Nine degrees on a January morning and there were already four cars in the gravel overflow at Lake Leschenaultia by 7.15am. That tells you something about how word has got around, but it also tells you the crowds still arrive later than you'd think, which is the whole point of getting there early if you want the place to yourself for a bit.
Lake Leschenaultia sits just out of Chidlow, a short detour off the road most people drive straight past on their way to the wheatbelt. It's not a natural lake at all. It started life as a reservoir built to service the old Eastern Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, the same scheme engineered by C.Y. O'Connor that eventually pumped water all the way to Kalgoorlie. The dam wall is still there if you look for it, tucked into the bush at one end, a quiet reminder that this whole spot exists because of a 19th century plumbing problem rather than anything scenic.
Why Lake Leschenaultia swimming beats the crowds at other hills spots
The swimming itself is the reason people keep coming back. There's a proper sandy beach graded gently into the water, which makes it one of the few spots in the hills where you can actually wade a toddler in rather than clamber over granite. The water's tannin-stained, a soft tea colour rather than murky, and it warms up nicely by January. And honestly, it's the shallow, roped-off section near the jetty that does most of the work here — families set up chairs on the grass, kids jump off the small platform, and nobody's fighting for a park.
I'll be the one to say it: Whiteman Park gets all the bus loads and the school holiday crowds, and it's fine, genuinely, but Lake Leschenaultia does half of what Whiteman Park offers with a fraction of the people if you pick a weekday. There's less parking drama, less queueing for the train ride, and the lake itself is just nicer to actually swim in.
Walking the loop and the tracks that lead off it
The lake loop track is about four kilometres and mostly flat, which makes it a decent leg-stretcher after a swim rather than a proper bushwalk. But if you've got more time and better shoes, the surrounding reserve connects into some heaps more interesting terrain. Priest Close is a short drive from the lake and gives you a steeper, more wooded walk through granite outcrops, while The Pox is the one locals mention with a raised eyebrow because of the name, not the difficulty, though it does have a decent climb in the middle.
My old man used to bring us out this way from Fremantle on school holidays, back when the drive felt like an expedition rather than forty-five minutes on the freeway. We'd swim till our lips went blue, then walk it off on whatever track dad reckoned was closest. Whether that's still the case for the track alignments I couldn't swear to, but the general shape of the reserve hasn't changed much.
Getting there without your own car
There's no direct public transport to the lake itself, which trips a lot of first-timers up. The realistic option is a train or bus to Midland via Transperth and then a car share or lift from there, since the last stretch through Chidlow and Wundowie isn't well served by regular services. If you're planning a big group day out, it's worth sorting transport before you commit, because taxis this far out aren't exactly thick on the ground.
What's nearby if you want to make a weekend of it
Mundaring itself has enough around it that you don't need to treat the lake as a single-stop trip. The Perth Hills Discovery Centre and Campground is close enough to base yourself for a night or two, with proper camping facilities if you'd rather not do the round trip in a day. It's a good option for families wanting to string together a swim, a walk and an overnight stay without driving back into Perth traffic.
If you're after something a bit different in the evenings, the Full Moon Yoga Hiking Experience Mundaring runs sessions timed to the lunar calendar through the hills nearby, which sounds a bit much until you've actually done one and realised how quiet the bush gets once the sun's down. I went along on a whim a few years back and came away thinking it was one of the better ways to see this part of the hills that I hadn't tried before.
The Kep Track link for anyone on two wheels
For cyclists, Mundaring is also the starting point for one of the better rail-trail rides in the state. We've written before about riding the Kep Track from Mundaring to Northam, and if you're already out this way with a bike on the roof it's worth building the ride and the lake into the same weekend. The lake makes a genuinely good reward at the end of a hot ride, better than another servo pie, in my opinion.
Practical bits worth knowing before you go
The Shire of Mundaring manages the reserve and there's a small vehicle entry fee that goes toward upkeep of the grounds, toilets and barbecues. Bring cash just in case, though most days there's a card option too. Facilities are basic but clean — picnic shelters, a kiosk that opens seasonally, and enough shade around the grassed areas that you're not fighting for a spot under a tree on a stinking hot day.
Dogs are allowed in parts of the reserve but not on the main swimming beach, which catches out a few visitors every summer judging by the signage that keeps getting added. Worth checking current rules on the day rather than relying on what a mate told you last year, since these things do get reviewed by the Shire from time to time.
Come midweek in shoulder season and you'll get the place close to yourself, the water still warm enough from summer, the walking tracks quiet, and the whole reserve feeling more like a local secret than the day-tripper spot it's slowly becoming known as. I reckon that's still the best time to go, before the school holiday crowds properly discover it.