Western peaks
Guide updated · not walked — verify Explore Parks WA / DBCA
Mount Trio, Mount Hassell, Mount Magog and Talyuberlup — shorter or quieter summits than Bluff Knoll, still steep, still weather. Mountain bells in season. Accessed from Chester Pass spurs and Stirling Range Drive.
- Best for: Second-day walkers, wildflower hunters, people who found Bluff Knoll crowded or wanted scramble variety
- Time: One peak is a morning. Two peaks in a day is a fit-party decision, not a default
- Trio via Formby Road South / Mount Trio Road off Chester Pass. Hassell, Magog and Talyuberlup off Stirling Range Drive. Unsealed spurs: 2WD dry, high-clearance after rain.
Verify conditions on Explore Parks WA / DBCA → · Park alerts
Western peaks — Coyanarup
Loomhigh223555 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
The other Stirlings
Bluff Knoll takes the crowds. The western cluster is where a second day, a wildflower morning, or a “we still want a summit” Plan B should go — not onto the unmarked Ridge Walk. Trio is the stepped shorter peak. Hassell looks at Toolbrunup. Magog is the longer quiet one. Talyuberlup is the hole in the mountain. Not walked.
One peak well is success. Confirm live on Explore Parks WA / alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au. Official-before-money: do not buy a ridge-walk fantasy because Magog felt lonely.
Which peak
Want steps and mountain bells: Trio. Want Toolbrunup in the view without Toolbrunup’s Class 5: Hassell. Want quiet and will accept overgrowth: Magog, if alerts agree. Want short, steep, rock maze: Talyuberlup — torch if you time sunset.
Toolbrunup itself sits in the Toolbrunup / Moingup area — treat it as its own day, not a western-peaks add-on.
Wildflowers are a season, not a week you invent
Late spring to early summer (about October–December) is the major floral draw. Mountain bells (Darwinia) are a Stirling-true reason to pick Trio or the upper slopes of Toolbrunup. Peak bloom moves with weather. There is no live wildflower hotline on this site — look at recent official and local reports the week you travel, and stay on formed ground.
How you actually reach them
Mount Trio: Formby Road South / Mount Trio Road off Chester Pass — short unsealed, picnic among trees, 3.5 km return with lots of steps and about 400 m of ascent. Official notes flag endemic mountain bells. About two hours is the usual planning clock — confirm live.
Hassell, Magog and Talyuberlup sit off Stirling Range Drive. Hassell: 3 km, 847 m, 430 m ascent, scree then a rocky scramble, Toolbrunup in the view. Magog: 7 km return, 856 m, quieter, track may be overgrown, final scramble. Talyuberlup: 2.6 km return, steep rock maze, hole-in-the-mountain, a sunset walk only if you packed a torch and a reverse plan.
2WD dry on graded unsealed. High-clearance after rain. Fuel in town. No dogs. Dieback: clean boots at every trailhead, not only Bluff Knoll.
Hazards and pairing bans
Same rapid weather as Bluff Knoll: cool change, hail, wind, mist. Exposure on summits. Magog’s overgrowth is a reverse, not a bush-bash. Talyuberlup after last light without a torch is how people call 000 with no reception.
Pairing ban: one western peak plus a Drive lookout is an honest day. Two scramble peaks is a fit-party decision, not a default. Do not add Toolbrunup “because it is nearby.” Do not invent a ridge traverse to Ellen Peak from Magog.
Who should not: anyone who needed Bluff Knoll’s lookouts instead of its steps, and anyone on an extreme fire-danger day. Official: do not enter the bush or use footpaths on those days.
Highlights at a glance
- Mount Trio — 3.5 km, ~400 m ascent, steps, mountain bells
- Mount Hassell — 3 km, 847 m, scree and scramble, Toolbrunup views
- Mount Magog — 7 km, 856 m, quieter, possibly overgrown
- Talyuberlup — 2.6 km, hole-in-the-mountain, steep, sunset-capable with a torch
Practical tips
- One western peak plus a Drive lookout beats three rushed summits.
