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Pedal through the Most Scenic Bike Trails in Perth
- Enjoy a relaxing cycling session at Kings Park and Botanic Garden
- Explore the historic port city of Fremantle
- Feel the sea breeze as you pedal through Cottesloe Beach
- Start the day off with a quick cycle around Herdsman Lake
- Cycle beside the majestic Swan River with the Swan River Loop
- Reconnect with nature at the bushlands of Whiteman Park
- Enjoy a quiet cycling adventure at Burns Beach
- Challenge your cycling skills with the Munda Biddi Bike Trail
Cycling isn’t only an effective workout; it’s also a great way for us to explore the beauty of Perth. Thankfully, according to a report by The West Australian, Perth has
been ranked as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.
This is thanks to the extensive infrastructure the city has developed for biking. Perth’s calm climate has also made it very easy for cyclists to pedal around the city on most days.
Let’s see which places in the city are the best for your cycling adventures.
Enjoy a relaxing cycling session at Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Website: https://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kings-park
Address: Fraser Ave, Perth WA 6005, Australia
Contact details: +61 8 9480 3600
You don’t need to travel far to experience one of the best bike trails in Perth. Located west of the Perth CBD, the 400-hectare Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the largest green spaces in the middle of the city.
It’s always lively in the park no matter what time of day it is. To avoid any accidents occurring, the park’s management has constructed special lanes and paths dedicated to bicycle traffic only.
If you’re curious about which paths bicycles are allowed on, check out their handy bike trail map here.
You won’t have a dull moment while cycling throughout the park. It has many attractions you can check out between your cycling sessions, like Lotterywest Federation Walkway, the DNA Tower, and Synergy Parkland.
If you need a break, there are a couple of cafes inside the park where you can take a quick breather.
Brought your own lunch? Then the State War Memorial can provide you with the peace and quiet you need to eat your meal.
Bike racks are spread throughout the park, so feel free to park your bicycle if you’re interested in visiting areas where bikes aren’t allowed.
Pro tip: If you don’t have your own bike, the park has an automated bicycle rental shop located at the Wadjuk Carpark.
Explore the historic port city of Fremantle
Recommended route:
Freo is one of the best cities in Perth to bike around thanks to its extensive network of bike lanes and shared bicycle paths. As one of Perth’s oldest cities, it definitely has a lot of attractions that you can check out during your cycling here.
Some must-visit places in Fremantle include Fremantle Prison, the WA Maritime Museum, the WA Shipwrecks Museum, and Fremantle Markets. The city’s tourism board has its own recommended bike trail which you’ll find here.
It covers all of the attractions I’ve mentioned earlier and some more, like the Round House.
If you’ve already checked all these places out and want to experience a quieter bike trail, then let me recommend to you a route I use which takes me from the WA Maritime Museum to Point Walter Reserve.
It’s a pretty straightforward route that lets you avoid most of Fremantle’s car and pedestrian traffic. You only need to follow the bike lanes of Peter Hughes Drive, Riverside Road, and Blackwall Reach Parade to complete your journey.
It’s a fairly short bike ride, as it will only take you half an hour to complete this 8.4-kilometre bike trail.
Pro tip: You can rent a bike for free in Fremantle thanks to the Free Wheeling Fremantle Initiative, which aims to make biking more accessible for everyone.
It’s a bike rental service that only requires customers to pay a deposit to rent one of their bikes. The deposit will be refunded once the bicycle has been given back to them.
Feel the sea breeze as you pedal through Cottesloe Beach
Recommended route:
Perth’s long coastline offers scenic bike trails. You can find some in Cottesloe Beach.
This beach has bike lanes for cycling both to the north and south.
My recommended trail is the one that will take you from Cottesloe Beach to Leighton Beach in the south.
A reason for that is most of this bike trail is on dedicated bicycle lanes, with only a few sections on shared lanes. You’ll have an easier time cycling when you don’t need to worry too much about vehicles.
Your total journey is fairly short, as the total distance between these two beaches is only four kilometres. Bring swimming clothes with you so you can reward yourself with a quick splash in the ocean after biking.
The route also has picnic areas, barbeque spots, and restrooms, so this bike trail is certainly something you can enjoy with your friends and family.
Pro tip: The best time to visit this bike trail is in the late afternoon because the sunset is an amazing view you definitely shouldn’t miss.
It’s also the time when the coastal area will be cooler thanks to the afternoon sea breeze known as the Fremantle Doctor.
Start the day off with a quick cycle around Herdsman Lake
Recommended route:
If you’re someone who only recently started to bike, you might find elevated slopes and heavy traffic a tricky environment to bike around. Thankfully, the bike trail in Herdsman Lake, located north-west of the Perth CBD, doesn’t have these.
What makes this trail very friendly to beginners is its flat terrain and lack of vehicular traffic. You also won’t find it difficult to navigate here because you only need to ride around the lake’s perimeter.
You will also have a beautiful view of Herdsman Lake throughout your biking session. Surrounded by the park’s wild animals and tall trees, you’ll certainly have a scenic and peaceful ride here.
