Meelup Reserve Trail

4 h to 6 h
2 h to 3 h

14.5 km
return

↑ 241 m
↓ -241 m

Moderate track
Starting from the car park on Hurford Street, Dunsborough, this walk takes you past Curtis Bay, Castle Rock, Castle Bay, Meelup Beach, Point Picquet, and Eagle Bay via the Meelup Reserve Trail. Linking Dunsborough to Eagle Bay, the 7.8km Meelup Reserve Trail leads walkers along the coast to beautiful secluded beaches and impressive granite rock formations. Almost all of the beaches here are well-known, and their crystal clear waters are one of the main reasons for that. Small reefs and rocky outcrops provide good snorkelling opportunities. In spring, there are heaps of wildflowers and animals. Numerous vantage points along the way allow you to view whales, mainly from September to December. There are multiple turn-offs in the first kilometres of the walk that take you to small and relatively secluded beaches. One of the main highlights of the walk is the imposing Castle Rock. Further on the trail lies Castle Bay, with Sail Rock to the west and Castle Rock to the east. Those features combined with the panoramic ocean view makes this place quite picturesque. Have a picnic or a swim, and enjoy the refreshing ambience. From Castle Bay onwards, the beaches are larger; however, there are still some rugged sections that divide up the beaches. Meelup Beach is ideal for swimming due to the bay being protected. There are BBQs, picnic tables under trees and big grassy areas for family picnics as well. Another nice feature of Meelup Beach is that it is also where Meelup Brook runs into the ocean. The track from Meelup to Eagle Bay is relatively a bit more challenging, yet the ocean views get better as you get higher. This section features the only real ascent of the trail, although it isn't very long or difficult. After a downhill wander, stunning Eagle Bay looms in the distance. The trail continues through Reidle Park to the Eagle Bay Carpark, with a well-shaded boardwalk leading down to the beach. This is a fairly easy walk along a mostly flat trail with very little change in elevation. The trail is clear, well maintained and reasonably well signed. There are large panels at the start of the trail and markers all along the way. From Dunsborough, the track to Point Piquet is quite straightforward, but it can get a bit hard to follow after Point Piquet. You can either return to your vehicle via Meelup Reserve Trail, get a cab or do some car shuffling. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
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