The 24-sq-km, 12km-long Porongurup National Park has 1100-million-year-old granite outcrops, panoramic views, beautiful scenery, large karri trees and some excellent bushwalks.
Bushwalks range from the 100m Tree-in-the-Rock stroll to the harder Hayward and Nancy Peaks (5.5km loop). The Devil's Slide (5km return) passes through karri forest to the stumpy vegetation of the granite. These walks start from the main day-use area (Bolganup Rd). Castle Rock Trail to Balancing Rock (3km return) starts further east, signposted off the Mt Barker–Porongurup Rd. The Castle Rock Granite Skywalk Trail (4.4km return, two hours) negotiates a steep and spectacular path up the rock. The final 200m ascent to the summit incorporates a steep rocky scramble and a vertical 7m ladder.
Porongurup is also part of the Great Southern wine region and there are 11 wineries in the vicinity. See www.porongurup.com.
