Mount Lofty: a great adventure hike near Adelaide

Do you like hiking and are you in South Australia? Then you should definitely go to Mount Lofty. Located about 15 km east of Adelaide city and the highest point in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges. Read our experiences about this beautiful place in South Australia.

Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty summit hike

You could already read what beautiful Adelaide has to offer in an extensive blog. I want to take you to Mount Lofty Ranges now, a beautiful nature reserve at 15 kilometres from the city of Adelaide. We did the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty summit hike. This hike is 7.8 km return and takes 1.5 hour one way and 3 hours return.

Information about the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty summit hike

• The total distance from Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit and back is 7.8 km.
• It takes hikers about 3 hours for a return walk
• During the hike, you will climb 475 metres.
• More information about the Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty summit hike

Good weather for hiking

The weather in South Australia is always a surprise. It can be very warm but also very cold. We were lucky: it was 20 degrees when we visit Mount Lofty Ranges, a good temperature for hiking. The hike consists of a lot of climbing, so we were glad it was not raining.

Beautiful hiking trails

Full of motivation and enthusiasm we began the walk, a wondeful walk through the countryside. Like other places in Australia, the trails have been beautiful laid out and the area is provided with information boards where you can read tips and warnings.

Waterfall Gully

We started our walk at Waterfall Gully, which is 10 kilometres from the centre of Adelaide. At Waterfall Gully you can park your car for free (as in many places in Australia). There is also a restaurant, where we bought some water before started the hike and had a delicious lunch when we came back.

Before we started the hike, we put on lots of sun cream. It may be 20 degrees Celsius and slightly cloudy, but sunburns can happen very quickly, especially in Australia.

Lots of climbing

During the hike we made different stops to enjoy the amazing views, to take a photo and to relax, because this hike can really hurt your legs.

While the first few kilometers went very well without a hitch, we did notice that the last kilometres became more difficult. The closer you get to the end the steeper the path becomes.

Despite the 20 degrees we had sweat on our backs and cramped legs. When we finally reached the top, we had te recover for a while before we enjoyed the amazing view of the city of Adelaide.

Beautiful view of Adelaide city

It’s not the easiest walk to do, but the panoramic view of the city is definitely worth it. It’s great to have a good view on the city. If you like nature, views and you want exercise I can recommend the Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty summit hike. On the top there are facilities available, such as a restaurant where you can have lunch or diner and there are toilets. We ordered a coffee with banana bread and enjoyed the beautiful view.

Descending

The descent was much easier. We met a lot of oncoming hikers who (like us) were having a hard time getting to the top. So it was not just our condition. They all asking us: ‘Is it still far to the top?.

About the Mount Lofty hike

If you are visiting Adelaide for more days and would like to take an adventurous walk through nature, then Mount Lofty is really a place you should go. We really enjoyed it!

Video about the hike

Planning a trip to Adelaide?