Return Road Hike

Looking for trails open after the bushfires?

5 Feb 2020: Kangaroo Island was devasted by bushfire in January 2020. Some parks and trails remain closed. View our article of 13 walking trails open post-bushfire.

Walking Trail Facts
Distance
9 km return
Duration
3 hours return
Suitable for
Walking, Hiking, Trail Running
Trail Class
Grade 3, Moderate Hike
Terrain
Undulating
Park (national park, conservation park, forest, reserve)
Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area
Region
Kangaroo Island
Download maps & GPS files
  1. 1 map PDF
  2. 2 GPS files
Jump to Downloads section
Photos
12 photos
Travel options
  1. Car
Return Road Hike

About the Walking Trail

This hike follows the lightkeepers’ old cart track used for transporting supplied between Harveys Return and Cape Borda, which they called ‘The Return Road’. The first 800 metres wanders through sugar gum woodland to the Lightkeepers Cemetery, which is an option for a short hike (1.6km return). The trail continues, roughly parallel to the road on to Cape Borda. The road is rarely seen. As the trail heads west you leave the forest behind for lower scrub. An optional but rewarding sidetrip is to walk 300m down Scott Road when the trail crosses it, to reach Scott Cove Lookout. Another alternative is to walk from Harveys Return Campground to Scotts Cove Lookout, which is 3.4km return. The trail finishes at Cape Borda, where you can walk the short Clifftop Hike to a lookout.

Keep a watch out for cobblestones which indicate the alignment of the original track.

The trail begins near campsites #2 and #4.

Downloads

Download KML/KMZ file
Download GPX file

Photos