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Ghost House Walk Trail, Yanchep NP

Whadjuk & Yued Noongar Country

Part of Yanchep National Park network

Trail difficulty
Moderate
Trail difficulty

Moderate trail that may have short steep hills, rough surface, many steps or some rock hopping. Directional signage. Some bushwalking experience and moderate fitness required.

  • Length 12.4km
  • Est. time Full day
  • Circuit / loop
Today

18°C

18°

8°

Part of Yanchep National Park network

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Join the trail via the board-walked Wetlands Trail which skirts North Lake and takes you through the wetlands area which is teaming with birdlife. Keep an eye out for the Yanget (bullrush) used by local Noongar people for food.

The Ghost House Walk Trail offers plenty of interest and variety as it passes through tuart forest, banksia woodlands and coastal heath. The trail ends at Cabaret Cave and is a short walk back to the hub of Yanchep where you can stop for a coffee, refreshing drink, or lunch.

One of the drawcards of Yanchep is the koala Boardwalk.  Koalas are fussy eaters and only eat certain types of eucalyptus leaves.  They are not native to Western Australia and Yanchep is one of the few places you can see them.  You'll pass through the koala feed plantation on your way from McNess House to the start of the trail.

Yanchep National Park is a hub of walk trails of varying lengths and difficulty.  After completing your walks, take a guided tour of the caves, visit the koalas or enjoy a barbeque in the park among the kangaroos.

Yanchep Parks and Wildlife Office

(08) 9303 7759

McNess House Visitor Centre

(08) 9303 7759

National Parks

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Flora and Fauna Statistics

260+
Bird species
800+
Flowering plant species
40+
Reptile species

Yanchep National Park features a rich mix of coastal woodlands, pristine wetlands, and limestone cave ecosystems that protect a high diversity of native West Australian wildlife and seasonal wildflowers. Located on the northern Swan Coastal Plain, its distinct landscapes support everything from nomadic bird populations to ancient plant communities. 

The northern and western ends of the Park retain major conservation value and show a range of landscape forms, from tall tuart forests, jarrah and marri forest, lush wetland vegetation surrounded by coastal paperbarks, banksia woodlands and kwongan heath. Distinctive native plants like Balgas (grass trees) and Zamia palms form a core part of the park's ancient understory. Wildflowers are prolific in Spring (August to October), where the forest floor blooms with vibrant native flora, including the iconic red and green Kangaroo Paw (WA's floral emblem), Yanchep rose, wattles and native orchids.

Easy to find, large mobs of Western Grey Kangaroos graze openly on the lawns and golf fairways early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The bushland protects the more shy native species including echidnas, western brush wallabies, and quendas. Over 260 bird species inhabit the park, making it a hotspot for birdwatching. Grebes, swans, pelicans, cormorants, egrets, kingfishers, parrots, wrens and honeyeaters can be found throughout the woodlands and wetlands. Lesser Long-eared and Southern Forest Bats mainly roost in tree hollows, thick vegetation, and small rock crevice. Interestingly, a koala colony was established in the 1930s,  and whilst they are not native to Western Australia, they thrive safely within this managed habitat.



Keep an eye out for these species:

White-faced Heron

Egretta novaehollandiae

Animalia: Aves

Northern Snake-necked Turtle

Chelodina (Macrochelodina) oblonga

Animalia: Reptilia

Moaning Frog

Heleioporus eyrei

Animalia: Amphibia

Yanchep Rose

Diplolaena angustifolia

Plantae: Equisetopsida

Grasstree

Xanthorrhoea preissii

Plantae: Equisetopsida

Tuart

Eucalyptus gomphocephala

Plantae: Equisetopsida

Zamia

Macrozamia fraseri

Plantae: Equisetopsida

Blue Skimmer

Orthetrum caledonicum

Animalia: Insecta

Be trail ready

Here is everything you need to know before visiting this trail.

