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Lake Thetis Loop Trail, Cervantes Lake Thetis Loop Trail, Cervantes

Bush Walk  in Coral Coast

  • 1-3 hours
  • 1.5 km
    • Bush Walk Grade 2

      No bushwalking experience required. The track is a hardened or compacted surface and may have a gentle hill section or sections and occasional steps. Walks no greater than 10km. Suitable for families with young children.

Lake Thetis Loop Trail is an easy, 1.5km walk around the shores of Lake Thetis. It is one of only a few places in the world with living marine thrombolites, or ‘Living fossils’. The first 300m of boardwalk, which passes the best examples of thrombolites in the lake, is universally accessible.

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Trails WA supports the seven principles recommended by Leave No Trace Australia for minimising your impacts when using the trails.

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Enjoy an easy 1.5km loop walk around Lake Thetis and gain an insight into what life was like at the dawn of time.

Like the famous stromatolites of Hamelin Pool, in Shark Bay, these rock-like structures on the edge of Lake Thetis are built by micro-organisms too small for the human eye to see. Within the structures are living communities of diverse inhabitants with population densities of 3000 per square metre!

The thrombolite-building micro-organisms of Lake Thetis resemble the earliest forms of life on Earth. The discovery of modern examples helped scientists to understand the significance of micro-organisms in the environment and unravel the long history of life on Earth. Today living examples of these once completely dominant organisms are restricted to only a few places.

Pinnacles Visitor Centre

(08) 9652 7700

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Be trail ready for Lake Thetis Loop Trail, Cervantes

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

Time / Duration

Up to 1 hour

Length

1.5km loop

What To Pack

Group A (Urban trails or short trails near facilities) required.

Trail Start

Just off Hansen Bay Rd, 1km from Cervantes town centre. 3 hours drive north from Perth.

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Trail End

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Bush Walk

Grade 2

No bushwalking experience required. The track is a hardened or compacted surface and may have a gentle hill section or sections and occasional steps. Walks no greater than 10km. Suitable for families with young children.

Visit Trail Tips for further information.

Facilities

The first 300m of boardwalk is universally accessible.
  • Car Park

Best time of year

November to March when the stromatolites are easily accessible because the water level is at its lowest.

Trail Access

Road or bus to Cervantes. 1km from Cervantes town centre.

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1 trail goers have rated Lake Thetis Loop Trail, Cervantes as 3 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.

Chelle Fisher

Reviewed 11 Sep 2022, 9:44am

Visited many times bringing people from overseas to see one of only a few places in the world with living marine thrombolites, or ‘Living fossils’.

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Trails are free and bring so many benefits to our community by providing opportunities to have fun, get fit, socialise, explore and challenge yourself. But they also have to be managed and maintained which only is made possible through terrific sponsors, donations and/or volunteering.

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