The best walks in the Adelaide Hills
Whether it’s a gentle stroll, a robust hike over several hours or a means to finding somewhere to take in sweeping views, the Adelaide Hills have become a magnet for those looking to stretch their legs and stay healthy.
Parochialism aside, the Adelaide Hills are widely regarded as among the most pristine locations in Australia for enjoying anything from a quiet lunch to a weekend getaway and even longer stays. In recent years, though, locals and visitors are recognising the Hills have so much more than the winding roads that lead us to a winery lunch, a picnic or a cafe with a view.
Off the beaten track, there are secluded tracks that just need to be walked. Hundreds of them.
From the foothill trails that start at Anstey Hill and Waterfall Gully, to the long stretches of Kersbrook’s Simpson Loop and the Cleland Wine Shanty Walk, there’s a walk for everyone. For every level of fitness, every time limit and every sense of adventure.
The Adelaide Hills feature more than 100 individual walking trails. They accommodate sections of the pilgrimage-defining, state-crossing walks of the Heysen and Kidman trails, but also offer strolls that take no more than 15 minutes.
Simpson Loop and the Amy Gillett Bikeway (yes, you can walk as well as ride it) are for the serious walkers. You’d want to be in fair shape before attempting the respective 23km and 17km trails. And if you do attempt the latter, which runs from Oakbank to Woodside through Charlston to Mount Torrens, best go with a friend and make sure there’s a way home from the end of the one-way trek.
Vince Rose has hiked the high altitudes of Peru’s Inca trails and gone east to west along Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, but he still finds real magic and therapy in walking through the Adelaide Hills. In fact, his walks through the Hills may have been a lifesaver.
“I was in a very dark place after a 30-year marital breakup when hiking provided me with much needed mental respite,” he recalls. “It gave me an opportunity to get out and make new friends.
“There aren’t too many places in the world where within 30 minutes from the CBD you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city life to enjoy the tranquility that the Adelaide Hills offer.”
Vince can’t narrow down his favourite Hills walk to just one. Whether it’s the Boobook Track at Black Hill or what he calls the “gruelling cardiac workout” of Brown Hill, there’s something for every mood.
Morialta Conservation Park. Photograph Joel Durbridge
“Given the right conditions, Mount Osmond offers sunsets that seem to glow forever with the most amazing hues of orange and red,” he says when put on the spot to make a choice. “But the Hills are wonderful even when the weather is not. It can be cold, wet and windy, but I love it.”
Alicya Porzuczek is similarly enamoured by the walks of the Adelaide Hills. After moving from Poland 30 years ago, she fell in love with the Adelaide Hills the first time she went for a stroll through them. She has since become an avid walker, whether on her own or leading a group created through her Hiking Adelaide Facebook page.
“I just love the diversity, always have,” she says. “The Adelaide Hills provides walking experiences where you can come across caves, gorges, waterfalls and historical sites such as old buildings and bridges.”
Like Vince, Alicya finds it hard to narrow down her regular walks to one favourite: “There are many and my favourite is usually the company of the people I’m walking with,” she says. “But Horsnells Gully, Sturt Gorge and Morialta are probably the walks I’ve enjoyed consistently the most. Morialta, for me, is the best example of how lucky we are to have access to the Adelaide Hills. It’s so close to the city and suburbs but it offers waterfalls, caves and views that have walkers stopping regularly to take photos.”
The Adelaide Hills have had such an impact on Alicya that she finds herself walking virtually every day of the week. The length and nature of the walk depends on the time available and those with whom she’s walking.
“If the group is experienced walkers, we can go on a five or six-hour hike and take lunch or some baked goodies with us for a well-earned stop,” she says. “Other times, it’s a much shorter walk.
“Whether it’s the easier hikes of Anstey Hill and Cobbler Creek or the tougher tracks up Black Hill and Montacute Hill, I’ve done them all. And I take people out to them depending on their fitness level. That’s the wonderful thing, there’s a walk in the Hills for everyone.”
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Every walk has a view … the lakes, dams and creeks, the striking colours of autumn, the winter mists and the valleys. The 4.2 kilometre Waite Conservation Park walk has what many consider the best view of an Adelaide sunset. The shortest two-kilometre Morialta return walk looks out over the first waterfall. And Mount Lofty Summit, no matter how you get there, presents a panorama right across Adelaide to the coast.
Wellness Wander, Mount Barker Summit. Photograph Visit Adelaide Hills.
Walking SA executive director Rod Quintrell has noted a significant rise in the number of people walking across the state, and particularly in the Adelaide Hills, since the Covid pandemic.
The most popular walk across South Australia, he says, is in the Adelaide Hills. More than 150,000 people completed the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty walk in 2024 – which equates to 420 people every day. It was a clear leader ahead of the Hallett Cove Boardwalk, while the Morialta First Falls walk came next with 140,000 walkers.
Based on Walking SA figures, tens of thousands of walkers stroll through the Adelaide Hills every single day. Considering some days are unwalkable because of oppressive summer heat or the wet and stormy days of winter or spring, the numbers on an average “walking” day would be even higher.
“The Mount Lofty walk can be very busy,” Rod says. “It’s a great walk, but a lot of people know that and you’re sharing the path with bikes and joggers. There are a ton of short easy walks too and we have a list of alternative ways to get to Mount Lofty on our website. Chambers Gully is a beautiful little walk from Cleland Wildlife Park to the Summit. That’s a much easier way to get to Mount Lofty.”
Having been involved in the walking community for 25 years, Rod has seen a major increase in numbers recently: “There’s been a massive spike in numbers since Covid. People couldn’t travel, many times they didn’t want to be around others in crowded areas and walking numbers exploded. Particularly in the Adelaide Hills, which presented a morning or afternoon out of the house and the chance to get healthy.”
Rod points out that mental health is one of the often-overlooked benefits of walking in areas like the Adelaide Hills.
“Low impact exercise, time in nature and connection with others are three of the main ways of looking after your mental health and they’re all available in a walk through the Hills,” he says. “It’s not just about getting physically fit, it’s great for your mental health as well.
Waterfall Gully. Photograph Ben Goode.
“There are literally hundreds of walks through the Adelaide Hills alone. Too many to name in one sitting. I could list them for hours.”
If more than a hundred sounds daunting, or you’re just looking to improve your fitness one small step at a time with an easy stroll through the Hills, the Mount Barker Summit Walk or the Rhododendron Trail in the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden are good places to start. You won’t need too much preparation, but you should take a camera.
The bushwalking season officially opened in April, but enthusiastic walkers trek through the Adelaide Hills all year round, while being mindful of extreme weather conditions when planning their outings. For information see the Walking SA website.
The article originally featured in the February 2025 SALIFE magazine.
