Mount Ohlssen Bagge is easily one of the best hikes in the Flinders Ranges. With jaw dropping views almost the entire way - as well as terrain which makes it feel like a bit of an adventure - it’s a must for anyone up for a bit of a challenge. The deep red rock and surrounding scrub made us feel like we were back in Arizona, and it would be hard to imagine there could be better views of Wilpena Pound anywhere in the Flinders.
It’s a steep walk and for much of the way there is no set path, but there are a series of arrows to guide you. Getting to the top definitely feels like a sense of achievement!
Here’s what to expect on the Mount Ohlssen Bagge hike.
The Mount Ohlssen Bagge hike
The stats
Distance: 3.5km each way
Elevation: 408m
Difficulty: Hard
The Mount Ohlssen Bagge track is a continuously uphill hike with many sections that are rocky underfoot. Due to the terrain, we don’t recommend going on this track after rain.
We did this trail on a hot day in November and were pretty slow going up, we took 1.5 hours along the Drought Busters route and 50 minutes coming down the direct route. There is no shade on the walk so If you are hiking on a hot day, bring a hat, plenty of water and sunscreen.
Starting the trail at Wilpena Pound
The trailhead for the Mount Ohlssen Bagge hike is at the far end of the Wilpena Pound Resort (you can find it on Google Maps by clicking here).
The walk begins just past the gate at the resort car park and heads into a relatively shady patch of bush land - although the shade doesn’t last long!
After 200m of flat trail you can choose either to take the most direct route towards Mount Ohlssen Bagge or the slightly longer Drought Busters option (Drought Busters is also known as the Boom and Bust loop). It adds on roughly 400m.
Which route to choose
We took the Drought Busters route which takes you through the forest with lots of signage about the flora and fauna of the area and how it varies according to whether there has been significant rainfall or not.
It’s fairly easy with just a little uphill and there’s a good chance of spotting emu, although sadly we didn’t get lucky.
I enjoyed it, but if you’re feeling like you just want to get to the top as quickly as possibly you are better off just taking the direct route.
Goanna on the trail
The climb begins
Both trails converge after a short distance and then the real climb begins. It’s fairly steep from the off, as you make your way up a mixture of stairs and rocky slope.
There are some nice flat sections in between to catch your breath but barely any shade for the whole walk. If you’re walking on a hot day it would be ideal to start early.
Our plan had been to start just after sunrise but in the end we didn’t hit the trail until just after 9am and part way through the heat did start to hit you (we were hiking in November).
You start to get some fabulous views almost straight away, both ahead of you to the deep red mountains and behind you to Wilpena Pound, you can even see the resorts safari tents nestled amongst the trees.
After around 300m the track steepens a bit and there is loose rock underfoot. Happily it’s not slippery on a dry day, but sections like this is why we don’t recommend doing this trail after some rain. It could be really easy to take a fall.
You’ll continue to make your way uphill and then along short flatter sections with route markers every 200m. Normally we love motivational signage but these ones seemed only to highlight how slow we were going as we could never believe we’d only progressed by a measly 200m!
There are some nice sections of slick rock which make the hiking easier as you don’t have to deal with rocks or rubble and I wished more of it was like that to get some speed up!
The scramble
After 1km from when the tracks converged you’ll reach a very short scramble.
It is fairly steep but it looks harder than it is because the rock is so grippy, it’s actually not that difficult at all and I never felt like I might slip.
The trail goes up the rock and past the post!
I can get nervous on scrambles but the rock gave me lots of confidence, even in my old boots which have lost a lot of tread it felt secure.
Although when I got to this section on the way back I did go down on my bum!
The track continues to head uphill steeply but you will have plenty more short flat sections as you weave your way up.
The views get better and better, and you get a great look at St Mary Peak as well as all the surrounding mountains. It’s really arid and the plants all look like hardy desert types.
It was unlike any other scenery we’ve hiked in, in Australia so far.
The final push
With 1km to go you enter a large flattish area and you can see Mount Ohlssen Bagge directly ahead of you, it still feels quite far away but the last few hundred metres are easier so you’ve not actually got that long to go.
Again it’s steep and there are the odd very short, easy scrambles. When you reach the sign for 400m to go you can breathe easy because the incline is very gradual from there. Just a few more rocks and a little more flat path will take you to the end of the trail.
The rocky ridge at the top is long and wide, with plenty of space to sit and relax with those absolutely spectacular views. Whichever way you look, it really is breathtaking and it’s a hard spot to leave!
The descent
Most of the way up I’d been thinking about how difficult it was going to be to come back down again! I was sure it was going to be one of those walks that takes as long on the descent, but happily it was much easier than I thought.
The footing was actually easy for much of the way and you could come down quite quickly, which was great on a hot day.
There was only that one short scramble that I needed to slide down on my bum but other than that it was so much more straightforward than it looks. The rocks are grippy and even the loose rock wasn’t slippery.
The views are also fabulous all the way down to the tree line. Overall it’s an incredible hike which offers a decent workout without being overly difficult.
We’ve heard that it’s particularly beautiful at sunrise but all the early starts had caught up with us by this point!
Essential information about the Mount Ohlssen Bagge hike
Seasonal trail closures
This trail closes when the weather becomes too hot. Generally that is over the summer months of December - February, but it’s worth checking with the the parks service to be sure if you’re planning a trip close to those dates.
National park entry fee
The Mount Ohlssen Bagge Trail is within the Flinders Ranges National Park, which requires a National Park Pass. You can buy a single day entry ($12.50 per vehicle), a 2 month multiple park entry pass ($50) or a 12 month pass ($112).
You can buy this pass from a visitors centre or online through the South Australia Parks website.
Getting to the trailhead
The trailhead is easy to miss, but luckily the hike is marked on Google! It starts just by the Wilpena Pound Resort, and you can find it by clicking on this link.
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What’s your favourite hike in the Flinders Ranges? Let us know in the comments below!
