- Distance
- 3.8 km circuit
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Suitable for
- Walking, Wheelchair Accessible, Dog Walking, Get to by public transport, Jogging, Cycling
- Wheelchair accessible
- Terrain
- Flat
- Region
- Adelaide City & Suburbs
- Download maps & GPS files
- 2 GPS files
- Photos
- 11 photosJump to Photos section
- Travel options
- Bus
- Car
- Tram
- Travel time from Adelaide
- 1 hour or less
About the Walking Route
Enjoy a walk around the Patawalonga Lake, with it’s pleasant grassed banks, playgrounds and views to Glenelg and across the marina and lake.
The walk can be commenced from Wigley Reserve or Colley Reserve in Glenelg, from where you can follow the path on either side of the lake northwards. Return by walking across either the road bridge half way along, or at the foot bridge near Tapleys Hill Road.
The northern end of the paths around Patawalonga Lake connect with the Reece Jennings Bikeway (which heads north to the River Torrens), and the nearby Captain McKenna Pathway (which heads east along Brownhill Creek and the airport’s southern boundary.)
The lake is a man-made system that is 1.6 kilometres long and runs parallel to the coastline from Glenelg to West Beach. It is designed to stop flooding of urban areas by diverting storm water, and is kept clean and healthy by tides flushing the lake with seawater. The barrage is can be crossed on foot, the lock has a automatic retractable walkway which serves as a pedestrian access across the barrage.
Photos
The pathway around the Patawalonga Lake makes an ideal morning or afternoon walk
The loop trail around Patawalonga Lake includes picnic areas and seating
The pathway around the Patawalonga Lake has views of Glenelg, the marina and across the lake
The pathway around the Patawalonga Lake passes a historic water work building
The best turn-around point to cross sides of the Patawalonga Lake is this footbridge near the skate park
The loop around the Patawalonga Lake passes the West Beach Skate Park
The walk passes the Buffalo, a replica ship in Wigley Reserve. The HMS Buffalo was built in India and is famous in South Australia for transporting 176 of our original colonists to Holdfast Bay, including the colony’s first Governor.
One of the historic sites include Reg Sprigg's underwater diving chamber built from a disused boiler. His underwater research included the discovery of massive undersea canyons south of Kangaroo Island. Reg lived for some time at nearby Somerton Park.
The loop path around the Patawalonga Lake passes this historic water works building
One of the historic sites include one of the original 1929 saloon-style trams, built for the new tramway when it was converted from use as a railway. It's on display in Wigley Reserve.
One of the historic sites include one of the original 1929 saloon-style trams, built for the new tramway when it was converted from use as a railway. It's on display in Wigley Reserve.