Explore South Australia’s national parks this spring!

Whether you enjoy hik­ing, bik­ing, fish­ing, or sim­ply soak­ing in nat­ur­al beau­ty, here’s a guide to some of the best activ­i­ties to enjoy across our stun­ning parks.

Hik­ing the Wild South Coast Way

If you’re a fan of coastal hikes, the Wild South Coast Way offers an unfor­get­table mul­ti-day adven­ture. Stretch­ing 74 km between Cape Jervis and Vic­tor Har­bor along South Aus­trali­a’s scenic south­ern coast­line, this trek is per­fect for those seek­ing an escape into nature.

The trail con­nects the parks along our breath­tak­ing south­ern coast­line from Cape Jervis to Vic­tor Har­bor includ­ing Deep Creek Nation­al Park, Bal­la­parud­da Creek Recre­ation Park and New­land Head Con­ser­va­tion Park.

The best part? It’s just under two hours from Ade­laide, mak­ing it an ide­al escape from city life. And for those seek­ing more adven­ture, the Wild South Coast Way is part of the 1,200 km Hey­sen Trail, mean­ing your jour­ney doesn’t have to stop there! 

Bik­ing or walk­ing at Para Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park 

Para Wirra Con­ser­va­tion Park offers peace­ful bike trails and walk­ing paths per­fect for explor­ing. The park’s wide, well-main­tained trails make it easy to enjoy the sur­round­ing bush­land at your own pace. Whether you pre­fer a leisure­ly stroll or a more ener­getic bike ride, there’s plen­ty to dis­cov­er, from wild­flow­ers to local wildlife.

For those look­ing to real­ly stretch their legs The South Para Grand Hike offers the park’s pre­mier hik­ing expe­ri­ence, remem­ber parts of this trail are walk­ing only – so best to leave bikes at the camp­site for this one.

If the South Para Grand Hike is a lit­tle far, choose your own adven­ture from one of the many oth­er walk­ing or bike rid­ing trails. The Hissey Hike – espe­cial­ly first thing in the morn­ing with all the birds is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed. Make it a lit­tle longer by adding in a trip around the lake.

Hik­ing in Ikara-Flinders Ranges Nation­al Park 

For a tru­ly awe-inspir­ing hik­ing expe­ri­ence, Ikara-Flinders Ranges Nation­al Park is a des­ti­na­tion like no oth­er. Famous for its ancient land­scapes and vibrant red earth, it offers walk­ing trails that range from gen­tle to challenging. 

The Boom and Bust Walk­ing Trail is a great short hike suit­able for most peo­ple, includ­ing children. 

The 2 km loop runs along Wilpe­na Creek and incor­po­rates inter­pre­tive sig­nage explain­ing how plants and ani­mals in the area have adapt­ed to survive.

For more expe­ri­enced hik­ers, Tander­ra Sad­dle, along the St Mary Peak Loop Hike, offers great views of the Hey­sen Range stretch­ing into the horizon.

Like all of our long-dis­tance hikes, make sure you are well pre­pared and let some­one know of your intend­ed journey.

Top tip: Down­load the free Aven­za Maps app on your smart­phone or tablet to access inter­ac­tive nation­al park maps at any time.

Please col­lect fur­ther maps, brochures and infor­ma­tion on the walk­ing trails from the Wilpe­na Vis­i­tor Centre.

Fish­ing at Pon­dalowie Bay, Dhil­ba Guu­ran­da-Innes Nation­al Park

Look­ing to unwind by the water? Pon­dalowie Bay in the ever pop­u­lar Dhil­ba Guu­ran­da-Innes Nation­al Park is an ide­al spot if you enjoy fish­ing. This peace­ful bay offers a great chance to cast a line, enjoy the sounds of the waves, and per­haps even catch your dinner. 

Top tips: With just 10 camp­sites, Casua­r­i­na Camp­ground is set amongst a beau­ti­ful nat­ur­al bush set­ting and caters for camper trail­ers and tent-based camp­ing. It’s also just a short 10-minute walk through the dunes to the beau­ti­ful Pon­dalowie Bay beach.

Explor­ing the caves at Nara­coorte Caves Nation­al Park 

Nara­coorte Caves Nation­al Park is locat­ed rough­ly 350 km south-east of Ade­laide in the Lime­stone Coast region of South Aus­tralia.

For a unique day out, the UNESCO World Her­itage list­ed site offers fas­ci­nat­ing tours through ancient lime­stone caves. 

Explore these impres­sive under­ground for­ma­tions, learn about their his­to­ry, and enjoy a step back in time togeth­er. The caves are not only geo­log­i­cal­ly impres­sive but also home to an array of fos­sils, giv­ing you a glimpse into the region’s pre­his­toric past.

Acces­si­bly hik­ing at Mari­no Con­ser­va­tion Park 

If you’re after a scenic walk that’s acces­si­ble for all abil­i­ties, Mari­no Con­ser­va­tion Park is a fan­tas­tic choice. The gen­tle, acces­si­ble trails make it easy to enjoy the park’s stun­ning coastal views, whether you’re walk­ing or using a mobil­i­ty aid. The fresh sea air and coastal scenery cre­ate a peace­ful atmos­phere that’s per­fect for a relax­ing out­ing together.

Out top pick? The Botan­i­cal Trail will take you past the last remain­ing coastal heath in Ade­laide, and guides you by one of our only metro light­hous­es in the state.

Kayak­ing at Onka­paringa Riv­er Recre­ation Park 

Love a bit of adven­ture on the water? Kayak­ing at Onka­paringa Riv­er Recre­ation Park is the per­fect way to explore the park’s calm waters. Pad­dle along the tran­quil riv­er, sur­round­ed by beau­ti­ful wet­lands and local wildlife, and enjoy a serene day out on the water. It’s a great way to explore a dif­fer­ent side of the park while spend­ing qual­i­ty time in nature.

Top tip: Onka­paringa Riv­er is tidal, so if you launch at high tide, you’ll be able to car­ry your kayak straight down the ramp and put it into the water, avoid­ing the mud.

Cycling and walk­ing at Shep­herds Hill Recre­ation Park 

Shep­herds Hill is a fan­tas­tic nat­ur­al place for recre­ation. You can moun­tain bike or walk your dog (as long as it’s on a leash and sticks to the trail), bird watch (keep an eye out for corel­las, rain­bow lori­keets, wrens and fire­tails) or ride a horse.

Shep­herds Hill Recre­ation Park offers a vari­ety of cycling and walk­ing trails, per­fect for those who love an active day in the great out­doors. Whether you’re after a gen­tle walk or a more chal­leng­ing bike ride, the park’s well-main­tained paths give you the free­dom to con­nect with nature at your own pace. It’s an ide­al spot for a relaxed day out, with plen­ty of scenic stops to enjoy along the way.

Whether you’re drawn to the peace of a coastal hike, the thrill of a bike ride, or the calm of kayak­ing on the riv­er, South Australia’s nation­al parks offer end­less oppor­tu­ni­ties to explore, relax, and cre­ate last­ing mem­o­ries togeth­er. Why not plan your next day out and redis­cov­er the nat­ur­al beau­ty of these incred­i­ble places? 

Find out more at parks​.sa​.gov​.au