Approx 50km north of Cervantes, straddling Cockleshell Gully Road, this park was named after Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, a natural history artist aboard the Naturaliste on Hamelin’s 1801 expedition. The French government commissioned the ships Naturaliste and Geographe to chart those areas of the coast not documented by Captain James Cook. Many features along the west coast bear the names of members of that expedition, including Mt Peron (the expeditions naturalist) and Mt Michaud (the botanist-gardener). Jurien Bay was named after Charles Marie, Vicompte Jurien, a naval administrator at the time.

Lesueur is extremely rich in flora and fauna, with over 900 species (about 10% of the state’s known species) of plants, 50+ species of reptiles (the highest lizard diversity of any of the worlds Mediterranean climate ecosystems), and 120+ species of birds. Birds species particularly well represented include honeyeaters, thornbills, fairy wrens, southern emu, white brested wrens, and calamanthus. The woodlands of Lesueur have also been identified as one of the last remaining breeding habitats of Carnaby’s Black cockatoo.

Lesueur National Park covers 26,987ha, and its status as a National Park recognises the area’s outstanding conservation, landscape, and recreational importance. These were identified in the 1950’s when the Government botanist Charles Gardner, concerned by the effects of land clearing for agriculture recommended the creation of a reserve. The rea around Mt Lesueur itself was protected by being designated a reserve for educational purposes. Since then there have been proposals for a national park and nature reserve, but concerns about the availability of coal resources in the area delayed action until the park was gazetted in 1992.Access to Mt Lesueur itself is via 4WD only, however a number of walk-trails are being developed to allow the visitor to experience this unique area.

Wish you were here - Lesueur National Park

Two hundred years after natural history artist Charles-Alexandre Lesueur sailed what would become our Coral Coast aboard the Naturaliste, the area maintains its natural beauty and fascination for visitors.

Located 20 kilometres north of Jurien Bay and 250 kilometres north of Perth, Lesueur National Park is 24 kilometres across and covers 26,987 hectares. Only gazetted in 1992, the park is relatively new but its value to the conservation of flora and fauna has been long recognised.

The park contains undisturbed expanses of the northern sandplains region, with a wide range of geologic formations, landscapes and soil types. These vary from salt lakes in the west to laterite ridges in the east and partly explain the reason that it is a biodiversity hotspot, renowned for its wildflowers, birds and reptiles.

mt lesueur flowers.jpg More than 800 plant species have been identified, making it one of the richest sites for plant species in the world. Nine of these are found nowhere else in the world while 81 are at their most northern or southern limits, providing unique plant communities.

There is always something flowering in the park but in the months of September and October Lesueur erupts into colour with a range of species from Leshenaultias to Melaleucas bursting into flower.

The construction of new recreational facilities has recently been completed, opening the very heart of the park and allowing easy access for visitors to explore all the area has to offer.

A bituminised 17-kilometre tourist drive takes visitors through the Cockleshell Gully valley providing panoramic views of the park. Pull off bays are provided throughout the drive to allow tour operators and visitors to stop and explore the flora close to the road in a range of vegetation types.

Drummond's recreational area has a number of trails to suit all visitors. Disabled and long vehicle parking bays link to a path network interspersed with interpretive panels. A 200-metre disabled accessible path leads to Wilson Lookout that provides unimpeded views of Mt Lesueur and back to the Indian Ocean. The more adventurous can take the four-kilometre trail to the top of Mt Lesueur or choose to take the easier trail around the Gairdner Ridge.

A picnic area with toilets, interpretation and easy parking is provided further along Lesueur Drive for those visitors who want to make the best of a day in this magnificent park.