Devil's Peak Walking Trail (2.4km)

The Flinders Ranges is a young landscape made from ancient rocks that reflect changes in Australia’s environment over the millennia. As you walk along the Devil’s Peak trail you climb through an ancient and vital piece of Earth history. The rocks around you represent the various time periods, such as the Cambrian, Ediacaran and Pre-Cambrian.

Geologically, the Flinders Ranges are considered to be anticlines (upwards folds) with arches and basins within them. At the top of Devil’s Peak you can see this clearly. From Devil’s Peak you can see Mount Brown to the south-east, which is the highest peak near Quorn and can have snow on its summit during winter. Also in the south-east look down to The Devil’s Punchbowl to the north you can see the majestic Elder Range and Wilpena Pound. To the west is the ghost town of Pichi Richi.

Many faults are active in the Flinders Ranges and cause frequent earth tremors, indicating that the squeezing and stretching of the strata continues today. Separate ranges that you see today were once a single mountainous range. This does not mean that the Flinders Ranges were massive mountains, but rather the soft rock was eroded away as it was pushed above sea level.

The Flinders Ranges are approximately 400 kilometres long and stretch from Port Pirie in the south to Mt Hopeless, north of Arkaroola. Erosion has levelled all but the harder layers, which form the many dramatic ridges. St Mary’s Peak at Wilpena Pound is the highest spot in the Flinders Ranges reaching 1170 metres high.

Common birds in this area include the Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa), Grey Shrike Thrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) and Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius barnardi).