Best 10 Hiking Trails in Adelaide [Adelaide Hiking Guide]

Is Adelaide Good For Hiking?

Hiking lovers will find paradise in Adelaide, tucked away in the centre of South Australia. There are several paths available for hikers of all skill levels and interests. Adelaide is an ideal hiking location for the following reasons:

Diverse Landscapes: The area around Adelaide is home to a variety of landscapes, including peaceful woodlands, rocky mountains, and coastal cliffs. Because of this variety, hikers have many possibilities, so there's always a new path to discover. Adelaide has it all, whether you're looking for serene strolls along seaside roads or expansive vistas from high mountains.

Accessibility: Both residents and tourists may readily access the many hiking trails in Adelaide by taking a short drive from the city centre. Because of its accessibility, hiking may be done on day excursions or impromptu expeditions without requiring hikers to travel far.

Mount Lofty Ranges: Located east of Adelaide, the famous Mount Lofty Ranges are home to some of the most well-liked hiking routes in the area. Trekkers may pick from various experiences inside this gorgeous mountain range, from the strenuous climb to Mount Lofty Summit to the charming Waterfall Gully path.

Adelaide is encircled by several conservation parks, each with distinctive hiking routes. Hikers may find unspoiled natural settings, local species, and well-maintained paths at several parks, including Cleland Conservation Park, Morialta Conservation Park, and Onkaparinga River National Park.

Coastal Trails: Adelaide's coastline provides many hiking opportunities for people who love coastal views. Popular choices include Hallett Cove Conservation Park, known for its breathtaking geological formations and expansive ocean views, and Marino Conservation Park, which is close by and offers beautiful coastline paths and winter whale viewing possibilities.

Adelaide Hiking Essentials  

Hiking requires carrying as little as possible, but remember to bring essentials. Check out our equipment list to ensure you have everything you need for hiking in Adelaide, including suggestions for food, water, first aid supplies, and guidelines. 

Most hikers wear boots, a shirt, a hat, and lightweight, quick-drying shorts. Wear a long-sleeved rain jacket, fluffy jacket, or old jumper to block out the cold and moisture. Gaiters can protect us from irritated grass seeds and snakebites if the route passes through the brush.

There are more hiking essentials you should pack:

Outdoor activities can be dangerous, so carry emergency medicine in an emergency. Especially outdoors in Australia, you may encounter attacks from venomous insects and wild animals.

Please put it in a waterproof bag and store it somewhere easy to get to in your pack (like the top pouch). A more complete kit for longer excursions into more isolated locations will be needed.

Jackery Portable Power Stations can make hiking more fun and powerful since electricity is vital, especially for overnight hiking.  

Bring a small power station like the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus or Explorer 600 Plus to charge your electronics (GPS devices, communication tools, and personal electronics) on your hiking trip. They are only the size of a book or a ball, so you can easily take them everywhere.      

Best 10 Hikes Trails in Adelaide 

This city is bordered by wine country, with pristine coastline and mountain ranges on one side and various natural reserves on the other.

There are valleys to explore and meander through, beaches to stroll along, and gorges and waterfalls to admire. Whether you're looking for a stroll or a challenging trek, these are the top hiking trails in Adelaide and the surrounding region.

1. Sugarloaf Circuit Walk

Location: Cleland SA 5152, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Sugarloaf Circuit

Length: 5.8km

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Hiking Time: 2 Hours

The 5.8-kilometer Sugarloaf Circuit is in Cleland National Park. It is a moderately strenuous loop trail. It usually takes about two hours to finish this beautiful hike. The circle is a great way to relax through the excellent areas of Chambers Gully and Woolshed Gully. When you walk along the roads lined with ferns, look out for koalas and kangaroos in the area.

For those who love animals, the Sugarloaf Circuit is an absolute must. As hikers descend this cliff, they frequently encounter kangaroos, koalas, and a diverse range of birds. It would help to park at Waterfall Gully Road, where the Chambers Gully Track starts. 

2. Encounter Bikeway

Location: South Australia 5211, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Encounter Bikeway   

Length: 31.5km

Difficulty: Hard

Hiking Time: 3 Hours 57 Min

Between Victor Harbour and Goolwa, the 31.5-kilometre Encounter Bikeway traces a breathtaking coastline and is suitable for various recreational uses. Known as one of the most visited tourist destinations on the Fleurieu Peninsula, it offers residents and tourists a fantastic ride or stroll along the shore. Whether travelling on two legs, two wheels, or four wheels, this paved seaside route is an absolute blast. 

3. Riesling Trail

Location: South Australia, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Riesling Trail   

Length: 35km

Difficulty: Hard

Hiking Time: 7 Hours 15 Min

The Riesling Trail is an innovative rail trail in South Australia that travels through the scenic Clare Valley wine area. About two hours drive north of Adelaide, the path travels 35 km from Auburn to Clare and then to Barinia. Hikers and walkers will find the Clare Valley Riesling Trail reminiscent of summertime Tuscany and wintertime Ireland.  

The Riesling Trail is named after the grape and wine type that the area is known for. It goes by many cellar doors and other tourist spots, making it perfect for people who want to walk or ride slowly while having a few things to look at.

