Warren National Park in the South West (15km from Pemberton) is home to some of the most magnificent karri trees (Eucalyptus diversicolor), which are very tall trees. Some of them are as tall as 90 meters and more than 200 years old.
You can explore Warren National Park by driving along 12-kilometer Heartbreak Trail. You can stop along the trail to look at and climb Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree – 68-meter-high, fire lookout tree (below).
Another tree of significance is Marianne North Tree. It is quite a distinct karri tree (Eucalyptus diversicolour) with large bulbous outgrowth around the trunk. The significance of this tree comes from the fact that it was painted by an English artist and traveler Marianne North when she visited Australia in 1880. So, this is how this tree got its name. Marianne North Tree is close to famous Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree on Old Vasse Road, near Pemberton.
Keen hikers and anyone who enjoys nature, would appreciate the Warren River Loop Trail. It is a 10.5km walk through the karri forest and along the banks of the river. The trail can be walked in sections. We only walked from Drafty’s camp to Warren camp and back (3km return). Both camps have a day use area with picnic tables and canoe launching facilities.
Camping in Warren National Park
There are two campgrounds in Warren National Park: Drafty’s and Warren. Drafty’s is a family friendly, nature-based campground in the heart of Warren National Park. It’s a 2WD dirt road accessible along picturesque Heartbreak Trail off the Old Vasse Road, 16km from Pemberton. It is not suitable for big caravans or buses because the road is steep and winding. With 16 camp sites in a big loop and 6 in a small loop, the whole campground is very well laid out, with lots of privacy (it’s literally in the beautiful forest along the Warren River). There are a number of drop toilets, non-drinking water and camp kitchen (small loop only has a drop toilet).
Nearby Warren campground is very similar but it has only 6 sites, all suitable for tents only and there is no kitchen there. All sites in both campgrounds are on a first come, first serve basis and are $11 per person per night, plus national park entry fee. Being a national park, no dogs are allowed.
We initially planned on staying only 3 nights there but ended up staying 5. Every day we enjoyed morning and evening walks along the river, smelling the forest, listening to kookaburras and other birds and delighting in sights of magnificent karri, jarrah, marri and peppermint trees.
Some of the birds we’ve seen: Musk Duck (below left), Red-winged Fairy-wren (below top right), Silvereye (below bottom right).
The campground is a good base for exploring surrounding areas, as it is an easy drive in and out. It is close to Pemberton to stock up on foodand fuel and the surrounding forests are a pleasure to explore, offering a variety of experiences for everyone.
