Wilpena Pound is the heart of the Flinders Ranges — a natural amphitheatre of quartzite ridges enclosing a valley roughly 17 kilometres long and eight wide. The only entrance is a narrow gap in the southern wall through which Wilpena Creek flows. From the outside the rings of hills look like ordinary ranges; from St Mary Peak on the western rim, you look down and suddenly understand you have been standing inside an ancient geological bowl.
The walk from Wilpena Resort to the floor of the Pound is easy and takes about an hour each way. For more serious walkers, the ABC Range offers a full-day circuit along the outer eastern rim with spectacular views in both directions. The summit of St Mary Peak — the highest point in the Flinders — can be done in a long day but involves a steep ascent on loose quartzite above the treeline. Note that the summit itself is sacred to the Adnyamathanha and the traditional custodians ask visitors to stop at the subsidiary peak below it.