4. Arkaba Walk

Location: Flinders Ranges Way, Hawker SA 5434, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Arkaba Walk   

Length: 45km

Difficulty: Hard

Hiking Time: 3 Days

Over three days and four nights, the Arkaba Walk in the Flinders Ranges transports you through breathtaking gorges, sun-drenched plains, and jagged cliffs. Wild Bush Luxury provides year-round private walking tours of the 24,000 acres of the Arkaba Conservancy. An experienced local guide will take you on a tour of the Australian outback while teaching you about the area's fauna, history, and geology.

The Arkaba Walk is a moderately tricky three-day guided walk that runs from the middle of March to the middle of October and lets people get lost in the remote wilderness of South Australia's stunning Flinders Ranges.

5. Mount Remarkable Summit Hike

Location: Melrose SA 5483, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Mount Remarkable Summit Hike   

Length: 13.8km

Difficulty: Moderate

Hiking Time: 5 Hours

Situated close to the southernmost point of the Flinders Ranges, Mount Remarkable National Park offers an exhilarating summit loop hike. Seeing wedge-tailed eagles, emus, wallaroos, and yellow-footed rock wallabies on the same day is the stuff of a wildlife enthusiast's dreams!

Follow some of the Heysen Trail up to the top of Mt. Remarkable. As the trail winds up to the top, it has a gentle grade. A trail starts on Melrose's main street—walking up the asphalt road past the campground to get to the Monument. Keep an eye out for the pieces of a small plane that crashed here in 1980 as you walk across the scree hills.

6. Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail

Location: Unnamed Road, Flinders Chase SA 5223, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail   

Length: 73km

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

Hiking Time: 5 Days

Take five days to hike along the beautiful south-west coast of Kangaroo Island on The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Walking along the Wild West coast, follow the Rocky River and stop at Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks. Then, walk to Hanson Bay and back through the woods to Kelly Hill.

The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail (KIWT) is best thought of as a "choose your own adventure" trail since there are different ways to complete the walk. This means that there is a path for everyone, no matter how much experience they have. This makes it the best Australian trail for people who want to move up to multi-day hiking.

7. Walk The Yorke Trail

Location: Port Wakefield, SA 5550, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Walk The Yorke Trail   

Length: 33km

Difficulty: Moderate

Hiking Time: 7 Hours 44 Min

Launched in late 2015, Walk the Yorke is a 500-kilometer path tracing the coast of a lesser-known region of South Australia. The Yorke Peninsula offers a wealth of exploration opportunities, and the route provides an excellent means of seeing areas of the cliff and beach scenery previously inaccessible to anybody save the local agricultural community.

You can walk with your family or hike along Walk the Yorke. The path takes you past beautiful beaches, towns, secret coves, and old lighthouses. It was a unique chance to escape everything and reconnect with nature, with birds singing and the ocean crashing.

8. Marion Coastal Trail

Location: Heron Way, Hallett Cove, SA 5158, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Marion Coastal Trail   

Length: 7.2km (one-way)

Difficulty: Easy

Hiking Time: 3-4 Hours

Another well-liked walk in the Adelaide region is the Hallett Cove Boardwalk, a segment of the Marion Coastal Trail named for the adjacent conservation park. Walking one way from Marino Esplanade to Hallett Cove takes around two hours. The route follows the rugged coastline via a network of boardwalks and walkways.

This part of Adelaide's shoreline has a unique environment with its rough cliffs and rocky reef platforms. The path goes along the cliff's edge and down many gullies. There are boardwalks, steps (lots of them), and trails on the road.

9. River Torrens Linear Trail

Location: Henley Beach to Athelstone, Henley Beach SA 5022, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: River Torrens Linear Trail   

Length: 30km

Difficulty: Hard

Hiking Time: 6 Hours 30 Min

The 30-kilometer section of the Torrens River Trail terminates at West Beach/Henley Beach in Adelaide, starting at Athelstone in the Adelaide Hills. The walk, bordered by reed beds and River Red Gums, is a haven in the middle of the city and suburbs. Other shorter loop options are available on this path, which traces the river's banks from Athelstone in the Adelaide Hills to the river mouth at Henley or West Beach.

10. Waterfall Gully Adelaide's Mount Lofty

Location: Waterfall Gully SA 5066, Australia (Open in Google Maps)

Website: Waterfall Gully Adelaide's Mount Lofty   

Length: 7.8km

Difficulty: Easy

Hiking Time: 1.5-3 Hours

This well-liked path is frequently ranked #1 among day walks in the Adelaide area, and with good reason. There are amenities (including cafés) at both ends of the trail, so you may first start with the somewhat steep uphill or downhill route. Parking is provided at Waterfall Gully or the summit of the climb.

The trail is used by various people every morning, including those just strolling by, those training for long hikes in Nepal or other faraway places, runners, and people carrying heavy packs to mimic the weight of their actual packs. There are some steep parts of the trail, so the time it takes to walk it can change a lot.

Jackery Portable Power Stations for Hiking

Take your Adelaide hiking adventures to the next level with Jackery Portable Power Stations. Jackery Portable Power Stations are made for people who like being outside and care about the environment and their comfort. They give your tools a safe way to get power while on the go.

