This epic new 100km walk loops all the way around Adelaide

The Adelaide100 is an epic and scenic lap of the South Australian capital.

Fourteen years in the making, an ambitious 100-plus-kilometre hiking loop around the city of Adelaide is finally on the horizon. Best of all, most of it is already open. The Adelaide100 is an epic circuit that traverses the city’s CBD, suburbs, coastline and the Adelaide Hills, showcasing the very best of South Australia’s capital. It weaves together attractions like Adelaide Hills wineries, the zoo and the summit of Mount Lofty.

The trail was dreamed up by Jim McLean of Walking SA, a not-for-profit that aims to get more people outdoors more often. He was inspired by the ‘Hundred of Adelaide’, a system of categorising land in the 1800s by sizes of ‘approximately 100 square miles’. The new trail roughly traces the former land perimeter, connecting pre-existing tracks to create one continuous walk.

How to walk the Adelaide100

Admire nature views at Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens on the trail. (Image: Tourism Australia/South Australian Tourism Commission)

The Adelaide100 is accessible and can be walked from pretty much any starting point. The trail is officially split into seven sections, and five of the seven sections are currently open and ready to be explored. Those sections are:

Monument Road Norton Summit to Newton – 21km (one day)

Morialta Conservation Park is home to beautiful waterfalls. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

The most rugged yet rewarding section of the Adelaide100 that takes in Morialta Conservation Park, numerous waterfalls and lookouts.

Newton to Adelaide City – 16.7km (half day to one day)

“The Adelaide100 follows the river to reach Adelaide’s CBD. (Image: Michael Waterhouse)

The serene and pretty track will take you along the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri into Adelaide CBD.

West Beach to Kingston Park – 11km (half day)

The Adelaide100 passes through a variety of terrains, from coast and river to the hills. (Image: Ryan Formosa)

Starting at the beach, the trail follows the coast before heading inland back towards the Adelaide Hills.

Kingston Park to Majors Road – 6.8km (two to three hours)

A pleasant walk through a series of large reserves and national parks. All up, it takes about five to six days to complete the trail continuously, and there’s an abundance of accommodation options along the way. For instance, you can stay at a winery in the Adelaide Hills or a luxe hotel in the CBD.