STIRLING RANGE

Ensign Robert Dale was the first European land based explorer to sight the range in 1832. (It is thought that Mathew Flinders aboard the Investigator may have sighted the range from the sea as early as 1801 and called the formation Mount Rugged.) The range was named named three years after Dale's expedition by J.S. Roe after Captain Stirling who was the Governor of the Swan River Colony. (The Aboriginal name for the range was ‘Koi Kyeun-u-ruff’.)

In Roe's journal the ranges are described as:

'The Stirling Range burst on our view in great magnificence as we rounded the crest...The whole extent of the conical summits were spread before us.'

The Stirling Range that we see today was, 1,500 million years ago, part of a large lake that gradually filled with sediments. After the sediments had been turned into rock, geological forces pushed them upward to form one of the few true mountain ranges in W.A.

The park is known for the variety of flowers and the number of bird species it contains. To date nearly 190 species of birds have been identified in the park. Estimates for the types of wildflowers range over 1500. There are 87 plant species that occur nowhere else and the area contains a greater variety of flora than the whole of Britain. 38% of all Western Australian orchid species can be found within the boundaries of the park.

This ancient range of hills lies to the north of Mount Barker in the state’s south. It is a bushwalker’s paradise, with many trails leading to splendid views from peaks like Bluff Knoll. (At 1095 metres high Bluff Knoll is the highest peak in the south west.)

The range is roughly 80 (one source says 65) kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide.

This is one of the state's earliest National Parks and was declared in 1913. It is also one of the few places in the state where snow is a regular occurrence.

There are 15 peaks which exceed 900 meters and 50 which exceed 600 meters. There are several major walk trails in the park and a brochure is available from CALM.

BLUFF KNOLL

5 Km return. Moderate, 3-4 hours.

MONDURUP PEAK

4 Km return. Moderate, 2 hours.

Keep an eye out for ripple-surfaced rocks, evidence that the original sediments forming the sandstones were laid down in water.

MT MAGOG

8 Km return. Hard, 3-4 hours

Please note there is no path for the final 1 Km to the summit.

MT TALYUBERLUP

3 Km return. Moderate, 2 hours

Caverns and precipitous rocks at the summit of this mountain make this an exciting climb.

MT HASSELL

4 Km return. Moderate, 2-3 hours

This walk commences at the new car park.

MT TOOLBRUNUP

4 Km return. Hard, 3 hours

This walk is often regarded as the best in the Park. Excellent views from the summit, and dramatic rocky outcrops provide spectacular scenery.  Trails are steep and rough. Carry water and be prepared for weather changes.

MT TRIO

3 Km return. Moderate, 2 hours

Walking is not advised during wet or windy conditions or during periods of extreme heat in summer.

One camp ground is available in the park at Moingup Springs.

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