Wander your way through Mount Lofty Botanic Garden with these six walks.
There’s never a better time to visit Adelaide Hills’ Mount Lofty Botanic Garden than in spring. Take in 97 hectares blooming to life, changing the land with vibrant colours and scenting the air with sweet fragrances. And these six Mount Lofty Botanic Garden walking trails will help you make the most of it.
1. Rhododendron Trail
Distance: 700 metres
Love the pink and purple hues of this flower, hailing from eastern Asia and the Himalayas? Take the short (but somewhat steep) walk through some of the most spectacular Rhododendron displays. Enter from either the upper car park or past the duck pond and wander through gorgeous woodland with a carpet of colourful petals at your feet.
Just try to time this walk for early spring or late winter, when the flowers will be at their blooming best.
2. Lakeside Loop
Distance: 1 kilometre
Short on time and energy, or in need of an accessible option? Get a short but sweet taste of Mount Lofty on this Lakeside Loop, taking walkers around the central lake. Starting from the lower car park where the seasonal display garden bed lies, continue past soft meadows of moss, through strikingly shaped trees and a rainforest canopy featuring plenty of ferns. Stop to look at a collection of sculptures along the way.
3. Lower Loop
Distance: 1.2 kilometres
This easy walk certainly isn’t short on views. Start at the duck pond and follow the path along gardens featuring plant life from around the world. Take a seat on a bench in the forest to soak in the sights and smells around you, before heading into the South America gardens, with gorgeous views over the lake and treetops.
Along the walk, you’ll spot everything from exotic flora from China to monkey trees that are usually found thriving in the Andes Mountains of Chile and Argentina.
4. Central Walk
Distance: 2 kilometres
This is the first walk with an incline, but it’s only medium. Starting from the lower car park again, head uphill past the Central Gazebo before heading down to the quiet Woodland Garden. Continue on to spot waterfalls, California redwood trunks and a stunning view over Piccadilly Valley.
5. Boundary Loop
Distance: 2 kilometres
Now we’re getting into steeper incline territory, but it’s an absolute showstopper come spring. Head uphill, through pin oak canopies, the Heritage Rose Gardens and the Cherry Tree Collection (brought over from Adelaide’s Japanese sister city, Okayama). Be rewarded with panoramic views of the Adelaide Hills and the Rhododendron Gully from above. Once you’ve had your fill, continue on through the Southeast Asian Gully and Magnolia Gully – where 36 different magnolia species come to life in spring.
6. Heysen Trail
Distance: 7.5 kilometres
Want to get off the beaten path? This trail takes you to the untamed side of Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, and you’ll have to return the way you came. The paths won’t always be sealed, and the inclines can be steep, but you’ll get a wonderful mix of all the sights mentioned on the walks above. Plus, you’ll get a panoramic view from the summit of Mt Lofty, the small farms of Piccadilly Valley and the stringybark forests of Cleland National Park. Start at the car park at the entrance to Mt Lofty Summit.
The garden is open daily with free entry every day, and free parking on Sundays (thought it’s still very cheap during the week at $4.40 a day). Discover more beautiful walks around Adelaide.
