Best hikes around Adelaide

Credit Union SA

Member Experience Team

22 Nov 2021

We are really blessed to have some wonderful hiking trails in Adelaide,

And there’s no better time to check them out than Spring! So we asked our team to give us their favourite hikes around Adelaide and here’s what they recommended.

Around Adelaide

Pioneer Women's Trail (Verdun to Beaumont)

This historic trail is perfect for walkers, mainly following country roads, laneways and bush tracks through a delightful section of the Adelaide Hills. You’ll spot historic homes, deciduous trees and native bushland. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do the whole trail – there are plenty of points along the way that you can leave a car, joining and returning as you please. If you do tackle the whole 26km, you can take a pitstop in the towns of Stirling or Crafers.

Brownhill Creek, Mitcham

This loop hike traverses the Brownhill Creek valley, through and beyond Brownhill Creek Recreation Park, up the Yurrebilla Trail and into Belair National Park. With great views over the Adelaide Plains, the park used to be a quarry and is largely undeveloped. There are numerous un-signposted walking trails and fire tracks.

Black Hill, Athelstone

An excellent short circuit hike through Black Hill Conservation Park to the summit of Black Hill. The trail is mostly narrow walking track, with a fire track at the top and has great views over the Adelaide Plains. It has around the same ascent as the popular Mount Lofty hike but with easier parking and without the crowds of people.

Mt Osmond

The Burnside Walks network is a series of walking and shared-use trails around the hills on the edge of the City of Burnside, in Mount Osmond Reserve, and in adjoining Chambers Gully and Cleland Conservation Park. The trails are all well marked, with great signage and numbered checkpoints that match to their great walking map.

Anstey Hill

Anstey Hill Recreation Park provides a spectacular backdrop of creeks, ridgetops and views of Adelaide city for all to experience and enjoy.

Mt Lofty

Close to the city, Mount Lofty is one of the most popular Lululemon clad hiking trails. But did you know there are 8 ways to hike up to the summit? One of our favourites is to start from the Burnside Quarry rather than the well know start at Waterfall Gully.

Morialta Conservation Park

For over 100 years, the gorges, waterfalls and woodlands of Morialta have provided a recreational escape for walkers and rock climbers just 10km from the city of Adelaide. Plus, kids love the wonderful nature playground that requires no hiking at all.

Further afield

Deep Creek Cove Hike, Fleurieu Peninsula

For fresh sea air and sweeping scenery, this is a good day trip 100km-drive from Adelaide. The 6km hike starts from Trig campsite and picnic areas, down to a secluded cove where Deep Creek meets the ocean. Enjoy ocean views as you descend, be warned that the end of the hike into the cove can be steep. If you took a little too many serves of pudding and need a longer trek then there is also a 12km circuit hike you can check out.

Alligator Gorge Ring Route Hike, Mt Remarkable National Park

If you find yourself near the mid-North town of Melrose, there’s a looping 3.3km hike at Alligator Gorge. This includes a section called The Narrows, where the gorge is only a couple of metres wide for several hundred metres. You’ll enjoy hopping across the rocks and climbing over The Terraces, which are a series of platforms where the creek flows.

Beyeria Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island

For those on Kangaroo Island, this short, easy stroll may not be well-known but is a great little exploration through the mallee scrub. Pick up an info card at the beginning so you can learn about the native plants along the way. It’s close to popular attractions Clifford’s Honey Farm and Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery.

Join Credit Union SA

Say goodbye to big-profit banks and enjoy the benefits of being part of a credit union that helps you do more with your money.