Arrivals & Departures Top 5 trails: Family friendly walking in the Great Southern

The Great Southern offers great family-friendly walks with plenty of diversity, from towering karri forests to wild coastlines.

Trails WA has suggested its top-five picks for Great Southern walks from Albany to Denmark.

Luke Pen Walk, Albany

This half-day 9km walk views over the Kalgan River, vineyards, grassy paddocks and bush land. Kids will enjoy playing at the river’s edge, and there's a beautiful kingfisher sculpture-shelter on the trail.

Ellen Cove to Albany Port 

While more of an urban walk, this trail by no means lacks in the nature department. The 6km grade-one bitumen and boardwalk trail starts at Ellen Cove and ends at Albany Port. It passes Middleton Beach and has views over King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour. From June to September, there's also the chance to sport migrating whales.

The Blowholes, Torndirrup National Park

This short, 1.6km walk has 78 steps and will reward you with one of nature’s best shows. The trail leads to the blowholes, where water is forced up into a crackline in the granite, producing a spray and loud noises during big swells.    

Mokare Heritage Trail, Denmark 

This 3km loop allows visitors to Denmark to explore the river bank. The flat trail provides great views, bird watching and wildflower spotting.

Stony Hill Heritage Trail, Torndirrup National Park

Reach the highest point in the Torndirrup National Park by climbing this 500m trail, which will reward you with 360-degree views of Albany, King George Sound, Eclipse Island, West Cape Howe National Park and the Porongurup and Stirling Range national parks. 

(Picture at top of Middleton Beach by Tourism WA.)

Fact File

• For maps, further details and opportunity to rate these trails, visit trailswa.com.au.