Stirling Range National Park 

The Stirling Range offers some of the best Mountain walking in Western Australia. The popular bush walking season is from Autumn (April) through winter and spring to summer (early December).

Bluff Knoll (1096 metres) is the highest peak in the Stirling Range. Other favourites are Toolbrunup Peak, Ellen Peak, Mount Trio, Mount Magog, Mount Hassell and Talyuberlup Peak. Extended wilderness hikes are possible - contact the Ranger for the area on 9827 9230.

The park is world renowned for wildflowers with over 1520 species including 125 orchids and 9 endemic mountain bells. Spring starts with the Queen of Sheba Orchid flowering at the end of August through to November when mountain bells, above the 300 metre contour level, and blue sun orchids flower.

According to recent research and fossil finds by the University of Western Australia, the Stirling Range formation was deposited between 590-540 million years ago. It is now thought that the sedimentary beds that form the range began to rise in the deformational age within the last 100 million years.

Both Red Gum Pass Road and Chester Pass Road which provide easy access to the mountains for motorists are along the courses of ancient rivers which flowed south during the early phases of the uplift.

The Stirling Range offers all from camping and hostel accommodation, caravan sites, chalets, cabins and other self catering accommodation. Conveniently located for walkers or those looking for quiet and seclusion.

History

The first ship known to visit the coast was the Dutch ship "Guilden Seepaart," in 1627. 195 years later it was English Captain Matthew Flinders on HMS "Investigator" who recorded the first sighting of the inland mountain range on January 5th 1802, calling them "Mount Rugged". The Stirling Range National Park was named by John Septimus Roe on 4th November 1835 after Captain James Stirling, the first Governor of Western Australia.