Jackery ensures that their Portable Power Stations use lithium-ion and LiFePO4 batteries for a steady power source. These generators can use the sun's energy now that Jackery Solar Panels are added. This makes them an eco-friendly power source for Adelaide's beautiful scenery.

We recommend Jackery Explorer 300 Plus and 600 Plus for hiking trips since they are compact, portable, and powerful. By taking them, you should never worry about losing electricity.

Jackery Explorer 300 Plus

The Jackery Explorer 300 Plus portable power station is a lightweight and efficient power supply designed to meet the power needs for various situations such as rafting, kayaking, picnicking, camping, road trips, and emergency power backup.

This power station has a unique Battery Management System (BMS). It has 52 safety features and 12 BMS algorithms that work together to keep the device and any attached appliances as safe as possible. It also has four kinds of physical security to ensure everyone is safe.

This model stands out because it has an intelligent app control feature that lets users quickly manage the battery through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This makes it more modern and convenient to use. It's also very light - only 8.27 pounds - so it's an excellent choice for people who are always on the go.  

Jackery Explorer 600 Plus

The Jackery Explorer 600 Plus is the best portable power option. It can power many outdoor devices, from GPS devices to camping lights, with its 800W output and 632Wh capacity. The Jackery Explorer 600 Plus is your go-to power station for all your activities because it is strong, durable, and light. It makes charging fun things to do outside easy.

The Jackery Explorer 600 Plus can meet all of your outdoor entertainment needs. A lot of different outdoor gadgets can connect to it. Its dual PD fast charging can go up to 100W, so your devices will be charged quickly. The Explorer 600 Plus can give you long-lasting power, a backup in an emergency, or quiet charging that won't bother anyone.

The LFP battery in the Jackery 600 Plus boasts a remarkable 4000-cycle lifespan, rendering it resilient for daily utilisation spanning a decade.

A UPS switch time of under 20 ms guarantees an uninterrupted power supply to your vital devices during crucial periods. Besides, the Chargeshield 2.0 is our sophisticated charging system (not merely fast charge tech) to ensure safer and quicker connectivity and keeps you fully charged whenever required. 

Tips for Hiking in Adelaide

We will provide you with the necessary pointers and counsel to enable you to confidently start your hiking adventure in Adelaide.

Examine Weather: In Australia, checking the weather forecast before setting out on a trek is usually advisable.

Being aware of the weather is essential because Australian conditions may be erratic. Hiking might be risky due to extreme temperatures, intense rainfall, or the possibility of bushfires. To be informed about current events, trail closures, or advisories, check with the park officials in your area or visit websites or apps.

Start With Shorter Treks: To develop their endurance and determine their fitness level, novices should begin with shorter treks in Adelaide. As they acquire experience, they should gradually extend and level up their hikes. This strategy can ensure that they don't overdo it and have fun while enjoying the breathtaking scenery.

Drink Plenty of Water and Eat Well: Adelaide's weather may be severe, especially in the summer. Take enough water with you so you can stay hydrated during the hike. Even if you don't feel thirsty, remember to drink frequently. Carry energy-dense foods like almonds, dried fruit, or energy bars to maintain energy levels throughout outdoor trips.

Hiking Safety: When you hike in Adelaide, put your safety first. Avoid taking shortcuts, stay on the route, and use caution while going up steep or slick areas. Be mindful of the wildlife, give them room, and don't feed them. To guarantee a safe and enjoyable visit, pay attention to your surroundings and heed any safety recommendations provided by park authorities.

Leave No Trace: Protecting Australia's wilderness areas' pristine beauty is critical. Adhere to the "Leave No Trace" philosophy, which calls for packing out your trash, honouring the plants and wildlife, and sticking to authorised pathways. By leaving the area as you found it, you preserve delicate ecosystems and enhance the hiking experience for future hikers.

Hiking Trails in Adelaide FAQs

The following are the frequently asked questions about hiking trails in Adelaide:

1. Where are the Adelaide Hills?

The Adelaide Hills region is situated east of Adelaide in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges in the Australian state of South Australia. Mount Barker, one of Australia's fastest-growing towns, is the principal town in the region. 

2. Is Adelaide flat or hilly?

The city's average elevation is 50 meters (160 feet) above sea level. Mount Lofty is the highest point in the city and the state south of Burra, located in the Adelaide Hills east of the Adelaide metropolitan area at 727 meters (2,385 feet).

3. What is the best month to visit Adelaide?

Autumn occurs from March to May. Adelaide is excellent in the fall. The temperature often stays in the low to mid-20s, and there is a lot of sunlight. Anzac Day marks the climax of the crimson and orange hues of autumn, which are most striking in the Adelaide Hills.

Final Thoughts

Adelaide is the perfect city for anyone who enjoys walking, and this can be realised without much thought or investigation. Walk from the Adelaide city centre in any direction to reach Adelaide Park Lands, an expansive natural reserve of 27 interconnected parks dividing Adelaide City from its suburbs. This is an excellent option for those who enjoy green space and endless room to stretch their legs.