Forrestdale Lake Trail, Forrestdale

This six kilometre circuit is an easy self guided trail - grab a copy of the free Armadale Walks and Trails booklet from the Perth Hills Armadale Visitor Centre. The lake has some interesting history which you can read about on several plaques near the viewing platform and there are information boards to assist with wildlife identifcation located near the Moore Street parking area. Take a stroll with some binoculars and be amazed by the birdlife here.

Previously known as Jandakot Lake, the lake is a crucial wetland of the Swan Coastal Plain and adds to important wildlife corridors, particularly for birdlife. In 1974 it was listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international significance for migratory birds and renamed Forrestdale Lake. The lake and adjoining bushland provide shelter and nesting places for up to 72 waterbird and 74 'bush' bird species, 7 species of frogs, 15 species of reptiles, and marsupials and mammals (with some of these birds travelling annually from as far away as Siberia).

The area was originally called East Jandakot but was renamed Forrestdale in April 1915. The Lake Jandakot Sailing Club, formed in 1957 with the support of the Armadale Rotary Club and the Armadale-Kelmscott Road Board, sailed the lake however the club was closed in 1964 when the lake became too dry for sailing.

There is a large section of the trail, from Broome Street to the Commercial Road bollards, suitable for wheelchairs and prams.