Located nearby is the Kalamunda National Park and the northern terminus of the Bibbulmun Track, a 963-kilometre (598 mi) recreational walking trail.

Due to the suburb's high elevation of around 250–300 metres (820–980 ft) above mean sea level and location on the Darling Scarp, it is a few degrees cooler in winter than Perth; however, this difference is less pronounced in summer as Kalamunda is less affected than Perth by the regular afternoon sea breeze, the Fremantle Doctor, due to its inland location.

While the town's retail centre is the largest in the Darling Scarp it primarily services Kalamunda and the contiguous urbanised areas of Lesmurdie and Walliston.

Kalamunda and the surrounding areas have an arts and crafts tradition, and are home to three major Perth residential colleges.

[19] The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2016 census were No Religion 33.1%, Catholic 22.4%, Anglican 18.8%, Not Stated 9.0% and Christian, nfd 3.8%.

Notably however, there are many Italian families who became involved in the orchard industry in the post-Second World War migration period.

Despite the steady encroach of the urban sprawl in recent times which has eroded the sense of a 'regional centre', Kalamunda remains a quiet town amongst the jarrah forests on the Darling Scarp.

Short stay accommodation in a forest setting close to Perth is a growth area, and Kalamunda is increasingly offering ecotourism experiences for local and overseas visitors.