Rising above the Swan River on the city's western flank, the 400-hectare bush-filled expanse of Kings Park is Perth's pride and joy. At the park's heart is the 17-hectare Botanic Garden, containing over 2000 plant species indigenous to WA. In spring there's an impressive display of the state's famed wildflowers. A year-round highlight is the Lotterywest Federation Walkway , a 620m path including a 222m-long, glass-and-steel bridge that passes through the canopy of a stand of eucalypts.
The main road leading into the park, Fraser Ave, is lined with towering lemon-scented gums that are dramatically lit at night. At its culmination are the State War Memorial, a cafe, a gift shop, Fraser's restaurant and the Kings Park Visitor Centre. Free guided walks leave from here.
It's a good spot for a picnic or to let the kids off the leash in one of the playgrounds. Its numerous tracks are popular with walkers and joggers all year round, with an ascent of the steep stairs from the river rewarded with wonderful views from the top.
The Noongar people knew this area as Kaarta Gar-up and used it for thousands of years for hunting, food gathering, ceremonies, teaching and tool-making. A freshwater spring at the base of the escarpment, now known as Kennedy Fountain but before that as Goonininup, was a home of the Wargal, mystical snake-like creatures that created the Swan River and other waterways.
To get here take bus 37 (39 on weekends), heading west along St Georges Tce (S-stand), to the visitor centre. You can also walk up (steep) Mount St from the city or climb Jacob's Ladder from Mounts Bay Rd, near the Adelphi Hotel.
