Bluff Knoll
Stirling Range National Park
Directions - Located in Stirling Range National Park, Bluff Knoll is approximately 100 kilometres (one hour) north of Albany. From the centre of Albany, head north on Albany Highway, turning right at the large roundabout to continue along Chester Pass Road. This will take you all the way to the well signed Bluff Knoll turn-off. Follow Bluff Knoll Road past the cafe and ranger station, driving for eight kilometres until you reach the car park at the base of the mountain.
The Hike - The highest point in the South West of Western Australia at 1095m above sea level, Bluff Knoll (or Bular Mial) is also a popular day hike thanks to the stunning views, physical challenge, diverse flora and being one of the only places in WA to receive sporadic snowfall when the coldest of cold fronts blows in from the Antarctic. This is a hike I've done many times over the years but my previous post for this trail was a mish-mash collection of photos I'd taken on various trips and the words didn't really match.
Back in the Stirling Range on a research trip for my next book, climbing Bluff Knoll in excellent weather was a priority, so I kept a close eye on the forecast. Here for two full days and staying close by at the Stirling Range Retreat, I could be flexible with my plans depending on how clear it was. As it turned out, I had one day of excellent conditions, so started my day with a morning hike up Toolbrunup Peak, a midday jaunt up Mount Hassell, an afternoon rest, then the big one. Given the first half of the trail up Bluff Knoll faces west, I thought this was best hiked in the afternoon when the sun would be illuminating the side of the mountain. This was a good call, with the lighting providing some lovely photos for most of the journey up and down. Arriving at the car park, things were looking lovely for a clear hike up, but Bluff Knoll is a place of changing weather, so I still had a jumper and rain jacket just in case. With school holidays now over, the crowds had settled down, and I might get a relatively quiet hike in.
Being the highest point in the South West, Bluff Knoll is also one of the longest trails in the Stirling Range, with most of that on a hill of varying gradient. With that being said, the first part from the upgraded trail head is downhill, which means the last little push after descending is an uphill. Looking up at the daunting hunk of rock ahead, one could be stumped as to how a walking trail gets up there, but all is revealed in due time. After initially walking through open heath that was full of wildflowers, you enter the forest on the lower slopes to begin the long ascent that lasts for the next 3.1kms. Making use of the mind boggling amount of stairs in place, the trail was recently upgraded to add in more steps, a move I understand but am not a fan of. Given people have died up here and it's visited by a range of people, not all being experienced hikers, the need for steady footing is warranted. This being my third hike of the day, my legs were a little heavy as I plodded up the steps towards the seasonal waterfall.
I have an early childhood memory of visiting the waterfall with my family, stopping here while Dad continued up to the summit. While I have a visual in my head, the feeling of the water and being cooled down stuck with me. Today it was barely a trickle as the past week had been warm and dry, but I still stopped to enjoy a break and collect water in my hat to cool my head. Starting to gain elevation, the waterfall is about a third of the way up the climb, although it doesn't feel that way when you get going again and see the seemingly endless stairs ahead. Thankfully the section of thick vegetation is over, and you get to distract yourself with some truly stunning views across to Coyanarup Peak and the western mountains of the Stirling Range. Hitting some of the steepest gradients of the climb, the exposed edge of the trail really hammers home that it's a sheer drop if you stumble. The trail is wide enough that if you don't want to think about that, you can hug the rock wall for safety.
Although this section is tough, it's one of my favourites thanks to the great views and the photo opportunities you get here. Last time I was on Bluff Knoll, it was pitch black as we descended down to the car, after two full days on the Stirling Ridge Walk. With no views then to distract me, and weary legs from the SRW, it was not a fun descent and I wondered if it was due to the trail or just me. I would find out on the way down but for now, I pushed on. Passing a few people coming down, we had a friendly chat before they wished me well for the rest of my journey. One fun thing about this stretch is getting your first glimpse looking back down at the car park and seeing how far you've come, even if it doesn't feel that way. Even though the trail is exposed to the elements here, the wildflowers continued to be excellent with an Aniseed Boronia and Gastolobium loving life on the edge of the path. The Stirling Range is known for having a great number of different flora species and I spotted plenty of new plants I'd not seen before, even if I don't know what some of them are yet.
