Nancy Peak Circuit | Devils Slide
Porongurup National Park
Directions - Located about half an hour north of Albany in Porongurup National Park, the Nancy Peak Circuit starts from the Tree in a Rock car park. From Chester Pass Road, turn left onto Porongurup Road and follow it all the way until you see the sign for Tree in a Rock, located at the end of Bolganup Road. The trail starts on the western side of the car park.
The Hike - One of my favourite trails around Albany, the Nancy Peak Circuit, with the optional side trip to Devils Slide, was a trail that I always meant to come back to and re-shoot. On my last road trip in 2020 to visit the Porongurups, the weather wasn't playing ball, so I decided to check out Twin Creeks Conservation Reserve instead, an excellent choice in the moment thanks to the excellent wildflower display.
Back in the area in the spring of 2023, I made plans to return and hopefully get some better conditions to hike this amazing trail. With a good window of weather expected, I said goodbye to the Albany leg of the trip and headed north to spend a few days exploring the Porongurups and Stirling Range. Given I couldn't check into my accommodation at the Stirling Range Retreat until the mid afternoon, I loaded up on supplies for the next week before driving out to the Porongurups. With a little bit of cloud hanging around when I turned onto Porongurup Road, I decided to make a detour and visit Twin Creeks again. On my last visit I had only explored the southern section, so decided a bit of wildflower and orchid appreciating was a good use of my time while I waited for the clouds to clear. This turned out to be a great decision, as I ended up seeing a raft of new wildflowers and orchids, including the Dragon and Zebra Orchids you see in the first photos above.
Having plenty of fun at Twin Creeks, I looked at my phone and saw that it was getting late to drive out to Tree in a Rock, do the hike and then continue onto Stirling Range Retreat with enough time to get settled. Arriving at the car park, which has been given an upgrade since my visit, I found a spot under the shade of the surrounding trees and set about getting my gear together for the challenging but scenic circuit walk. Deciding to once again walk this in an anti-clockwise direction, it meant I would be walking with my back to the setting sun for the exposed ridge walking, and not squinting to see anything. To get to both the Nancy Peak part of the walk, and the Devils Slide up and back trail, requires you to use the Wansbrough Walk, an old vehicle track taking you through the Karri Forest, and up towards where the three trails meet. It's a pleasant start to the walk, with a thick tunnel of greenery, and towering Karri Forest rising from each side. The overall gradient is slightly uphill but compared to other climbs you'll experience, it's pretty gentle.
I love this section of forest, with the thick undergrowth providing a closed in feeling, and the tall canopy finishing off the effect. This type of vegetation doesn't usually provide much light or room for forest floor wildflowers to thrive, but splashes of colour were provided by some of the bigger plants like the Holly-leaved Mirbelia, with their bright pink pea-shaped flowers livening up proceedings. Enjoying the pleasant up and down walking while it lasted, several fallen logs provided an opportunity to photograph the beautiful moss that loves this cold and wet part of Western Australia. This is one of the highlights from my first visit that I remember fondly, and it was nice to see there was still plenty in October. Passing a few of the taller Karri trees, I was soon at the trail junction where the Wansbrough Walk meets the Devils Slide side quest, and the start of the Nancy Peak Circuit. It makes sense to do the Devils Slide trail now, if that's something that interests you, which it was for me.
Taking the right turn, I emerged from the forest and joined the first of many exposed granite sections, with the bulk of the climb visible ahead. It's a relatively big climb in WA terms, with a 180m elevation gain over the next 700 metres of hiking, with some steep sections thrown in for good measure. Now out in the open, I was hoping for a bit more variety in terms of wildflowers, and maybe some orchids if I was lucky. As I started to climb and searched the fringe of the trail, a few early finds were there, but the main delight was looking around as the views of distant peaks started to improve. One of the photo opportunities I remember vividly from my first visit was a small wooden bridge that connects up to sections of granite. While it looks great as you approach it, the best view is once you cross it and look back, as your viewpoint along the bridge is assisted by the two slopes pointing towards the distant farmland.
After the exposed granite leading up to the bridge, you head back into a more closed in space as the Devils Slide turns into something a little more unnatural. It starts off with Sword Grasses, that are native, but then curtains of introduced species create a Secret Garden type effect. I have mixed feelings about this, as it creates some nice photos that you rarely get in WA but these creepers really choke the natural environment. We have natural creepers in WA like Coral Vine and Native Wisteria but these varieties are on another level in terms of taking over the place. That being said, it wouldn't look nearly as nice if it wasn't for the large granite boulders and thick boi trees that you find around almost every corner as you start climbing up steeper ascents. These features provide a good excuse to stop and have a breather, whether you're photographing them, or just admiring up close. Occasional gaps in the undergrowth provide some views to the mid slopes of the westernmost peaks of the Porongurups.
The views are limited but there's more to come. A section of relatively open forest compared to the rest of the climb, the tree trunks were nice to see before it was back into the green tunnel. Hugging the edge of a large slab of granite, you navigate through a couple of rows of Sword Grass before popping out into one of the cooler parts of the whole trail. Coming out of the undergrowth, you are presented with a rounded granite bowl that requires you to walk to the left, and then rise up before doubling back against the face of the rock. Trail markers bolted to the granite help you know which way to go, but care must be taken when it's wet, as the granite slope can be slippery. From here you have one last scramble to reach the top of Devils Slide, where you'll find a couple of markers on top of the rock. This isn't quite the highest point, as you look north and see a slight rise where the true summit is. I hopped over a series of rocks to reach the largest section of granite here, where you are rewarded with some fantastic views.
