Parking
Use the signed Mt Zero Picnic Area off Mt Zero Road at 41 Mt Zero Road, Laharum. This is the start and finish for the 4.6 km return variant.
Overview
About Mt Stapylton (Gunigalg) Loop Walk
Why go
- Sweeping summit views over the ranges and plains
- Distinctive sandstone rock hopping and scrambling
Heads up
- Steep, exposed upper section
- Possible slippery surfaces and water crossings
The summit area opens out to broad views across much of the park and the plains beyond. It is the kind of view that makes the scramble feel short in hindsight.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation252–464 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active Grampians alerts
- ClosureBushfire-damaged walks and picnic area remain closedThe Fortress, Red Gum, Billimina, Chimney Pots and Brownings Loop walks, plus Mafeking Picnic Area, remain closed because of track or site damage from the 2024/25 summer bushfires.Official details
- ClosureMackenzie Falls precinct closed during constructionThe Mackenzie Falls (Migunang wirab) Precinct has no vehicle or visitor access during major construction works expected to finish by the end of 2026.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grampians Tour Guide
Your drive to Mt Stapylton (Gunigalg) Loop Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grampians National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Mount Zero and Stapylton: Pick Your Climb0:00 / 1:04
“Up ahead is the Mount Zero Picnic Area, the starting point for Mount Stapylton and Mount Zero, with a shorter option that's well worth knowing about.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Hollow Mountain and Gulgurn Manja
- The View That Changed the Route
- The Bird That Plants Mistletoe
- The Trail Starts at Mount Zero
- 233 audio storiesacross Grampians’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Short-beaked Echidna, Powerful Owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 81 trails, 62 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Mt Stapylton (Gunigalg) Loop Walk
The short versionThis is an out and back walk, despite the "Loop Walk" in its name.
This is an out and back walk, despite the "Loop Walk" in its name. You start and finish at Mt Zero Picnic Area, and the 4.6 km figure is the total there and back. Allow about 2 hours 30 minutes. It is graded hard, and that grade is earned in the last stretch.
How the route unfoldsFrom the picnic area the track climbs gradually through rocky terraces and open, low forest to…
From the picnic area the track climbs gradually through rocky terraces and open, low forest to a track intersection. From there it steepens over the Flat Rock area, where walking turns into rock hopping and scrambling. Higher up there is a brief descent to the base of Taipan Wall before a steady climb along the terraces, then a final steep push past a wind scoured cave to the summit area. You return the same way you came.
Difficulty and footingBest suited to fit and energetic walkers who are comfortable using their hands on rock. Expect:
Best suited to fit and energetic walkers who are comfortable using their hands on rock. Expect:
Triangular markers guide you through the rocky ground, so keep an eye out for them when the route across bare rock is not obvious. Sturdy footwear is essential.
- Rock hopping and rock scrambling on the steep upper sections
- Possible water crossings and slippery track surfaces
- Open, exposed sandstone slabs rather than a smooth graded path
Access and one rule to knowThe trailhead is Mt Zero Picnic Area, 41 Mt Zero Road, Laharum.
The trailhead is Mt Zero Picnic Area, 41 Mt Zero Road, Laharum. Start and finish are both here, not at the summit or a campground. Dogs are not permitted anywhere on this national park walk, with assistance animals covered by separate rules.
Avoiding a common mix upThere is a longer version of the Mount Stapylton walk that begins at Stapylton Campground and…
There is a longer version of the Mount Stapylton walk that begins at Stapylton Campground and covers roughly triple the distance. If you have planned for 4.6 km return, make sure you are heading out from Mt Zero Picnic Area.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grampians
157 sightingsShort-beaked EchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsPowerful OwlMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
24 sightingsEastern Brown SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
10 sightingsTiger SnakeMost seen around noonSighting map
29 sightingsRed-bellied Black SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grampians. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
