Stirling Range National Park
Unofficial operator’s manual — Bluff Knoll first, weather that turns, and a realistic clock from Albany.
Independent guide · Not affiliated with DBCA · Content reviewed 2026-09-13
What this guide is for: Albany timing, vehicle entry versus Park Stay camping, Bluff Knoll vs Toolbrunup, and what to do when the peak is in cloud. Explore Parks WA / DBCA sets alerts, fees, track status and official rules.Always confirm on the official Stirling Range National Park page and alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au before you travel. This site does not show live closures.
Part of National Parks Guide Australia
This unofficial Stirling Range guide is in that network. Not government. Compare parks on the hub.
Browse all parks → nationalparksguide.com.au
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- Bluff Knoll
- Toolbrunup Peak
- Stirling Range Drive
- Wildflowers Oct–Dec
- Moingup Spring
- No dogs
- Goreng & Menang Country
Before the peaks
Fees, map & stay first
Check official pages first. Vehicle entry is not camping. No dogs. Carry water. Download Emergency+.
The main choice
Albany day vs Moingup overnight
Most first Stirling Range plans fail by stacking Bluff Knoll and Toolbrunup onto a late start — or by trying this park from Perth in one day.
Most Albany visitors
Bluff Knoll-first day
- · Sealed drive, pay vehicle entry
- · Trailhead lookouts, then summit if weather holds
- · One extra: drive lookouts, not a second scramble
- · Reverse to Albany with daylight
Open Albany day-trip →
Booked Park Stay
Camp at Moingup
- · Seven unpowered sites — book first
- · Bring all drinking water
- · Cooler morning for Toolbrunup or a second peak
- · No fires · no dogs · pack out
Open two-day peaks →
Pick your path
What kind of Stirling Range day?
Filter ideas below. Heat, mist and fire danger change the day more than the map does.
First visit
Bluff Knoll
6.8 km return · Grade 4 · 3–4 hrs
Highest peak in southern WA. Trailhead lookouts still count if the summit is in cloud.
More technical
Toolbrunup Peak
4 km return · scramble · 3–4 hrs
Second-highest. Scree and rock. Turn around before the scramble if confidence fails.
No summit
Stirling Range Drive
~42 km · mostly unsealed graded
Lookouts without a Grade 4 day. High-clearance after rain.
Shorter peak
Mount Trio
3.5 km return · lots of steps
Steep, shorter, mountain bells in season. A Plan B when Bluff Knoll weather is ugly.
Overnight
Camp at Moingup
7 sites · Park Stay · bring water
Separate system from vehicle entry. Book first. No fires. No dogs.
Serious only
Ridge Walk reality
Unmarked · 2–4 days · experienced
Not a casual multi-day. Contact rangers. PLB. Not walked, not recommended as a first visit.
Featured walks
Bluff Knoll first — then scramble or a quieter peak
Bluff Knoll sunrise · SamJeffs1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bluff Knoll
hardThe park’s signature walk: 6.8 km return, Grade 4, to Bluff Knoll at 1098 m. Well signed from the south side of the parking and picnic area. Steps, a saddle with coastal views, then a ridge to the summit. Mist is normal. Popularity does not make it a casual hill. Not walked for this guide.
- Grade
- Well signed out-and-back to 1098 m — steep path with numerous steps, exposure higher up, rapid weather
- Time
- Allow 3–4 hours return
- Distance
- 6.8 km return
View guide →
Toolbrunup
hardSecond-highest peak in the range at 1052 m. Official listing: 4 km return, good fitness required, 3–4 hours. Woodland beside a creek, then large boulders, loose rock and steep scree to a saddle on the south-west buttress, then a short steep scramble to the top. Not a shorter Bluff Knoll. Not walked.
- Grade
- 4 km return to 1052 m — woodland, then boulders, loose scree and a steep scramble. More technical than Bluff Knoll
- Time
- Allow 3–4 hours return
- Distance
- 4 km return
View guide →
Mount Trio
moderateShort steep hike: 3.5 km return, about 400 m of climbing, lots of steps, around two hours. Endemic mountain bells are a feature in season. Quieter than Bluff Knoll. Not a lookout ramble. Not walked.
- Grade
- Short, steep, stepped climb — ~400 m ascent. Easier than Toolbrunup, still a mountain
- Time
- Allow about 2 hours return
- Distance
- 3.5 km return · ~400 m ascent
View guide →
A popular mountain is still a mountain
- No dogs. 1080 baiting is ongoing — poisonous to humans, dogs and cats.
- Bring drinking water. Moingup does not supply it.
