One hour and ten minutes south of Perth, the scenic features of Serpentine National Park together with its close proximity to Perth have attracted visitors for almost 100 years. It is also a sanctuary for an array of plants and animals (particularly kangaroos) and has a shaded grassed area popular for picnics. Set in a naturally beautiful cleft at the foot of the scarp, the park stretches up the steep slopes of the Serpentine River valley, past a sheer face of granite polished smooth by the rushing waters. Past weathering has resulted in distinct landscapes of lateritic uplands, minor and major valleys and abrupt scarps.