Spectacular sweeping views of the city skyline and the Swan River, endless paths and trails, and beautiful flora make Kings Park an absolute must for a run when visiting Perth. The 400-hectare park contains a large botanical garden, numerous memorials, a walkway among the treetops, a ‘DNA Tower’ with great views, and other features. This excellent park trail map is very helpful.
We’ve mapped a 5.6 km route which follows a good part of the park’s perimeter, using the Boomerang/Speargrass/Goanna/Hacketts paths. You can also create your own route incorporating numerous other paths. For a good, straight shot, take the Broadwalk Vista from the DNA Tower to May Drive. We also recommend running on the dirt ‘bushland’ paths, which take up 2/3 of the park’s area. They’re wonderful for experiencing the native biological diversity, and also more shaded on a hot day If you get lost, just head south to link up with Mounts Bay Road which runs between the park and Swan River. This guide has additional options for walking/running loops.
Of course, no visit to Kings Park would be complete without an ascent, or two, of Jacobs Ladder, which consists of 242 stairs.