- Bluff Knoll: steep steps, rapid weather. Turn around any time.
- Toolbrunup is a scramble, not a second Bluff Knoll.
- 000 needs reception. Download Emergency+ before you leave Albany.
- Official: Explore Parks WA · Emergency WA
Itineraries
Plans that respect the Albany clock
Printable timelines with packing notes and honest skip lists.
Full day from Albany (1–1.5 hrs each way + 3–4 hours on the walk)
Bluff Knoll day: summit if the mountain allows
The usual serious first day: early Chester Pass drive, pay at the entry station, Grade 4 summit from the south side of the trailhead, reverse with daylight. Lookouts are Plan B if the lot is full or the weather turns. Not a Perth day-trip.
Open plan →
Full day from Albany (do not start from Perth)
Albany day-trip: peak or lookouts, then reverse
Leave Albany early, pay at the entry station, then either Bluff Knoll if the party is fit and the weather is honest, or Stirling Range Drive lookouts if it is not. Back to Albany with daylight. Official-before-money.
Open plan →
2 days / 1 night (town, boundary camp, or booked Moingup Spring)
Two days: marked peaks, not the Ridge Walk
Day 1 Bluff Knoll (or Drive if weather/parking kills it). Night at booked Moingup, a boundary commercial camp, or Albany. Day 2 Toolbrunup only if you are a scramble party — otherwise Trio, Hassell or Talyuberlup. The Ridge Walk is not this itinerary.
Open plan →
Free Stirling Range practical day planner
Albany vs camp decision tree, vehicle entry vs Park Stay, packing (water / layers / shoes) and official Explore Parks WA links — free download, no email required.
- Before-you-leave packing ticks
- Albany day-trip or Moingup overnight
- What to skip when time or weather fails
- Official DBCA links to verify conditions
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.
Stays & tours
Albany town stays and optional Great Southern tour searches if you want them. Gear searches are on the kit page. Park fees, Parks Passes and official Park Stay bookings are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Albany (primary) · Mount Barker · Porongurup
- Hotels & stays in AlbanyPrimary last-town base — fuel, food, medical; ~1–1.5 hrs to Bluff Knoll
- Mount Barker accommodationCloser inland staging than Albany for a dawn start
- Porongurup staysSouthern neighbour range — useful on a two-park loop, not a Bluff Knoll dawn default
- Cranbrook accommodationNorthern approach town on Chester Pass Road
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official DBCA park fees and Park Stay bookings are never affiliated.
Guided tours
Optional — useful for first visits from Perth without a car
- Porongurup Skywalk
- Albany whale watching
- Whaling Station ticket
- Browse more Albany / Stirling Range tours
A tour does not replace checking Explore Parks WA / DBCA alerts, heat, or sealed-road vs beach-4WD rules yourself.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All Booking.com links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park entry fees, official day passes and official camping are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy
FAQ
Common Stirling Range questions
Short answers for planning. For live alerts, fees and rules, use Explore Parks WA — not this page.
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Is there an entry fee for Stirling Range National Park?
Yes — standard WA vehicle park entry applies (Explore Parks WA fees table, re-checked 26 Aug 2026; official page last updated 20 Aug 2026): private vehicle 12 or fewer occupants $17 (concession $10); motorcycle $10; large vehicle 13+ occupants $8 per occupant (concession $3.50). Walk-in / cycle-in typically pay no vehicle fee. Passes cover entry only, not camping. Camping is a separate Park Stay booking. Pay at the Stirling Range Entry Station on Bluff Knoll Road. Figures are planning numbers — confirm live. This site never sells park entry.
How long from Albany? Can I day-trip from Perth?
About 80 km / 1–1.5 hours on Chester Pass Road from Albany. Perth is ~400–405 km / ~4.5 hours each way — not a day-trip. Sleep in Albany, Mount Barker or camp in-park (booked).
What should I do first on a first visit?
Bluff Knoll if weather and fitness hold (Grade 4, 6.8 km return). If they don’t, the wheelchair-accessible lookouts and picnic at the trailhead still count. Do not stack Toolbrunup onto a tired Bluff Knoll afternoon.
Do I need 4WD?
No for the core visit — sealed 2WD to Bluff Knoll. Stirling Range Drive is mostly unsealed but graded (high-clearance after rain). Short unsealed spurs to other trailheads.
Is this site official DBCA / Explore Parks WA?
No. This is an independent unofficial guide published by Farming Domains (Ian Piggott). For alerts, fees, camping and official rules use Explore Parks WA / DBCA / Park Stay only. We do not publish a contact email.