A new 33km cycle and walking trail from Tims Thicket to Preston Beach with huts and camping areas has been approved by the City of Mandurah council.
The trail is just one part of a masterplan to unlock the potential of the Yalgorup National Park south of the city.
At a meeting on November 24, councillors unanimously endorsed the masterplan, which outlines opportunities to attract tourists while also protecting the environment.
The activation of Yalgorup is part of the City's bold Transform Mandurah plan - a 10-year strategy to revitalise the city centre and diversify Mandurah's economy.
"We are talking about a significant step for the City," Mandurah mayor Rhys Williams said as the council prepared to vote.
Read more on the Transform Mandurah plan:
A high priority of the masterplan is creating road access to the park from Mandurah's southern beaches and the potential to establish northern road access.
An investigation into potential alternative locations within the Peel region for 4WD and trail bike recreation was recommended, which would ease environmental pressure on the park caused by illegal vehicles.
The plan includes a pop-up visitor centre to be operated by Visit Mandurah, and Aboriginal tourism activities.
Deputy mayor Caroline Knight said the masterplan was a "significant opportunity" to address how to manage vehicles coming through the area.
"The beaches in this southern area are hugely popular and while most people do the right thing some folk feel the need to access the dunes and the national park," she said.
"So the first step in this is to create a beach access Mandurah plan, which will best manage the vehicles coming through this area."
Mr Williams said the activation of Yalgorup National Park would elevate Mandurah as an "ecotourism city".
"I feel this motion sits among those that are a real privilege for us to be able to move," he said.
"There is 13.5 hectares of national park in Mandurah with a big fence around it, which seeks now to elevate that representation of the region as an eco-city.
"This seeks to enhance what Mandurah was built around which wasn't just to enjoy coming to Mandurah but to enjoy what we have to offer as an ecotourism city."
Upon council's endorsement of the Yalgorup National Park masterplan, the City will lobby for $2.5 million from the state government to implement the activation.
"I'm very excited about the reception we received from the Premier in relation to our request for a $2.5 million election commitment to the activation of the Yalgorup National Park," Mr Williams said.
