Le GRand Coastal Trail
Cape Le Grand National Park
Directions - Located east of Esperance in Cape Le Grand National Park, you can start the Le Grand Coastal Trail from either end but for what I've written about here (and would recommend as the direction to hike it), the start point is at Rossiter Bay. From Esperance, drive east along Fisheries Road until you come to the Merivale Road turn. Continue along Merivale Road, turning right at Cape Le Grand Road, entering the park and then turning left at Lucky Bay Road. Drive past the Lucky Bay Campground and drive to the end, where you'll reach Rossiter Bay. There is a small car park to your right, and the trail head is located a short walk to the south. The end of the trail is at Le Grand Beach, which is located at the end of Cape Le Grand Road.
The Hike - The Le Grand Coastal Trail is one that I've been looking forward to hiking for years, and after a few visits to Cape Le Grand National Park in the past, the hiking gods eventually allowed me to experience this trail in all its glory. The last time I was here in 2020, I had this one on the itinerary for the final day of a three week road trip, but I didn't put my camera away during a torrential downpour on the Tagon Coastal Trail, and it threw up all kinds of error messages before dying. I'd like to say that I learnt my lesson that day but it's happened since then, and may or may not happen again.
Returning in 2024 on another epic three week road trip, this time for my latest book (click here to purchase), I had penciled in the Le Grand Coastal Trail as the final hike of the trip. Before I continue any further, this is one of my longest posts for good reason, so now might be a good time if you plan on reading the whole thing to brew a tea or coffee, and settle into a comfy chair. I'll also point out early the hilarity of the translation for this trail being the The Grand Coastal Trail, just as The Los Angeles Angels baseball team translates to the the angels angels. I digress though. Having enjoyed a busy yet fruitful road trip so far, I was going to get some stunning weather in Esperance to finish the journey, and that suited me just fine for showcasing this amazing trail in the best possible conditions. Camping at Lucky Bay, I was up early to hike Frenchman Peak, before driving out to Le Grand Beach to drop off my mountain bike, as a means of returning back to the start.
Driving back to Rossiter Bay, this was my first time visiting this part of the park, and it was an understatement to say I was excited to be finally hiking this trail. Giving myself about eight hours of sunlight to complete the trail and ride back to the start to pick-up my car, with the way I walk these days, stopping to photograph every flower, insect or bird I see, this would be just enough time. After walking out to the beach at Rossiter Bay, I found the trail head and was staring at the gradual uphill that welcomes you to proceedings. The old vehicle track that is starting to grow over quite nicely average just under a ten percent gradient, so not too difficult but steep enough you notice it. This was one of the most prolific sections for wildflowers, and although I was maybe 2-3 weeks too late for the peak of the season, there was still a lot to find along here including Sand Wattle Myrtle, Woolly Patersonia, and Crab Claws to name a few. Ahead were the granite boulders at the top of the climb, the start of some truly stunning scenery that lasts the entire hike.
Looking back, the views across Rossiter Bay were gorgeous, and remembering to turn around and appreciate the views in the opposite direction is something I had to keep prompting myself to do. Normally on trails I tend to only include photographs of the direction you are hiking but for this trail, the quality and diversity of scenery meant I made an exception every now and then. Stopping frequently to photograph the dozens of different wildflowers on display, I had picked up an unwelcome passenger that was making life a bit painful. Being later in spring, the March Flies were out, and despite wearing my UV sleeves, they didn't seem to be phased, and were biting me through the fabric, causing a sharp pain every time. Battling on and doing my best to shoo them away, I was soon passing the smaller WA Christmas Trees (or Moodja to the Noongar people), and much closer to the large granite boulders to the right of the trail.
These imposing boulders provide a fun feature to photograph, with the extreme cracking in one of them very similar to what you'll see at the top of the granite climb on Frenchman Peak. You don't get super close to them, instead admiring from a distance, but they do mark the point where you leave the relatively wide track behind and climb up onto some bare granite. The transition is really sudden, as you don't really see the granite until right before you step onto it. The exposed rock brings new and more wonderful things to see, with the lighting quick flashes running across the golden surface. There be dragons lurking here, with well camouflaged Ornate Crevice Dragons darting around in the warmth of the rock. Moving as slow as I could to get closer to them without disturbing them, I managed to get a few good shots of these medium sized lizards, before they bolted away to safer ground.