Time / Duration

5 hours return

Length

12.4km

Fees

Entry fees apply for Yanchep National Park

Trail Access

Road

Trail Start

Wetlands Walk Trail, Yanchep National Park, 51km (45 mins) north of Perth

Get directions

Trail End

When to go

April to October

What’s the weather like?

Bush Walk

Class 3

Moderate trail that may have short steep hills, rough surface, many steps or some rock hopping. Directional signage. Some bushwalking experience and moderate fitness required.

What To Pack

Hazards & Warnings

Please sign in and out at McNess House before heading out on the longer trails.

Prohibited items

Pets are prohibited in National Parks.

Facilities

Hotel and accommodation in Park

  • BBQ Facilities
  • Cafe
  • Picnic Area
  • Public Toilet
  • Shop
  • Visitor Information Centre
More tips for being Trail Ready

Trail information updated
17th July 2026

Today Jul 22, 4:13pm

18°C

Feels like 17°C

Max 18°

Min 8°

Precipitation: 0%

Visibility: 10km

Wind: 4.39km/h SE

8-day forecast

Wed

18°

8°

Thu

17°

13°

Fri

18°

13°

Sat

18°

13°

Sun

19°

16°

Mon

18°

16°

Tue

19°

14°

Wed

19°

15°

Weather data provided by:

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21 trail goers have rated this trail as 3.95 out of 5!

We love to hear from people who've been on our Western Australian trails, so it would be most appreciated it if you wanted to leave a review.

Profile photo for Rachael Howe
Rachael Howe

Reviewed 15 Jul 2026, 12:38pm

Great walk, managed it with 7 kids and frequent stops for snacks. Lots of fungi to spot and wildflowers emerging.
jessica88ball

Reviewed 6 Jul 2026, 3:22pm

Beautiful walk!!
Ended up doing it backwards as I couldn’t find the start point clearly haha but still didn’t end at the start point and managed an extra couple of kms but was worth it!
Charles Lingo

Reviewed 19 Oct 2024, 4:29pm

Not a bad trail, no sharp inclines or declines and the trail varies from wide enough to fot 3/4 people side by side to half a body in width. Lots of scenery especially with some hidden caves and bunkers along the trail. I wasn't expecting a halfway point shelter so it was a pleasant quick break there and then 2 minutes later I made it to the 'Ghost House'. As many people have explained, it's just a shell of its former self which is still photogenic.

I did the trail anti-clockwise which I think was a better experience than doing it the way it was meant to be done.
Sally Famlonga

Reviewed 13 Jul 2024, 7:58pm

Pretty easy trail with lovely bush after some recent rains. Relax with a bevvy at the pub afterwards. Makes for a great lazy weekend.
Laura Woodward

Reviewed 24 Jul 2023, 4:24pm

Beautiful national park. Not too demanding. Beautiful forest
Fiona Crockett

Reviewed 2 Oct 2022, 3:17pm

A great walk in the Spring when the flowers are out! Very well sign posted.
Chelle Fisher

Reviewed 11 Sep 2022, 5:14pm

Love the Ghost House Trail
Lisa Lewis

Reviewed 24 Mar 2022, 7:00pm

Lovely walk and loved the fact there wasn't a lot of foot traffic out there. Unfortunately the signs are ambiguous and not maintained well and I ended up double backing the same way I came so still did 12.5km but missed the whole West side of the trail. I did it in 3hrs 20mins as I ran a lot of it
Elena Niendieker-Hale

Reviewed 1 Nov 2021, 5:27pm

I walked this with my Dad sometime in 2020, we got drizzled on a little bit but had a good time and took some goofy pictures at the ghost house.
We definitely walk briskly but I wouldn't say this is a full day hike, handful of hours at most. Can see some cave openings on the walk where the earth has collapsed, which is pretty neat!
Sue Wilson

Reviewed 3 Oct 2021, 2:28pm

Good walk, lots of wildflowers out. Couple of areas on track that could be better marked for Ghost trail. We ended up in the closed wetlands track and had to back track. Saw lots of birds, could hear the frogs and generally nice walk.
Bush Walker

