The Pinnacle via Sundial Carpark

This is the short way up to The Pinnacle, an out-and-back walk from Sundial Carpark via Devil's Gap to The Pinnacle Lookout, returning along the same corridor. The official figure is 4.2 km total return, and the map here traces the physical track once at about 1.99 km (1.24 mi) one way rather than drawing the return leg twice. Budget 1.5 to 2 hours return, with about 1.75 hours a fair point estimate.

The track climbs steadily out of the carpark through rocky woodland, then threads past the imposing sandstone formations of Devil's Gap before the final approach to the lookout. The Pinnacle sits at roughly 720 m above sea level, about 110 m of ascent from the carpark, and the reward is a dramatic rocky outcrop with a fenced viewing platform and broad views over Halls Gap, Lake Bellfield, the surrounding ranges and out across western Victoria. Turn around here and retrace your steps.

Rate it easy-to-moderate to moderate, roughly 4/10. It is short, but it is a genuine rocky climb rather than a flat or fully surfaced path. Expect:

Sturdy shoes with grip are the single best thing you can bring. Keep children and anyone unsteady close on the summit rocks, and stay behind fencing where it exists.

• Rock hopping and uneven stone steps
• Some water crossings along the way
• Slippery rock where it is damp or shaded
• Steep pinches on the upper section
• Exposed and unstable cliff edges near the lookout

Start at the signed Sundial Carpark, which has picnic tables and toilets. Dogs and other pets are not permitted in the national park, aside from applicable assistance-dog rules, and no fires are permitted. Carry your own water and take rubbish out with you.

The walk is a good short lesson in layered Grampians sandstone, tilted and weathered into slabs, gaps and overhangs that the track weaves between. Vegetation is low rocky woodland and native heath, and spring brings wildflowers through the understorey. You may see kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, skinks or snakes here, though sightings are luck rather than a given. Give snakes space and keep to the track.

This is generally considered the easiest route to The Pinnacle, and it is the more manageable option for young children or less confident walkers. The alternative starts at Wonderland Carpark and passes through the Grand Canyon and Silent Street to reach the same lookout. That version is longer and more demanding, and it is a separate walk rather than part of this stored route.