Shannon National Park Campground

Description

A $1.35 million redevelopment, part of the Parks for People caravan and camping initiative is in progress.

Home to some of the state’s most magnificent karri forest, Shannon National Park offers a variety of ways to experience its beauty.

You can meander along the Great Forest Trees Drive, get up close to the forest on several different walktrails from the Shannon Day Use Area, go birdwatching or canoeing and even stay a few nights in the Shannon Campground.

The Shannon was one of the last areas in the South-West to be opened up for logging, due to its inaccessibility. The Shannon area was largely untouched until the 1940s, when an acute shortage of timber after World War Two prompted the State government to establish a timber mill there. Timber cutting began in the Shannon basin in the mid-1940s and the town and timber mill were established in the late 1940s.

Gazetted as a national park in 1988, today the Shannon lures visitors seeking to immerse themselves in its natural beauty. The karri trees are certainly the jewel of this park, some growing up to 90 metres tall. You can view these forest giants up close at Snake Gully Lookout and Big Tree Grove.

As if the karris weren’t enough, the park also features beautiful stands of jarrah, marri, bullich, paperbark and blackbutt.

The entire catchment system of the Shannon River is contained within Shannon National Park and the adjoining D’Entrecasteaux National Park. This means that the river and stream system and the underground water flowing through the forest all drain within the national park and are protected by the forested catchment.

The Great Forest Trees Drive is a self-guided, 48km drive that winds its way through spectacular old-growth karri, jarrah and marri forest. You’ll also pass sedgeland, heath and granite outcrops.

The drive starts from the northern side of the South West Highway and finishes at the Shannon Campground, south of the highway.

There are a variety of walks on offer at Shannon National Park. You’ll find the trailhead at the barbeque area at the Shannon Day Use Area.

Entry and camping fees apply at Shannon National Park.