Pickering Brook and Perth Observatory Loop

The Pickering Brook and Perth Observatory Loop is a 10.9 km circuit through marri and banksia forest in the Perth Hills at Bickley, roughly 40 minutes from the city. Dogs are welcome on lead, which is rare up here, because most of the surrounding conservation estate is closed to them. The catch is navigation rather than difficulty.

The walk. AllTrails rates it moderate and allows two and a half to three hours. The grade is gentle for most of its length, so the distance is what makes it moderate rather than the climbing. Forest tracks and fire trails throughout, closing as a loop rather than doubling back. Signage is minimal to absent in places, so download the route before you leave the car, because coverage in the gullies is unreliable.

The rules. The loop crosses land managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the City of Kalamunda, and dogs walk it on lead. Two boundaries matter. The neighbouring Bickley Reservoir Walk Trail does not permit dogs, and John Forrest National Park nearby is closed to them outright, so stay on the Pickering Brook loop and do not improvise a connector between trails. Other walkers report loose dogs out here. That is not the rule, and it is a good reason to keep yours close.

Hazards. Snakes are active in the warm months from about October to April, and this is dry sclerophyll country where they sun themselves on the track edge. The route also crosses fire trails and Munda Biddi sections, so expect mountain bikers moving quickly on the shared stretches.

Getting there. A small parking area sits near the junction of Walnut Road and Lockwood Road at Bickley, next to the Observatory. Allow 35 to 45 minutes from the Perth CBD via Kalamunda. Public transport gets you no closer than Kalamunda, which leaves a long walk in, so drive.

Nearby with the dogs. Mason and Bird at Kalamunda takes dogs on the terrace, and the Kalamunda Hotel is the pub option. For another dog-legal hills walk, try the Jorgensen Park Walk Trail or the Lesmurdie Brook Loop.

When to go. March to November, early in the day. Skip the hot months altogether unless you are out at first light. Good for big runners with hills already in their legs.

Sources

• Walk Trails | City of Kalamunda · www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au
• Carmel Walk, Pickering Brook - Trails WA · trailswa.com.au
• Pickering Brook and Perth Observatory Loop - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.