Gull Rock National Park
Gull Rock National Park
4
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
27 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
11 reviews
Excellent
5
Very good
3
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Jon G
Perth, Australia442 contributions
Jan 2021 • Solo
The beaches are amazing but if you want hiking, the 10.5km round trip from ledge beach is ok. Ok but not amazing. It does have a couple of great view points but only a couple, the rest of the time you’re surrounded by bush blocking out any views.
It does mean you have shade which is great on a hot day. If you love flowers then it’d be great in spring. But compared to other treks around Albany, this ones good for exercise not wow factor.
Take 2-3 liters of water as there’s no refilling stations
It does mean you have shade which is great on a hot day. If you love flowers then it’d be great in spring. But compared to other treks around Albany, this ones good for exercise not wow factor.
Take 2-3 liters of water as there’s no refilling stations
Written 19 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlbanyRick
Albany, Australia2,005 contributions
Oct 2016 • Solo
I've come here previously, but it's been quite a while since I visited, and since I was here last, all the trails at the Mount Martin Regional Botanic Park have been upgraded. There's new steps at the trailhead at the Ledge Beach parking area, as well as a new boot cleaning station, and a new sign showing clear maps of all the trails. There's also new sign markers along all the trails, which are a big improvement on the old ones.
As for the hike, I started at the Ledge Beach parking area, and walked all the way to Voyager Park near the Emu Point channel. This is about a 10km return trip, but since I went the long way around (including the Dicky Redshaw lookout), it was just over 12km all up, and I was back at my car after about 3 hours. You can easily do a shorter walk, taking a loop walk with the option of including Coal Basket Bay, and the loop walk shouldn't take much than an hour. The trail upgrades and new signage are a welcome improvement!
It is a lovely walk, especially in mid-spring like today. Being mid-October, the wildflowers were just magnificent - there was an abundance of colours including white, yellow, orange, red, pink, blue and purple. Just amazing! Lots of banksias in bloom as well, and also lots of birds to be seen. It was a bit overcast and windy, but the scenery along the way is still beautiful as well, and there are stunning ocean views of King George Sound and the islands. It's truly a magnificent location, and well worth the extra effort to get to the lookout at Dicky Redshaw lookout, which has great views of Middleton Beach, Emu Point and Oyster Harbour.
I also stopped in at the whale lookout, but at this time of the year it's a bit late in the season for seeing whales, but the ocean views are still magnificent from the lookout gazebo. There are benches here, as well as at several other lookouts along the way. All in all, this proved to be a great morning out, and especially if you love wildflowers, the Mt Martin Regional Botanic Park is a must visit place in the spring. There's ample parking at the end of Ledge Beach Rd, which is gravel for the final few km.
As for the hike, I started at the Ledge Beach parking area, and walked all the way to Voyager Park near the Emu Point channel. This is about a 10km return trip, but since I went the long way around (including the Dicky Redshaw lookout), it was just over 12km all up, and I was back at my car after about 3 hours. You can easily do a shorter walk, taking a loop walk with the option of including Coal Basket Bay, and the loop walk shouldn't take much than an hour. The trail upgrades and new signage are a welcome improvement!
It is a lovely walk, especially in mid-spring like today. Being mid-October, the wildflowers were just magnificent - there was an abundance of colours including white, yellow, orange, red, pink, blue and purple. Just amazing! Lots of banksias in bloom as well, and also lots of birds to be seen. It was a bit overcast and windy, but the scenery along the way is still beautiful as well, and there are stunning ocean views of King George Sound and the islands. It's truly a magnificent location, and well worth the extra effort to get to the lookout at Dicky Redshaw lookout, which has great views of Middleton Beach, Emu Point and Oyster Harbour.
I also stopped in at the whale lookout, but at this time of the year it's a bit late in the season for seeing whales, but the ocean views are still magnificent from the lookout gazebo. There are benches here, as well as at several other lookouts along the way. All in all, this proved to be a great morning out, and especially if you love wildflowers, the Mt Martin Regional Botanic Park is a must visit place in the spring. There's ample parking at the end of Ledge Beach Rd, which is gravel for the final few km.
Written 17 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
darren h
Albany, Australia202 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
We went there to do the Mount Martin Botanic Walk which is a trail from the Ledge Beach car park that loops back to the channel opposite Emu point then back to the Ledge beach. The walk is signed in places and offers great views over King George Sound. It took about 2.5 hours and we had a swim at the Emu point Channel then walked back and had one swim at Ledge beach. Well worth a visit if you enjoy a bit of a nature walk with a swim at the end.
Written 9 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arigance
Perth, Australia108 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
For those looking for a nice long family hike in a thick nature along with sand, rock, climbing and downhills.. our girls of 10 and 15 yo made it all the way so although the effort seems endless from time to time, the view itself worths the effort.
