Bickley Reservoir Walk.

For another walk along the Darling Scarp also see Darling Scarp Walk (Walk # 3d on this site). 

Controlled burns:  A burn was scheduled to be carried out on 8 October 2011 across this walk area. See DEC's indicative burn programme.      

WalkGPS walk map for OziExplorer users:  A downloadable OziExplorer format MAP file (*.map) for this walk area is included on the Maps, Waypoints & Track Files page. The zipped folder also includes the associated 'base' topo map image file, plus other attached waypoints, tracks/routes, etc in OxiExplorer file formats.

WalkGPS reconnaissance history: Click here for a map of past WalkGPS test walks in the walk area, plus the final route. The final route was selected only after several visits to the area which aimed to achieve a walk that would be the most rewarding.

Other:  Kelmscott 1:50,000 Sheet 2133-4, (CALM/DOLA, 2002)

or Kelmscott 1:50,000 Sheet (WA Forests Dept., 1984)

or Kelmscott 1:25,000 2134-IV, NW sheet (Dept. of Lands & Survey, 1981; Series R811) -available on DVD.

"Swan Valley and Perth Hills Trails Discovery Guide", Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council ('EMRC'). 2005. - This is an excellent booklet summarising 41 mainly short on-track walks in Shires of Kalamunda and Mundaring and City of Swan. It has been withdrawn from public sale but a copy can be viewed at the State Library of WA (book Call Ref. # 919.411 SWA).

The booklet includes maps and notes for both the Lions Lookout Walk (pp.34-35) and the  Bickley Reservoir Walk (p.34 & 36) which are combined into the walk here with small changes.  Be aware that parts of the 'established' trails in the area are not well marked (despite occasional "Shire of Kalamunda" signs) so it is wise to have  a good walk description with you.

Tracks are shown in green on the map.

New Start (2008):  Start from the carpark at Hardinge Park picnic area (at 'NEW-ST'). Follow the bitumen foot-track around the south side of the Bickley Reservoir to meet Hardinge Road (at 'NEW-1') and follow it about 300m eastward to its end at the vehicle turn-round area.  Locate the large Kattamordo Trail sign (waypt '31') less than 100m east of the road barrier. The sign is on the left (north) side of the gravelled road and at the corner of the Bickley Camp fence. Follow the foot-track downhill along the fence. The track then veers right to cross Bickley Brook via a wooden bridge (at '33'). Follow the narrow track along slope through heathland (via '34'). There are alternative foot-tracks in a couple of places, but if you head more-or-less east you will very soon meet a wide track (at approx. '35').  Turn left to climb a fairly steep hill (via '36' and '37'). Over the next 500m to the top of the hill  you'll climb 120m.  (By doing the walk in this direction you'll avoid having to walk down a very steep gravelly, slippery section. - It might be steep to climb but you'll hopefully be more stable on your feet going uphill!) From the track junction at the top (at '38') you get views of Perth (18.5km WNW) and  to Victoria Dam (3km SE). Take the track directly ahead, ignoring the other two tracks which veer to the left and to the right. The track descends fairly steeply to cross a stream and on the other side it soon veers sharply to the left (initially west) at '39'. After continuing uphill for about 300m the track veers north (at 'TN') just past new facilities constructed by Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre on the site of the former Paxwold Girl Guides Camp. (The Centre moved to the Paxwold site in  2009. In future walkers may be able to include a visit to the Centre to see the not-for-profit work being done here by the volunteers. See access from waypt 'CAMP' later in walk route.)   At '40' take the side-track which branches to the left  and heads westward through jarrah forest on the flatter plateau surface.  At '41' the track veers SW and descend to a fairly flat, heath-covered ridge which gives views SE back across Bickley Valley and the Reservoir. The track swings north (at '42') along the Scarp  and provides good views across the Swan Coastal Plain. It then descends steeply to a stream gully and veers NE, starting the climb back up the Scarp. At '44' a side-track heads uphill to the SE. At this point you have an option to ignore this side-track and follow the 'main' track north along the Scarp (via 'ALT') to visit Lions Lookout at the Welshpool Road end of the track (at 'WSHPL'). This will add about 1.3 kms to the return walk distance. After reaching Lions Lookout you have two options:

Option 1:  Take the trail ('Darling Scarp Walk Trail') which leaves from the white gate on the SE side of the Lions Lookout parking area (at 'DE-1'). Follow the trail uphill through very pleasant mixed forest. At 'DE-2 either continue straight ahead to 'DE-3' or turn left to take the narrower side loop trail which rejoins the main trail at 'DE-3'.  Then continue around the top edge of the Scarp reaching the almost flat, laterite plateau surface (at 'DE-4')

Option 2:  Return to '44' from Lions Lookout, then follow the track fairly steeply uphill, passing through some wandoo woodland before again reaching 'DE-4'. 

After 'DE-4', turn left to '45', and continue approx. eastward on the track, passing Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (former Paxwold Girl Guides Camp) on the right just before reaching the west end of Gilchrist Road (at 'CAMP').  Continue east on Gilchrist Road for about 300m and find an unmarked  foot-track which leaves the right hand side of the road (at '47'). -This is not on the 'official' Lions Lookout Trail but is a worthwhile diversion. Follow the track approx. SW to get back to the vehicle track already walked (at waypt '39').  Turn left to follow the track back across the stream gully and back up the hill to the track junction at '38'. Take the track branching sharply off to the right and follow it back down the hill to the stream gully at '50'  (Alternatively you could take an off-track short-cut from near '39' to follow the stream directly to '50' which avoids the 40m climb to '38', but the short-cut passes through some fairly scratchy  heathland.) Follow the track SW down the gully to '51' where there are again views toward the coast.  The track then veers approx. eastward, soon giving good views once again to Victoria Dam. It rejoins (at '36') the lower section of the steep track that was climbed early in the walk. Turn right to follow the track downhill to cross Bickley Brook and then climb to meet a gravelled extension of Hardinge Road (at '54'). Turn right to follow the road about 700m back to the new Start point (via 'NEW-1') at Hardinge Park.