Jarrah forest and granite slopes in the Perth Hills

Overview

Korung National Park sits in the Perth Hills on the south-eastern side of Perth, around Canning Mills, Pickering Brook and Karragullen. It protects a sizeable stretch of upland bushland close to the city, where jarrah forest, sheoak and mixed woodland spread across ridges, valleys and rocky slopes. That setting gives the park a very different feel from the coastal plain below, with steeper country, denser forest and broad views across the hills.

The park was formerly known as Pickering Brook National Park before being renamed Korung in 2008. Today it remains one of the larger protected bushland areas within easy reach of Perth, and an important part of the chain of reserves that keeps native habitat intact through the Darling Range.

Highlights

The draw here is the character of the landscape itself. Korung is a park of forested hills, granite outcrops, creek lines and long ridges, with changing views depending on the season and the light. In winter and spring the slopes are greener and the valleys feel cooler and more enclosed, while the drier months bring out the open structure of the jarrah country and the warm colours of rock, bark and leaf litter.

Because the park lies in elevated country above the coastal plain, it has a strong sense of relief that is unusual so close to Perth. Scenic lookouts and high points reveal the fold and fall of the hills, while quieter sections are defined by gullies, mixed forest and the sense of moving through older, intact bushland.

Best Time to Visit

The most rewarding months are usually late winter through spring, when the forest is fresh, seasonal wildflowers begin to appear and the hills are at their greenest. Cooler temperatures also make the steeper terrain more pleasant than it is in the hotter part of the year.

Autumn can also be a good time, especially as the first cooler weather returns. Summer tends to feel drier and harsher in this part of the Darling Range, so the appeal then is more about clear light and open views than lush vegetation.

Plants and Animals

Korung National Park supports mixed forest and woodland typical of the Darling Range, including jarrah and marri country with sheoak in places. The variety of slopes, gullies and rocky ground helps create a patchwork of habitats rather than one uniform forest type.

That vegetation supports a range of native fauna found in the Perth Hills bushland, and the park is also recognised for its recorded plant, animal and fungi species. As with many reserves in this part of south-west Western Australia, the botanical interest is often strongest in the cooler months, when understorey plants and seasonal flowers are easier to notice.

Culture and Heritage

Korung National Park is recognised as Whadjuk Country. The park’s present name reflects Aboriginal heritage, replacing the former Pickering Brook name as part of a broader move to recognise Noongar language and identity in the hills east of Perth.