Hiking Kitty’s Gorge Trail, W.A.
TLWR (too long won’t read)? Watch the 4 minute video - Kitty's Gorge Trail, 2 years after it nearly killed me!
👩🦰 Almost 2 years to the day after Aaron and I braved Kitty’s Gorge Trail (and lost), my friend T and I decided to revisit the trail!
WHERE IS KITTY’S GORGE WALK TRAIL?
Kitty’s Gorge Walk Trail is a 16km return hiking track in Western Australia that follows the Serpentine River from Jarrahdale to the Serpentine Falls. You can cut out 2km if you don't walk from Jarrahdale with the short loop of Stacey’s Track. The hiking websites say it’s a level 4 (out of 5) hike suitable for experienced bushwalkers and to allow half a day of hiking (5 hours).
IS KITTY’S GORGE TRAIL A GOOD HIKE?
Along the way you’ll see stunning granite outcrops, a number of waterfalls (at the right time of year) and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views and the chance to see some kangaroos, other wildlife, and wild flowers.
IS KITTY’S GORGE TRAIL HARD?
The track has steep loose sections and uneven ground where you'll have to take your time and have a moderate degree of fitness. I thought I had a moderate degree of fitness until I did this trail and wanted to give up about halfway through both times haha!
HOW TO FIND KITTY’S GORGE TRAIL
You can access the trail either from the carpark opposite the cemetery in Jarrahdale (Atkins Rd), which is where we parked, or from the Serpentine Falls carpark in the Serpentine National Park. Note that the National Park does charge a fee to enter, no dogs are allowed and the carpark fills up quickly in warmer months, so get there early if you plan to start there! There’s plenty of off-road parking at the cemetery entrance, though.
IS HIKING KITTY'S GORGE TRAIL WORTH IT?
While the track is long and at times gruelling, the pay off at the end (well, at the halfway point since you have to turn around and go back the way you came) is spectacular. Almost 2 hrs and nearly 8kms after we set out, we arrived at Serpentine Falls, and it’s just beautiful. Even in the warmer months when it’s quite dry and the falls aren’t as strong, swimming around with the surrounding cliffs towering over you is pretty special. As you can see from the photo below though, the water temperature can be a shock on hot skin haha!
I’ll admit that I would’ve been perfectly happy if the walk ended there. After our quick dip, we turned back the way that we came and set off for the return journey. The return part definitely seems worse, because you’ve already seen it all before and your legs are already really heavy. We kept up a good pace, just trying to get it over and done with but I was reeeeally struggling!
SHOULD YOU HIKE KITTY'S GORGE TRAIL?
It felt like the forest would never end, and every time that we thought we were getting close to the end, it just kept going! 3hrs 50 mins and 15.4kms later, we finally saw the road and it was honestly one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen haha! It’s a huge hike, and I’d love to do it again in the cooler months when the wildflowers are out, perhaps at a slower pace though…If you decide to tackle it, make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes, and long pants that cover your ankles to protect against the spiky plants!
Love you, bye!