Completing this 7-kilometre trail will only take you half an hour at most. Most bicycle types can safely run through this trail because the paths are partially paved.
Pro tip: The park can get muddy and wet after periods of heavy rain. Make sure to wear appropriate footwear and use bikes with good traction during the rainy season.
Cycle beside the majestic Swan River with the Swan River Loop
Recommended route:
Another awesome scene you can savour while biking around Perth is the Swan River. Our next bike trail will take us right beside this river as we bike on its banks and two of Perth’s major bridges.
The 10.2-kilometre Swan River Loop is another bike trail suitable for kids and novice bikers, as most of it runs on flat terrain with only a single hill near Narrows Bridge.
The best thing about this bike trail is the many attractions you’ll come across on your trip. Some tourist destinations you can check out are Elizabeth Quay, the Old Mill, and Mends Street Jetty.
You’re free to choose any starting point because this bike trail is a loop. However, my recommended location is Elizabeth Quay, and from there, pedal your way to Point Fraser.
Then, cross to South Perth via the Causeway Bridge. There are many restaurants and cafes lined up near Mends Street Jetty, so feel free to take a break here.
To complete the loop, make your way to the Old Mill and then bike across the Narrows Bridge to go back to Elizabeth Quay.
Pro tip: Heirisson Island, the land below Causeway Bridge, is a kangaroo sanctuary. It may be a good idea to stop here before crossing over the bridge to South Perth and come see the kangaroos in action.
Reconnect with nature at the bushlands of Whiteman Park
Website: https://www.whitemanpark.com.au/
Address: 233 Drumpellier Drive formerly, 99 Lord Street, Whiteman WA 6068, Australia
Contact details: +61 8 9209 6000
Operating hours: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM (MON-SUN)
There are still many places around Perth where you can bike surrounded by nature. One such example is the bushlands of Whiteman Park, located north-east of the Perth CBD.
Whiteman Park is a conservation reserve for much of the local wildlife. Most of its paths are unpaved, so I strongly recommend that you use a mountain bike for traversing its bike trails.
The park is filled with different bike paths and trails. We’re going to take an entire day if we discuss them in detail, so it’s best that you check out their handy bike travel guide here.
You won’t have a dull moment while cycling in Whiteman Park. As a conservation centre, it’s a nature space full of different species of reptiles, mammals, and birds.
It also has museums that you can check out between your cycling sessions. I recommend you visit the Motor Museum of WA, the Revolutions Transport Museum, and the Tractor Museum.
Pro tip: Whiteman Park experiences bushfires from time to time, especially during bushfire season, which is between the months of November and April.
Make sure to regularly check their website during these months to learn in advance if some areas of the park are affected by bushfires.
Enjoy a quiet cycling adventure at Burns Beach
Recommended route:
Is Cottesloe Beach too populated and noisy for you? Don’t worry because the bike trail from Burns Beach to Mullaloo Beach is quieter and far from any major roads, so you can relax your senses there more.
This 7-kilometre trail may be a bit challenging for novice bikers because they’ll encounter some hills along the way. However, the quiet atmosphere and the numerous lookouts you can stop by along the way make the challenge worth it.
My preferred starting point for this trail is Burns Beach Foreshore Lookout. From here, you only need to follow a simple bike trail which will take you to many other awesome locations like Iluka Beach and Ocean Reef Boat Harbour.
However, please take note that you’ll be sharing the trail with pedestrians. Make sure to have your finger ready on the bicycle bell to give them adequate time to move out of your way.
Drinking fountains and restrooms are available along the way, so you won’t need to prepare anything special for your bike trip. There are also picnic spots and barbeque pits along the way if you’re interested in having a picnic with your friends.
Pro tip: It’s recommended that you wash down your bicycle when you arrive home after a lengthy beachside bike trip. This is to prevent your bicycle from suffering from corrosion due to the salty air from the beach.
Challenge your cycling skills with the Munda Biddi Bike Trail
Recommended route:
Looking to take on the ultimate cycling challenge? Then try out the Munda Biddi Bike Trail, an off-road trail spanning more than 600 kilometres that starts at Mundaring and ends at Albany.
This bike trail will take you across many towns as you pedal your way through varying paths, from bush tracks to disused railway tracks in the forests south-east of Perth.
The distance between each town and campsite is several kilometres long. Make sure you bring enough bottled water and packed food to keep you energised throughout your journey.
If a very long cycling trip isn’t your thing, it’s okay to cycle only through certain parts of this bike trail.
Some parts I recommend, especially for beginners, are the 8-kilometre trail from Mundaring Sculpture Park to Mundaring Weir and the 5-kilometre trail from Marrinup to Dwellingup.
The organisation responsible for maintaining the trail, the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, sells trail maps that you can use to traverse this trail better. You can check it out here.
Pro tip: The Munda Biddi Trail Foundation website has an online ride planner that you can use to pre-plan your cycling trip in detail. It contains useful information like the average elevation for each section of the trail and more.
