Lions Lookout Walk trail
Korung National Park
Directions - Lions Lookout is located just off Welshpool Road East as you drive up into the Lesmurdie Area. From Roe Highway, take the Welshpool Road East turn off and drive east as you start to ascend. The right turn for Lions Lookout is between the Crystal Brook Road turn and the BP Service Station and the walk trail starts on the southern side of the car park.
The Hike - Continuing a bit of a theme for my hiking in 2022, I have been strategically targeting certain trails to refresh the pictures and provide a new perspective on old favourites. Lions Lookout wasn't on the initial list when I started planning out my to-hike list for the hiking season during the summer but with the old page (that you can view here) lacking detail and not truly showcasing the trail very well, I decided to pay it a visit when dropping off some postcards to the Trails Hub Café at the old Kalamunda Camel Farm (you can purchase one of the six designs there if you're interested).
My previous visit here had been in the winter of 2015 with a few old friends as part of a Lions Lookout/Stahams Quarry dual adventure. Not taking many photos and only writing a couple of paragraphs, my lasting memory of this hike was some lovely Pixie Mops and my friend Robert's magnificent ginger beard. As I'm getting older and these adventures get further in the past, sometimes returning can feel like a whole new trail. This actually worked well for this visit because for some reason, I didn't think this would be a good trail experience thanks to the trail being on old vehicle tracks for the whole loop. I had forgotten about certain sections that provided some spectacular views and having developed a much keener interest in the wildflowers of Western Australia, this would be a much more interesting time for me. Visiting Michelle and dropping off my postcards first, I purchased some Hummingbird Cake for after dinner and drove out to the Lions Lookout car park that people mostly use as a spot to watch the sunset. It was fairly busy for being a few hours from sunset with a few people wandering around the grassed area.
Given it was a wet and cold afternoon in Makuru, I wasn't going to need my backpack so took a lengthy drink before grabbing my camera and set off to find the start. A gobbled up Shire of Kalamunda trail marker indicated the path was along the vehicle track leading away from the car park and this was confirmed a bit later on by another marker. The route you will follow is a short out and back section that connects up to a loop, which you can follow in any direction. Last time we did it clockwise and I remember the steeper sections being downhills so decided to go anti-clockwise this time to make it easier. I was impressed with the wildflowers along the linking trail with Hovea, Foxtails, Wattle, a Silky-leaved Blood Flower, Honey Bush and the white Woolly-flowered Grevillea with different coloured tips that looked pretty funky. There is no denying that wildflower season makes a walk much better but I wasn't expecting to see this much so soon. Continuing along the old vehicle track, there is an open spot where it runs between a couple of granite outcrops and this provides the first of many locations where you get sweeping views overlooking the Swan Coastal Plain towards the Perth CBD.
While it seems to be a drawcard for most people, I've never really found the view from the Darling Scarp looking west particularly nice as it's just a flat space filled in by industrial wasteland for the most part. Having worked from home since March 2020, I have no desire to head back to the clump of buildings that you can see in the distance so that's also a factor. What I was looking forward to was the possibility of spotting some Winter Donkey Orchids that I had seen some of my favourite wildflower accounts showcasing on the Instagram. Continuing along, I reached the end of the linking trail and had to decide which way I wanted to hike the loop section. As previously mentioned, I decided anti-clockwise and this turned out to be the most correct decision. From the intersection, you head downhill for a while, dropping about 50m in elevation and coming across a lovely stretch of Wandoo. I love seeing their golden trunks and with the exposed western side of the trail replaced with a hill, it felt like you were hidden away from the world. The wildflower finds continued with more Woolly-flowered Grevillea and I even found what looks to be an Earthstar fungi hiding away in the undergrowth.
The downhill lasts for 500m and during that time the rains decided they would come and make me a little moist. Having not brought anything other than my camera, I was fortunate that it was just a passing sprinkle and I had some protection under the canopy of the nearby Wandoo trees. Reaching another trail junction, I followed the light blue markers as they pointed me up the hill and towards an area I remember as having some steep parts that required some butt-scooting by the girls. Hiking them uphill meant no butt-scooting for me and in the end they weren't as bad as I remember. While the landscape looked a little bare compared to the valley, there were some exciting finds in the nearby undergrowth thanks to a Fuchsia Grevillea and some Hibbertia. Looking back there were some nice views opening up but I was loving the scenery ahead thanks to a lot of Balgas making up the bulk of the undergrowth. As I wandered along, scanning the sides of the trail, I let out a little squee as I spotted the Winter Donkey Orchids I had been hoping to find. While not uncommon, the Donkey Orchid varieties are one of my favourite orchids so seeing my first one of the season was wonderful.
