Perth Escapes: Shannon National Park

This national park, around five hours’ drive from Perth in the lower south-west of WA, is part of the larger Walpole Wilderness Area and sprawls across the Shannon River basin.

The park is relatively new, having been gazetted as a national park in 1988. Before this, ‘The Shannon’, as it is colloquially known, was a former logging area, but even that was only recent in terms of European history in Australia – with a severe timber shortage to address following World War II, the WA state government was desperate to find new sources.

The Shannon area’s rugged terrain (a mix of wetlands, heathlands and steep hills) meant it was deemed inaccessible – or, only at great time and cost – but the desperate need for timber soon saw that change and, by the late 1940s, timber cutting had begun, with a mill built in what is the northern section of the park. A town farther south was also built to house the workers and their families.

Again, it is the mighty karri tree that dominates the park, but visitors will also find stands of jarrah, paperbark and blackbutt scattered around the area. The park is a definite must-visit for those keen on checking out the various tall timbers, but there’s plenty more to do here as well including a number of bushwalks, canoeing in the Shannon River, and the 50km Great Forest Trees Drive.

This dirt-road route kicks off just north of the South Western Highway from the park’s day-use area and takes visitors on a winding journey through the wildly varied landscape that is contained within the park, before it reaches Shannon campground (the location of the former township).

From old- and new-growth karri and jarrah, the track traverses heathland, vast sedgelands and areas dotted with rugged granite outcrops. WA National Parks has installed a number of signposted information stops along the drive, and there are plenty of stopping points to access views of the park.

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Highlights in the northern part of the drive include Shannon Dam and Shannon River, both great locations for canoeing and bird-spotting. The dam was originally built to service the mill and town of Shannon and as assurance of water supply in times of drought. The dam is also the start-point for some of the park’s bushwalks (more later).

From Shannon Dam, the drive continues south taking you to the excellent Snake Gully Lookout and then on to Big Tree Grove where – you guessed it – you can gawk at the amazing height of the karri trees. Then, it is on to the campground.

Shannon NP’s campground has just been upgraded and now has more than 60 campsites, suitable for everything from tents through to big caravans. Amenities are impressive with hot showers, gas barbecues and upgraded walking tracks nearby.

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It’s a far cry from the 90-house township that was once here; the houses circled a communal area and the town included a butcher, baker, post office, school and church, among other amenities and services.

Running water was non-existent back then, as was electricity after midnight, but the township trundled along happily until the mill’s closure in 1968. The surrounding forests were logged for a further 15 years, until 1983, after the town’s houses were sold off and removed from the area, before the eventual gazetting (as mentioned) of the park (there are still some remnants – introduced trees, house footings – dotted around the campground).

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Besides paddling the dam, the other popular outdoor activity in this park is bushwalking. The Rocks Walk Trail, at 5.5km, is a cracker, with the undulating path taking you through the ubiquitous stands of karri, as well as across small creeks and onto the track’s highest point, the boardwalked Mokares Rock, a granite outcrop that supplies expansive over-forest views. Other tracks include sections of the Bibbulmun Track (WA’s long-distance trail), the Shannon Dam Trail (3.5km) and the aptly-named Great Forest Trees Walk (are you sensing a theme yet?).

It’s a lesser-known park, but for those keen to check out some of WA’s more recent history, as well as the still-wild landscape, Shannon NP is well worth a weekend.

Park location

• 53km South-East of Manjimup

Park activities

• Canoeing and kayaking
• Bushwalking

Park facilities

• Info shelter
• Toilet
• Barbecue