St Mary Peak Loop – Ngarri Mudlanha

From the visitor-centre and resort area, the first roughly four kilometres pass through shady woodland on an easy, mostly rolling track. That is the calm start before the route turns onto open scrub and climbs more sharply. Loose red sand, rock and rubble slow your steps; there are several short scrambles, and the approach to Tanderra has a brief exposed move. Save energy for the rough upper ground and the long descent; the climb is harder than the first kilometres suggest.

Tanderra Saddle is a useful rest point, with views over Wilpena Pound and the surrounding ridges. The peak lies about 1.5 km farther along the route; getting there means steep boulder steps, followed by the same spur back to the saddle. The top is an open rocky plateau with views toward Lake Torrens and the northern ranges. If you continue to the saddle-side ledges, frame their foreground rock against the Pound for a wider view that shows how the bowl sits within the ridges.

The Inside Trail starts with a narrow, rocky descent and uneven steps. For several kilometres, you can see mountains on both sides; then the path reaches the Pound floor and the mood changes to shaded woodland and flatter walking. The route account describes about 3.5 km of descending before this easier section. Near Hills Homestead, the stone house and interpretive panels tell the story of the Hills sheep-farming family, who built it in 1888; visitors cannot enter the building.

From the homestead area, the marked track network follows Top Track and Pound Gap back toward the visitor-centre side of Wilpena. The final kilometres are easier underfoot, but they arrive after a long day, so keep a steady pace rather than spending all your energy on the summit spur.

Use the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre as the start and parking base. The visitor area has an information office; the nearby resort restaurant and bar are a separate stop, not food on the trail. Ranger guidance is to leave no later than 9 am, or 10 am during daylight saving, for this nine-hour outing. The trail has a recurring seasonal closure from 30 November to 1 March and also closes on Catastrophic Fire Danger days. Dogs are not permitted in the park. Loose rock and the exposed upper climb make this a hard day, especially on the return.

Adnyamathanha people regard St Mary Peak as central to a creation story and prefer visitors not to climb beyond Tanderra Saddle. The saddle itself has wide ridge views; stopping there skips the roughly 3 km summit out-and-back while the Inside Trail still completes a circuit. A separate direct option goes to the saddle and returns the same way in about 14.6 km and six hours. That route is shorter, but it does not make the loop.