It was a decent sized clumping too with at least half a dozen scattered in the well concealed spot on the edge of the trail. Buoyed by the find, I continued along as the climb started to flatten out and reaches the southern most point. With the open landscape, there were views looking to the south and the Swan Coastal Plain was once again visible to the west. As the trail swings to the east, I was enjoying the scene looking towards the Bickley Brook Valley and further where Victoria Dam is located. That area has huge potential for trails and from this vantage point, it almost looks untouched, a rarity for the western flanks of the Darling Scarp. This was my favourite part of the walk and it was helped by some clearer skies to the east that made the photos look much better. Slowing right down here, I was taking many photos and enjoying spotting some new wildflowers including what I think is a Showy Dryandra and some Devils Pins (the purple Hovea variety). I'm not sure what happened to all the trees around here but the openness wasn't entirely unpleasant as it really opened up the views looking down the valley and up to the hills that the trail will eventually take you to.
There was small clumping of tree cover to provide some variety and the birds really loved this spot. Unfortunately I didn't get a clear photo of the 28s as they flew away but making up for that were some new wildflower varieties that seemingly never ended. This time it was a small white bell shaped flower and some Scented Banjine, along with some Drosera vines that were looking a treat after the light sprinkle before. Reaching the edge of a small valley that must contain a small water course that feeds into Bickley Brook, there were some stunning views looking across to the exposed granite and the healthier looking forest. Reminding me of standing on the side of a hill at Bobakine Nature Reserve and peering across to see the exposed trunks and crowns of the distant Wandoo trees, it was an impressive sight that was a highlight of this walk. From this elevated position you can also see down towards Bickley Reservoir, which looks much better from here than when you are right next to it. Heading north east from here, you start the final climb of the loop section that leads towards the forest and from the top you get some parting views overlooking the Swan Coastal Plain. With clearer skies I could spot the giraffes of Fremantle Port, the industrial stacks of Kwinana and of course, the Perth CBD.
Happy to be entering the forest, the initial section is full of Wandoo before transitioning to more traditional Jarrah as you head inland. Winding along the vehicle track, I was feeling at peace as I stopped frequently to photograph the character trees that can be found along here, along with spotting more wildflowers (a Hakea variety and a Hairy Jugflower). I was impressed with the amount of Balgas and Zamias through here as I approached the edge of the Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. I could hear the sounds of Black Cockatoos in the distance but I knew they were the ones at Kanyana so wasn't expecting any photos. If you get a chance then Kanyana do some great tours that help out with their funding and it's a chance to get up close with some of our native fauna. Kanyana marks the eastern part of the loop and from there you take a couple of turns and start heading back to linking trail. The Jarrah Forest through here contained some interesting looking trees, showing what can happen when you don't constantly log them. Moving at a gentle pace, I was happy to see some Parrot Bush, a plant I've grown to love over my years in the Jarrah Forests as their flowers are quite photogenic.
Reaching the downhill section that takes you back to the start, the Wandoo started to appear again, marking an exit to the forest. With the sun now breaking through the clouds to the west, this was a pretty magical spot. Wandoo looks lovely in the cloudiest of circumstances but with some afternoon sunshine, they have a wonderful glow to them. As I descended down, I stopped every couple of steps to photograph a new angle or to enjoy the spectacular view. This is a spot I remember from my first visit here as it was a nice reward for climbing up the hill. The mature Wandoo trees here really highlight how great the WA forests can be if they are left alone and the birds were certainly enjoying having a wide canopy to explore. Making my way down the hill, you descend into the tree cover and the views disappear. It isn't long until you reach the intersection of the loop and the linking trail so with nothing left to do but enjoy the walk back to the car, I did just that. I spotted a Winter Donkey Orchid I missed on the walk out and with the golden hour lighting shining strong, this was a fantastic way to finish what was an enjoyable return to Lions Lookout.
Final Thoughts – Lions Lookout is a popular spot for watching the sunset but if you want a better location then making the effort to walk the loop trail will provide a much better vantage point.
Add in the wildflower display from winter through to late spring and this is a great option for when you just want a short walk.
It may be on old vehicle tracks like most of the Shire of Kalamunda walks but without them we wouldn't really have a trail supply in the Perth Hills.
I'm happy I returned when I did and it was certainly a better experience than I remember.
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