Reviewed 18 Jul 2021, 8:38am

Walked this trail in mid-July going east->west (counter-clockwise) at a leisurely pace, taking 4hours and 40mins. Kangaroos were out near the beginning of the trail and there was great variety of plants on the trail, something I've rarely encountered in other nature walks near Perth. The foliage was quite lush in parts and there were a number of interesting rocky outcrops to admire. The trail is largely flat with reasonable incline/declines in sections, although mostly firm footing across all (no ball bearing gravel) sections, although there are small protuberant rocks sections at paths, making for tripping hazards if you aren't watching where you are going. As others have mentioned, caves are often just off the path. I'd definitely recommend this walk.
Kai Schweizer

Reviewed 15 Nov 2018, 8:58pm

Definitely takes less time than advertised. A nice walk with some good rock sections and caves just off the path.
Cheridan Riley

Reviewed 25 Jul 2018, 7:10am

The Yanchep National Park has alot to offer for people who are time poor but want to get out in nature and away from suburbia. Nice trail, marked clearly but also maps are available on many online maps, so it was easy to navigate. Birdlife is crazy, listened to so many beautiful songs, shared the path with Kangaroos. Yes the house is only remains, but it is beautiful in its own way. Completed my walk in 2 hours plus 30 min lunch break. It was great to walk and appreciate the types of flora and fuana that are unique for this area of W.A.
Alyssa Tan

Reviewed 27 Sep 2017, 7:51pm

Wildflowers were out when we went in early-September. Narrow trail, flat terrain. The sand made it more challenging which I enjoyed. Not the most scenic trail, but enjoyable all the same.
Sandra Kuhn

Reviewed 4 Jun 2017, 5:50pm

I did the trail today on my own. Was an easy walk with beautiful views. Will definitely recommend it.
Georgia Villaflor

Reviewed 17 Oct 2016, 9:56am

Completed this trail on the weekend and I would have to say it surprised me. The trail is quiet narrow and over grown in parts and gives you a real sense of bush walking. I really like a difference in terrain when walking for long distances and this trail was great for that. There were also animals everywhere and in two instances almost stepping on two blue tongues who were taking a nap in the sun in the middle of the trail . The "ghost house" is so non existent you'll miss it if you blink but the trail alone was worth it. Really good day out.
Emma Adams

Reviewed 7 Jul 2016, 4:53pm

The walk is nice and not difficult. Yanchep NP is a nice little day trip, but other trails around Perth are better. Still, I always enjoy seeing new places, and walking through the koala area (not on the trail) was fun. As others have said, the ghost house is not anything special, so don't go just for that!
Jane Darling

Reviewed 3 Jul 2016, 3:30pm

The swamp is pretty but the walk is pretty meh.

I didn't rate it.
steve bennett

Reviewed 24 Aug 2015, 8:43am

A great trail, close to Perth and views over the lake. Finish at the inn for lunch.
Linda Hughes

Reviewed 28 Jul 2014, 10:34am

We did the trail in at the end of July 2014 and found it to be an easy pleasant experience. The "Ghost House" is only the skeleton of a building so don't expect much but we were pleasantly surprised by the halway point shelter , picnic area and rainwater tank which was very useful to refill water supply
Pat Hardie

Reviewed 7 Jul 2014, 4:54pm

The trail is relatively easy going. It winds through the bush of Yanchep National Park and though there are hills and some sandy parts there is nothing that will leave you out of breath. We did it in July so had pleasant temperatures and lots of greenery throughout. Though not lots of sweeping views it is a nice trek through native bush where you will come across different terrain, fauna and flora as well as a limestone cliff/cave. The route is well sign posted and ends near the Yanchep Inn where good food and refreshments are available. A good place to put your feet up for a hard earned pint.

Don't however expect the \u201cGhost House\u201d to be any thing of the sort. If the remains you come across were ever a house then the ghost would have got bored and floated off by now. It is more of a platform with 1 remaining wall with a doorway. Even the most creative of imaginations would struggle to come up with a haunting story here.

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