The last time I visited, it was grey and gloomy, so I was happy that things were a little brighter today. The views from up here are well worth the effort of the hike up, with Marmabup Rock to the south west, the ridge line of the Porongurups to the east, including Nancy Peak, and the outline of the Stirling Range to the north. It's a beautiful place to stand and relax after the effort of the climb, and there are so many different scenes to look at. Whether that be the distant views, the open skies, or back down into the valley, there's plenty to catch your eye. In September and October, there is a Boronia plant that lives up at the summit that provides a nice bit of colour to the grey rocks, so be careful not to step on it. With the first big climb out the way, it was time to head back down and finish the side quest. Going down was just as much fun as going up, with better views thanks to facing the correct way to see them.
Taking my time to stop and photograph the boulders on the way down, I was back at the trail junction in no time, ready to tackle the Nancy Peak Circuit. Being back in the forest was lovely, and the start of the circuit takes you through a mix of Jarrah and Karri Forest, as you walk towards the start of the long climb up to the tallest part of the ridge at Nancy Peak (hence the name). Nancy Peak sits 20m lower in height than Devils Slide, and the climb up there is on a much gentler gradient. Helping you to get up there is a series of steps, with the first lot being the toughest. Looking back from the top, you get a stunning sight as the cream coloured trunks of the Karri Forest provides a magical photo opportunity. The ridge line here is made up of three named parts, with Morgans View being the first one you come across. This is where you'll get your first glimpse looking back at Devils Slide and Marmabup Rock, an imposing mound of mossy rocks that is a view you'll remember.
There are better views to come but this is a moment to appreciate, as the slightly lower perspective makes it more impressive in my eyes. Continuing along, I was beginning to question why there was a thick hose running along the side of the trail but with trail improvements due over the coming year, I figured it might be something to do with that. I found out later on, it connected to one of those portable plastic water containers, and given the upgrades involved more stairs, I can only assume it was making the mortar. Trying my best to not get the hose in all my shots, I had to select my angles carefully, as I continued to climb, sometimes through thick scrub, sometimes along a piece of exposed granite. Reaching Nancy Peak, this is the highest point along the ridge, and provides some of the best views on the entire hike. Looking back at Devils Slide is amazing, and with the sun trying to poke through the clouds, it was much better looking than the gloomy conditions I had last time.
There is a granite marble on the edge of a rocky platform that provides a nice foreground object for the views across to Devils Slide, and it was too good not to use as the main cover photos for this post. Along was looking back to the west, the outline of the Stirling Range to the north is visible on a clear day, and I can sort of see why certain parts get referred to as the Sleeping Lady. I've always wanted to open up a little hiking retreat in the land on the northern side of the Porongurups, and waking up each morning to see the Sleeping Lady would be a nie touch. With land prices and availability, I don't think the hiking retreat will be a reality anytime soon. Starting the descent from Nancy Peak this side of the trail is a much nicer experience, with a mix of closed in vegetation and granite slopes. Along here I had some cool finds, with a colony of White Fairy Orchids hiding in the undergrowth, and the first time I'd photographed an Elegant Parrot.
Deciding this would be my last trail for the day, I was going to savour the experience as much as possible. The sun had come out a little more, but the air had a slight chill to it. When the wind blew through, it felt like some of the freshest air in the world. From here until joining the forest again, the trail takes you from granite platform to granite platform. I had forgotten how many there actually were, and the variety was nice. Among the moss were some Pink Petticoats, although I was secretly hoping for more orchids instead. I passed a group of hikers going in the other direction that looked to be on a tour but they didn't seem too interested in reciprocating my hello. Stepping off the final granite platform, I was excited to take in this final descent through the forest, as I had fond memories of it. I didn't remember too much of the first section, and a gazebo setup in the distance peaked my interest. I thought it odd that someone would setup a camp here, so blazon on the side of a well used trail.
As it turns out, it was protecting a lot of climbing gear from getting wet, but whoever it belonged to weren't around, and placing a lot of trust in hikers not to take anything, which to be fair, we are mostly good and trustworthy people. Continuing to descend, the number of large trees increased, with several located right next to the trail. The bright lighting wasn't ideal for my photos but I was just happy to be here enjoying the forest. Along this stretch leading towards the final highlight of the trail, there are several fallen logs and small boulders that are covered in bright green moss, along with a series of large boulders that are similarly covered. Loving this part, I tried to do my best with the lighting available, before moving on to reach the Tree in a Rock. Aptly named because you guessed it, there is a large Karri tree growing right in the middle of a large granite rock, it goes to show the immense pressure these trees can exert over time, enough to crack open a rock. Getting some better photos than I took last time, I was soon walking the last part of the trail leading to the car park, thoroughly impressed with my re-hike of the Nancy Peak Circuit.
Final Thoughts - I never quite know with some trails that I hiked early on in the website, if they are going to be as enjoyable on a repeat visit.
Having completed a lot of trails in the time between hiking this one, I can safely say the wow factor remains, and this is a stunning place to experience.
The combination of challenging climbs, bare granite hills, stunning Karri Forest and epic views is one that makes this a special trail, even better than the nearby Castle Rock Granite Skywalk that draws a lot more visitors.
If you have the fitness and the time, this is a hike you should be adding to your Porongurups itinerary.
Get out there and experience it!
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