Another fun find was a flowering Banksia that turned out to be a Stirling Range Banksia, an endangered variety that you guessed it, only grows around the Stirling Range. This also happened to be where the steep gradients start to ease and the trail begins to turn to the east. From here you get a moment where you can stare back at the western peaks, along with looking south towards Mount Manypeaks (visible on a clear day). If you've been protected from the southerly winds up until now, this is the spot where you'll get blasted. You're quite exposed from here until the summit and being above 900m ASL, it can get cold and wet up here quickly. Rounding a corner to head north along the saddle, the stairs continue to be a companion as you walk towards a little respite area. A large section of exposed rock provides a place to sit and enjoy the views looking west, along with having a read of the information boards telling you all about the terrain up here.
Enjoying a quick break, I did notice some clouds rolling in and decided to keep moving towards the summit. A short distance from the jagged rocks, I spotted something small yet familiar in the undergrowth. A tiny, battered Donkey Orchid was still going strong up here in the sub-alpine terrain and I admired its determination. It was certainly the highest point I'd seen a Donkey Orchid and wasn't something I was expecting. Moving on, I passed through a corridor of Drummond's Wattle and could finally see the last section leading towards the summit. Before the final push, there is a rocky platform that provides some of the best views looking west, but is a sheer drop at the edge, so be cautious. Skipping up the final hill, I was soon at the summit and ready to have a breather while photographing what I could before the clouds rolled in. The summit is relatively flat, with a grouping of rocks providing a bit of shelter from the wind. Looking north-east and tracing the path of the Stirling Ridge Walk brought back some memories, along with getting to the Bluff Knoll summit right as the light disappeared.
I had about five minutes of semi-clear conditions before a fast moving cloud rolled through and blanketed the summit in a dull grey. With enough photos in the bag already, I did briefly ponder waiting for it to clear before deciding to head back down. The weather comes and goes very quickly up here, so if you do get whiteout conditions on an otherwise clear day, hunker down with the warm clothing you brought in your pack and see if it clears. With the easy half now done, I skipped down the trail and sure enough, the clouds had cleared up by the time I reached the rocky platform. Enjoying sunny skies and epic mountain views as I descended, this was one of those "life is really good" moments that happen quite a lot when I'm out hiking. Lapping up this section until the trail does a U-turn, I knew pain and suffering was on the way. Not worrying about that for now, I had great fun photographing the craggy rocks in the distance, along with the wide vistas that were looking a treat.
Rounding the corner, the stairs increased in frequency and height, and the monotony of left-right-left combined with my whole body weight going through my knees meant this wasn't as enjoyable as going up. Now an old man, the body doesn't quite react as well as it used to when throwing three mountain hikes in one day at it. One positive thing was the gorgeous lighting now the sun was a little lower in the sky. At least I was doing better than a group of four lads that had started at the same time as me. I passed them just before reaching the waterfall on the way down and had a little chuckle as they tried to look all macho as I passed, even though they were clearly going the old ess tee ruggle. The rest of the descent was filled with photographing the wildflowers and watching the landmarks in the distance gradually get lower. Arriving back at the car park, I was pleased to have hiked this one in good weather and was looking forward to a rest in my cabin at the Stirling Range Retreat. Enjoying a shower and some dinner, I was treated to an amazing sunset that capped off a day I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
Final Thoughts – Being one of the most instantly recognisable hikes in Western Australia, it's nice to finally have a post for Bluff Knoll that matches the quality of the trail.
As the premier hike in the Stirling Range, a lot of effort has gone into upgrading this trail to cope with the visitor numbers it receives each year. It's easy to see why so many love it, given the views, physical challenge and name recognition.
Enjoy your hike up Bluff Knoll and remember to always be prepared.
Get out there and experience it!
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