- Clean boots at every trailhead.
- After rain, the Drive is the decision gate — not the summit.
- Carry water and a warm layer even on a “short” 2.6 km.
- No dogs. 1080. Screenshot alerts in town.
Facilities & services
- Signed trailhead parking (variable)
- Mount Trio picnic among trees
- Drive lookouts and picnic pockets nearby
- No reliable drinking water on the walks
Confirm toilets, parking and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage.
Walks nearby
Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on Explore Parks WA / DBCA before you go.
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 →
Mount Hassell
hardTrail to 847 m, 430 m of climbing over about 1.5 km up. Starts gentler, then scree, then a rocky scramble. Superb views, especially of Toolbrunup. Not walked.
- Grade
- 3 km return to 847 m — 430 m ascent, scree, then a rocky scramble. Toolbrunup in the view
- Time
- Allow 2–3 hours return (longer if the scramble is slow)
- Distance
- 3 km return · 847 m summit · 430 m ascent
View guide →
Mount Magog
hardChallenging 7 km return to 856 m. Less often climbed. Track may be overgrown. Final section needs rock scrambling. Twin peaks in the western cluster. Not a casual wildflower stroll. Not walked.
- Grade
- 7 km return to 856 m — quieter, more wilderness in feel, final rock scramble
- Time
- Allow a half day (often 3–4 hours — confirm live)
- Distance
- 7 km return · 856 m
View guide →
Talyuberlup
moderateSteep 2.6 km return to a rock-covered peak. Exceptional views, wildflowers in season, gullies, caves and rocky outcrops. The hole-in-the-mountain is the signature. Sunset walks need a head torch for the reverse. Not walked.
- Grade
- 2.6 km return, steep, rock, hole-in-the-mountain — often used as a sunset walk
- Time
- Allow 1.5–2.5 hours return — longer if you linger in the rock maze
- Distance
- 2.6 km return
View guide →
Itineraries that use this area
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.
2 days in the Oct–Dec planning window (bloom not guaranteed)
Wildflower weekend (October–December window)
Season window, not a live bloom forecast. Drive lookouts, Mount Trio, maybe Talyuberlup, Bluff Knoll only if weather and parking allow. Dieback rules are the price of admission.
Related articles
Longer notes for this precinct — then come back to the area page for logistics.
Wildflower season is not a guaranteed week
October–December is the planning window for mountain bells and heath colour — not a live bloom forecast, and not a reason to leave the track.
Toolbrunup is not Bluff Knoll
Shorter kilometres, harder walking: why 4 km of scree and scramble is not a condensed Grade 4, and when to pick Trio instead.
Dieback and summit weather are the real park rules
Stay on tracks, clean boots, pack layers: Phytophthora and rapid peak weather fail more Stirling days than the entry fee does.
Map
Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
FAQ — Western peaks
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Which western peak is “easiest”?
Trio is the usual shorter stepped walk (3.5 km, ~400 m, about two hours). It is still steep. Lookouts on the Drive are easier than any summit. Confirm live grades.
Can I do two peaks in a day?
Fit parties sometimes pair a short one with a lookout. Stacking scramble peaks is how descents get sloppy. One summit is a complete day.
Is Magog overgrown?
Official notes say the track may be overgrown. That is a live condition. If the line fades, reverse. Confirm alerts.
Is Talyuberlup a good sunset walk?
It is short and steep with a hole in the mountain. Sunset only if you packed a head torch and a reverse plan before last light. Reception is limited. 000 needs reception.
Do I need 4WD?
No for ordinary dry conditions on graded unsealed spurs. After rain, high-clearance helps. Check alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au. There is no ferry.
Stays after you plan Western peaks
Optional Albany / Mount Barker beds after you plan this area. Tours live on the Tours hub; kit on Gear. Park fees and official Explore Parks WA 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
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