The Mount Lofty Ranges rise straight out of Adelaide's suburbs. We climb the region's most famous trail and explore the forest that surrounds it.
A wilderness on the city's doorstep
Few capital cities can claim a proper bushwalk barely half an hour from the CBD. Adelaide can. The Mount Lofty Ranges climb straight out of the eastern suburbs into stringybark forest, fern-lined gullies and the cool, high country of Cleland Conservation Park.
The classic climb
The signature walk starts at First Falls in Waterfall Gully and grinds upward — nearly four kilometres and 400 metres of climb — to the Mount Lofty Summit. It's a genuine effort, relentless in stretches, but the rewards come steadily: waterfalls running hard after winter rain, a canopy that glows in autumn, and finally a panorama that sweeps across the whole city to the sea.
Forest and wildlife
The summit is only the headline. Cleland's wider web of trails threads through some of the best native forest near Adelaide, where koalas doze overhead and the birdlife is constant. Tie a morning walk to an afternoon at Cleland Wildlife Park and you can hand-feed kangaroos and meet a koala without leaving the park.
When to go
Winter brings the waterfalls to life; autumn softens the light through the canopy; spring carpets the understorey in wildflowers. Carry water, wear real shoes, and the kiosk at the summit will feel very welcome indeed.
