King Jarrah Walk Trail, Lane Poole, Dwellingup (Top trail)

Really nice hike in the first section from the trail head to King Jarrah going from the West. At the King Jarrah it is not clear you should turn right (there is no trail marker), and that trail section until is currently very overgrown and feels similar to bush bashing nearly unfortunately. The second half of the hike is mainly along the munda biddi and partly on roads which is not a great hiking experience honestly.

Tried this on Friday morning after heavy rain the previous evening. Started clockwise and the first half that follows 4WD access tracks was pleasant with early morning mist and occasional glimpses of the river. Just after the trail joins the Captain Fawcett track I reached the second \u201cstart\u201d point where the trail transitions to single track.

Unfortunately the undergrowth is overhanging the trail and within 100m I was soaked through due to the water still on the undergrowth from the previous evenings rain. Rather than pushing on and spending the next few hours pushing through wet brush I returned via the 4wd trail, falling just short of reaching the king jarrah.

I would not recommend this trail if the weather/vegetation is damp, it's too overgrown (at least from the far end). long sleeved shirts and pants are also recommended to avoid too many scratches from the vegetation.

Could do with a little clearing.

WOW! Is all I kept saying to myself for the first few hours. This trail is amazing! I LOVE IT!

I went on a hot day, 35C, in January 2021. Not sure when the last bush fire was, but the trail was bursting with green and life. I saw an echidna (who didn't seem to care at all about my presence), and emu, loads of kangaroos, lots of birds. The landscape forever changed, from sparsely forested, to tight, tight, tight, to steep to flat. I hung out with a 300 year old tree, not a bad sort, taught me a lot about my silly behaviour and rushing around, then I rushed off.

The only reason I don't give this a 5 star is it's only the East side, the steep foot path bit around King Jarrah, that I thought was extraordinary. The rest of it is still AMAZING but the trail is on a vehicle road, so is wide and not a hiking specific trail. It just feel different. The bush was still amazing, the views were still great, but it feels so much nicer being on a tiny winding trail through the bush than a wide cleared space. Again, honestly, even that part is great, the forrest here is such a uniquely WA experience.

Enjoy. Oh and when you're on the wide trail, listen out for a running creek and see if you can get to it through the bush. It's only about 30cm deep in the summer but a great spot for a swim and cool off. Also, if heading in the summer I would recommend the mornings, wrapping up in the East bit (heading clockwise from Nanga) as that way you'll be in the cool of the forrest by the time you're done.

Also, it took me about 6 hours but I did it really slowly for my health and fitness. I'm 35 and strong as an ox, but I had quite a few long sits along the way.

Say hi to the King.

Really enjoyed the trail.
Went yesterday (March 25, 2018) on an unseasonably cool, overcast day and completed in 4.5 hrs with a 30 min lunch stop. I'll go slower next time as I know what to expect and hopefully in wildflower season.
I also went anticlockwise and got the climb out of the way first. The entire track was dry so no issue with slipping and sliding in mud. The down hill after the King Jarrah tree was super steep and a bit slippery.
Trail was in good shape, one section has a tree down but there are pink tapes tied to trees to re-orientate you to the trail. Some overgrown segments.
Trailmarkers- 20 of the green and white ones (heaps of yellow and black hiking person ones as well).
Really enjoyed the bush and trees, got down to the Murray. Lots of blackberries!
Saw absolutely no one else, not a single vehicle either.
Recommended.

Completed in just under 4.5hrs (5/July/2015). Weather was good for trail walk like this, nice and cool. Luckily no rain. I wouldn't take this on in Summer.
Probably do-able in under 4 hours if you don't stop to enjoy the scenery and help lost 4WDs.
Take note of the Grade 4 rating. The Western side of the track is rather steep at the North and South ends. The The valleys into Christmas brook and Dawn Creek are steep too but not as bad.
I had intended to walk the East side first as a warm up, then tackle the Western side. I'm glad I didn't. The ascent from Nanga Mill onto the first plateau is 170m and the inclination is murder. However, once you've done that the worst climb is out of the way.
The Western side is far more appealing imo as it's just a thin walk trail. Easily definable, and travelling through some amazing scenery. Very lush and green. Plenty of birds and some amazing fungi at this time of year.
Luckily I had no rain but the decent into Big Brook is slippery and slow going, Add some rain and it would be a tad dangerous.
Eastern side is flat compared with West side. It's rather dull too, basically a single lane 4WD track. Rather muddy after recent rains. Some worthwhile rest points when the road nears the Murray River that have some amazing watery scenery.

Overall: Expect a challenge. Do in Winter when cooler and brooks/creeks are flowing.
Again?: Yes, but only with another person(s). Definitely West then East