Written 29 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bobjanh
Brisbane, Australia2,410 contributions
June 2023 • Couples
About 30 minutes out of Albany, this small national park certainly warrants a visit. Delightful coastal and a circuit walking track that is quite spectacular: both for the coastal scenery and for the amazing flora seen en-route.
Written 20 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CanberraAussie101
Queanbeyan, Australia559 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
It is a short drive from the center of Albany but it is well worth the visit. The park has some great views and Ledge Beach was deserted, what a great beach for a secluded day out, white sand and crystal clear water, just watch for the rip near the headland.
Written 20 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hewieandco
Western Australia, Australia133 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
Good place to get in out of the wind. NEw steps down to beach, but not too difficult to reach. Great place to swim, snorkel or take a walk along the beach.
Written 17 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oldjack
Greater Melbourne, Australia29,394 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
This is a wilderness park not that far from Albany that is not well developed or signed.Most of the roads are un-surfaced and although there are some interesting view points as you might expect it is not that special
Written 16 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarracenia
Norman, OK1,690 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
I asked at the Albany visitor center about this reserve and the person I talked to had not been there and did not have any information about it. I had read something about this area online. Very happy we made the effort to get to this reserve which is not really all that far (East) of Albany. Once you park you can either take the short walk to the beach which goes forever and you can also take the trail.
Some interesting information at the beginning of the trail about the area and the rich floral diversity around you. Good trail, not hard to do and it takes you through different vegetation types. Mostly forested although these are not really tall trees. Some are Eucalypts. Some nice flowers along the walk as well and some birds. A nice lookout halfway through with a bench for you to enjoy the beautiful ocean views. An excellent place to spend a morning, nice picnic tables in the car park area and access to the beach make this free attraction worth considering if you like nature and empty beaches.
Some interesting information at the beginning of the trail about the area and the rich floral diversity around you. Good trail, not hard to do and it takes you through different vegetation types. Mostly forested although these are not really tall trees. Some are Eucalypts. Some nice flowers along the walk as well and some birds. A nice lookout halfway through with a bench for you to enjoy the beautiful ocean views. An excellent place to spend a morning, nice picnic tables in the car park area and access to the beach make this free attraction worth considering if you like nature and empty beaches.
Written 3 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlbanyRick
Albany, Australia2,005 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
Gull Rock National Park is a small national park, and takes its name from Gull Rock, a large hunk of granite just offshore from the eastern end of Ledge Beach. It's not named after seagulls, but after a British politician, William Gull.
The park includes several features worth knowing about:
1. Gull Rock area: this is located on the eastern end, and is accessible via Gull Rock road. The granite rocks along the coast here (at the eastern end of the beach) are a good place for fishing, and it's a popular spot for that reason.
2. Ledge Beach: this 2km beach features calm water and beautiful white sand. The eastern end is the most popular spot, where there is a day use area, that is ideal for swimming. This part of the beach is also known as Boiler Bay beach, and is a great beach to go if you're looking for calm turquoise water and white sand - good for swimming and snorkelling.
3. Mount Martin Regional Botanic Park: this is located at the western end of the park, and is accessed by taking Ledge Beach Rd off Gull Rock Rd. It's so named because it is known for its unique wildflowers and beautiful views. There's a series of walk trails that allow you to walk all the way from the end of Ledge Beach Rd to the Emu Point Channel. The first part is an uphill climb, but this means you'll get stunning views of the coast and of King George Sound from high up for most of the walk. In season, it's a great place for viewing whales, and there is even a gazebo designated as a whale lookout. It's a bit out of the way, but people who enjoy walking will definitely enjoy coming here.
The park includes several features worth knowing about:
1. Gull Rock area: this is located on the eastern end, and is accessible via Gull Rock road. The granite rocks along the coast here (at the eastern end of the beach) are a good place for fishing, and it's a popular spot for that reason.
2. Ledge Beach: this 2km beach features calm water and beautiful white sand. The eastern end is the most popular spot, where there is a day use area, that is ideal for swimming. This part of the beach is also known as Boiler Bay beach, and is a great beach to go if you're looking for calm turquoise water and white sand - good for swimming and snorkelling.
3. Mount Martin Regional Botanic Park: this is located at the western end of the park, and is accessed by taking Ledge Beach Rd off Gull Rock Rd. It's so named because it is known for its unique wildflowers and beautiful views. There's a series of walk trails that allow you to walk all the way from the end of Ledge Beach Rd to the Emu Point Channel. The first part is an uphill climb, but this means you'll get stunning views of the coast and of King George Sound from high up for most of the walk. In season, it's a great place for viewing whales, and there is even a gazebo designated as a whale lookout. It's a bit out of the way, but people who enjoy walking will definitely enjoy coming here.
Written 3 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing