Best Multi Day Hikes in South Australia

 

Looking for that next hiking challenge and intrepid adventure into the bush? With treks to mountain summits and panoramic coastal rambles, we have got you covered with South Australia’s best multi-day trails.

Hiking Australia

Disappear into the bush in South Australia...

Switch on your out-of-office email, turn off your devices and grab your backpack and boots to head out on your next expedition into the South Australian bush. With a range of multi-day hiking options that take in sandy desert plains, lush forested mountains and craggy coastlines, the choices of terrain are perfectly varied for those with an adventurous spirit. Our First Light Travel tramping enthusiasts have collated their favourite multi-day hikes so that you can escape for a few days safe in the knowledge you are on the best paths. 

Keep reading to find out more:

Walk the Yorke Trail

The Yorke Peninsula provides almost 500km of walking trails to explore, with options ranging from 45-minute leg stretches to multi-day expeditions. With 19 designated campgrounds along with caravan sites and local accommodation options to choose from, you can select your preferred level of comfort along with the length of daily walks. Our favourite route is the 60km stretch from Marion Bay to Gleesons Landing, which takes around 5 days and combines beach-walking with trails that trace the lively coastline. This part of the trail also takes in the beautiful Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park where we recommend extending your stay and camping for a couple of nights. This way you can include a few of the local highlights: visit the ghost town of Inneston, climb up to the West Cape Lookout for views of Kangaroo Island, visit the Ethel shipwreck and chill out on some of the best beaches in the country such as Dolphin Bay and Shell Beach (according to us). 

Details: 

  • Location: Port Wakefield / Moonta Bay, Yorke Peninsula
  • Duration/Length: various multi-day options / 500km 
  • Accommodation/Facilities: Various types from campgrounds to hotels available along the route and regular facilities 
  • Difficulty: Easy/Hard (depending on length and section - many areas include undulating terrain)
  • Travel time from Adelaide by car: 1.5 hours
walk the york trail

Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail

Following the southwest coastline of this idyllic island, you will find one of the most tranquil and rewarding trails in the country. Unsurprisingly a popular choice amongst the hiking community, the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail reveals a geological wonderland of magma and limestone cliffs, pale white beaches and storm-eroded coastal rocks which have become icons of the island’s landscape. The 5-day trek takes in highlights such as Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks alongside native flora and fauna. Wildlife enthusiasts will have the opportunity to spot the eponymous kangaroos alongside wallabies, echidnas, possums, bandicoots as well as ocean dwellers like long-nosed fur seals, bottle-nosed dolphins and migrating whales. 

Please note that due to the 2019/2020 bushfires, which deeply affected areas of Kangaroo Island, it is not possible to currently stay overnight on the trail. Instead, shuttles and accommodation options are provided by local operators. Don’t let this put you off though as the regeneration of the land is a fascinating opportunity to experience active wilderness conservation alongside stunning vistas previously hidden by bushland. 

Details: 

  • Location: Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island
  • Duration/Length: 5 Days / 61km
  • Accommodation/Facilities: Various off-trail accommodation options available
  • Difficulty: Medium (some bushwalking experience recommended)
  • Travel time from Adelaide by car: 2 hours (plus 45-minute ferry from Cape Jervis)

Keen to see more about Kangaroo Island? Check out our Visitor Guide blog post.

The Arkaba Walk 

If you’re looking to combine four excellent days of hiking with a touch of luxury then this is the trek for you! The fully hosted and inclusive experience takes in the 60,000-acre private wildlife conservancy deep in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and your on-hand field guide is there to reveal its secrets every step of the way. The additional feel-good factor of knowing you are contributing to the biodiversity conservation of the area is also a plus. Accommodation includes a night in the comfortable 1850s Arkaba Homestead plus two nights in the more rustic deluxe swag camps. These simple accommodations inspired by those used by Australian pioneers offer the chance to sleep directly under the stars in their signature ‘star beds’ (with sheltered options available in case of poor weather). As for the daily expeditions, the stunning landscape speaks for itself. Just imagine shades of rusty red and yellow ochre painting the plains and mountain ranges spread out before your eyes while the local animals and 600 million years of geological history are revealed by your guide.

Details: 

  • Location: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, Flinders Ranges
  • Duration/Length: 4 days / 45km
  • Accommodation/Facilities: All-inclusive swag camping with bush showers and toilets plus luxury homestead with ensuite facilities and fine dining. 
  • Difficulty: Medium (no fixed trail with some rocky terrain)
  • Travel time from Adelaide by car: 5 hours

Learn more about Arkaba Station on our South Australia Luxury Accommodation blog post.

Arkaba Station Walk

The Murray River Walk

Spend 4 days and 3 nights messing about on the river on this gentle hike and cruise in a charming houseboat that guides you through the waterways of the mighty Murray River. The Riverland of South Australia is a picturesque medley of wetlands, creeks and riverside bushland overlooked by orange and yellow coloured cliffs and shaded red gum forests. Starting in Renmark, the trek takes in around 10-15km of walking per day and around 40km altogether on foot, while the remaining 70km is made up with laid back cruising. Designed to cater to a range of walking abilities the itinerary is relaxed and flexible, while knowledgeable hosts act as your local guides and provide unparalleled insight into the history of the area, conservation projects, wildlife (including 197 bird species) and aboriginal culture.

Details: 

  • Location: Renmark, Riverland 
  • Duration/Length: 4 days / 40km (walking), 70km (cruising)
  • Accommodation/Facilities: 10 berth houseboat with double rooms, hot showers, spa and dining facilities
  • Difficulty: Easy (flat short distances, great for those new to multi-day hikes or with limited mobility)
  • Travel time from Adelaide by car: 3 hours

The Heysen Trail

The longest dedicated walking trail in Australia and one of the best hiking routes in the world - we could not miss including the Heysen Trail in our recommendations. The full historic trail spans from the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis and snakes through the majority of South Australia up to the Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. Passing through a range of terrain the trail wends its way through national parks, conservation parks, reserves, private land and forests with opportunities to encounter the corresponding local flora and fauna. 

Since it would take around 60 days to complete the entire 1200km trail, it has been handily split up into more easily digestible sections. These can cater for a mixture of abilities with more family-friendly day hikes popular in the southern regions, while the more challenging and isolated areas in the northern regions will appeal to those looking to ‘go bush’. Our recommendation is to tackle the Great Southern Ocean Walk. This section takes in the 73km trek between Cape Jervis and Victor Harbor along the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula coastline and can be completed in 4-5 days with regular facilities available. 

Details: 

  • Location: Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Flinders Ranges
  • Duration/Length: 60 days /1200km one-way
  • Accommodation/Facilities: Various along each route section - from simple campgrounds to hotels
  • Difficulty: Hard (long undulating rough tracks, hiking experience required)
  • Travel time from Adelaide by car: 1.5 hours to start in Cape Jervis 
Heysen Walk

Keen to find your perfect multi-day hiking adventure? We can help with that!

Check out our South Australia self-drive itineraries which include a range of trails around South Australia. Alternatively, if you would like to create your own self-drive and hiking itinerary then simply chat to our First Light Travel specialists about our bespoke packages.

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Jenny Power
By
Jenny Power
: 6 Sep 2021 (Last updated: 15 Sep 2021)

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