Castle Rock Granite Skywalk: Everything you need to know

One of the most unique experiences in the South West, the Granite Skywalk located on top of Castle Rock in the Porongurups is a great finish to rewarding hike.

Drawing a lot of visitors each year, the views you’ll get from up here are breathtaking and certainly worth working up a sweat for.

What is Castle Rock Granite Skywalk?

The Granite Skywalk is a stainless steel lookout that has been bolted directly onto a granite boulder at Castle Rock. The result is an impressive platform that winds around the granite to provide some epic views of the remaining peaks of the Porongurups, the Stirling Range to the north, Mount Manypeaks to the south east and the surrounding farmland.

Add in a 7m stainless steel ladder that you must climb in order to reach the lookout and it becomes a bit of a challenge in wet and windy weather. A series of grab handles bolted onto the granite that you must negotiate before reaching the ladder adds another layer of fun to proceedings.

Where Castle Rock Granite Skywalk?

Located about 50km north of Albany in the state’s south and 450km from Perth, the Porongurup National Park is easily accessible by 2WD cars. If you’re coming from Perth then take Albany Highway all the way to Mount Barker and follow the signs all the way to the park. If you’re approaching from Albany, get on Chester Pass Rd and head north until you reach Porongurup Road. Turn left and follow the signs to the Castle Rock car park.

The Granite Skywalk is located at the top of a hill and is only accessible via the walking trail to the summit.

What to do at the Granite Skywalk:

To get to the Granite Skywalk you must do the beautiful 4.4km return trail that heads up the hill through some spectacular Karri forest. It’s not an easy ascent with a pretty steady gradient to the 564m summit but once you’re there, it’s a very special place to be.

For those that don’t enjoy heights or think the scramble/climb up to the Skywalk isn’t for them then there is another lookout at the base of Castle Rock that still provides some quality views.

Another cool feature at the summit is the Balancing Rock, a giant round boulder that looks to be defying gravity as it perches on top of another granite slope.

What not to do:

During the busy times it can become a bit crowded at the Skywalk. With one person able to use the ladder at the same time, be mindful of others and be a nice human. As always adhere to the Leave No Trace principles and don’t wander off track, leave rubbish, pick wildflowers or fly a drone around when there are people trying to enjoy their own experience.

Anything else?

The Porongurups is a really interesting part of the state to explore with an award winning winery sharing the name of the most popular hike in the area and the Great Southern Distillery  providing some post-hike options to reward yourself.

If you’re looking for another trail that explores the granite peaks of the Porongurups then check out the Nancy Peak and Devils Slide hike. It may not have the wow factor of the Granite Skywalk but the expansive views and granite hills more than make up for it.

About the author:
Mark (The Life of Py) is a Perth based outdoor enthusiast that loves exploring the trails of Western Australia in his free time. When he isn’t out taking photos he is busy planning the next adventure. See more of his content here.