Stirling Range Ridge Walk (Eastern Peaks) — overview only

Area: Eastern peaks / Ridge Walk country

Guide updated 26 Aug 2026 · verify live track status with Explore Parks WA / DBCA

Unmarked wilderness route, not a casual multi-day. No designated trail, no reliable water, rugged terrain, changeable weather. Fatalities and costly rescues have occurred. Contact Stirling Range rangers or Albany District before you go. Register off-trail parties. Carry a PLB. This page is a warning, not a route guide. Not walked.

Decision summary

Best for: Experienced, self-reliant remote walkers who have already contacted rangers — not casual multi-day walkers
Skip if: Skip if you wanted a multi-day “like a long Bluff Knoll,” if you have no PLB, no remote navigation, or no ranger conversation. Almost everyone should skip this.
Time needed: 2–4 days for fit experienced parties (Trails WA: two to three days on the classic line)
Dogs: Dogs are not permitted anywhere in Stirling Range National Park. 1080 baiting is ongoing — poisonous to humans, dogs and cats.
Kids: No.
Entry / booking catch: Standard WA vehicle park entry applies (confirm live on Explore Parks WA / park-entry-fees). Planning figures re-checked 26 Aug 2026 against the official table last updated 20 Aug 2026: standard vehicle ≤12 occupants $17 / concession $10; motorcycle $10; large vehicle >12 occupants $8 per person / concession $3.50. Walk-in / cycle-in typically pay no vehicle fee. Pay at the Stirling Range Entry Station on Bluff Knoll Road off Chester Pass Road, with a camping booking, or via a Parks Pass. Passes cover entry only, not camping. This site does not sell passes.
Today’s alerts: Check Explore Parks WA / DBCA alerts (not this page)

Not walked. Overview only, from Explore Parks WA / Trails WA public warnings 2026-08-26. Confirm with rangers. This is not a route card.

Do not pair: Never pair this with a tourist day. Never present it as Plan B when Bluff Knoll is crowded.

Turnaround: There is no casual bail-out network. If you are already unsure at planning-table stage, you do not start. Established day walks do not require this route.

Treating blog kilometres as a marked trail
No water plan
No PLB
Starting from Bluff Knoll summit as a casual extension

Unmarked cross-country through the Wilderness Zone. Experienced parties only. Not a marked trail
2–4 days for fit experienced parties (Trails WA: two to three days on the classic line)
About 15–26+ km one way depending on variant (Trails WA cites ~26 km Ellen Peak to Bluff Knoll car park)
Effort: hard
Best for: Experienced, self-reliant remote walkers who have already contacted rangers — not casual multi-day walkers

Distance, grade, time, vehicle rules and open/closed status change — always verify with Explore Parks WA / DBCA (exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au) and alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au before you go.

Official DBCA info (verify status)

Stirling Range viewed from the summit of Toolbrunup Peak, April 2021 — Ridge Walk — From Toolbrunup summit
Aaimyep · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where you start

Not a signed trailhead product

Classic descriptions run from the north-east park boundary via Ellen Peak to the Bluff Knoll car park (or reverse). This is not a managed route. Do not start from the Bluff Knoll summit “to see how far it goes.”

How to get there

If you are reading this as a first Stirling visit, you wanted Bluff Knoll or a western peak — not this. Stop.
Experienced parties: contact Stirling Range National Park rangers or the Albany District office for current advice. Trails WA publishes office numbers; confirm live. Register at the shelter opposite the Bluff Knoll Road entry station for off-trail walking.
No walk permit for marked day walks. This is not a marked day walk. Vehicle entry still applies if you drive into the park.

How to do it (step by step)

Do not treat this paragraph as a how-to. Official advice: previous remote experience, navigation, map, specialised equipment, self-reliant first aid, PLB, plan for extreme weather. No reliable water.
If any of that kit or skill is missing, this walk is not on. Bluff Knoll is the marked peak. The Drive is the scenic product. Magog is already “quieter.” None of those are this route.
Leave a trip-intentions form with a responsible person. Screenshot alerts and Emergency WA. Extreme fire-danger days: do not enter the bush.

Overview only — not a casual multi-day

Trails WA: the Ridge Walk (Eastern Peaks) is about 26 km one way from the north-east park boundary via Ellen Peak to the Bluff Knoll car park — a difficult, unmarked, cross-country bushwalk with no designated trail through a Wilderness Zone, two to three days, not a managed route. Other variants are quoted in the 15–26+ km and 2–4 day range. Natural hazards exist. Walkers are responsible for their own safety. Not walked. This unofficial operator’s manual will not pretend otherwise.

Official advice: contact Stirling Range National Park rangers or Albany District beforehand; experience, navigation, specialised equipment; self-reliant first aid; PLB; prepare for extreme weather. Storms affect navigation and safety. No reliable water. Fatalities and costly rescues have occurred on long ridge treks. Established day walks do not require registration. Off-trail / abseil / climb: register at the shelter in the picnic area across from the Bluff Knoll Road entry station.

If you wanted a two-day Stirling trip, camp at Moingup Spring (Park Stay) or a boundary commercial camp and walk marked peaks. That is the operator two-day. The Ridge Walk is not that. Confirm live on Explore Parks WA / alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au and with rangers. Read the Plan B article: the ridge is not a casual multi-day.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on Explore Parks WA / DBCA before you drive.

Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.

Open in Google Maps Get directions

Extra tips

This site will not give you a waypoint list, water cache fantasy, or a “fit first-timer” variant. That would be the wrong kind of operator help.
Commercial tours that stay on marked peaks are a different product. Do not copy a ridge traverse from a trip report and call it official.

Area guide: Eastern peaks / Ridge Walk country

Nearby stays (optional)

After the walk plan is solid: Albany or Mount Barker beds if you still need them. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Official Park Stay camping, park fees and government bookings are never affiliated. Guided tours live on the Tours hub.

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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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