- Distance
- 7.8 km return
- Duration
- 1.5 - 3 hours return. Keen hikers/runners 30-55min up, 25-35min down.
- Suitable for
- Walking, Hiking, Get to by public transport, Jogging
- Grade 4, Hard Hike
- Terrain
- Steep
- Park
- Waterfall Gully
- Region
- Adelaide City & Suburbs, Adelaide Hills
- Download maps & GPS files
- 1 map PDF
- 2 GPS files
- Photos
- 9 photosJump to Photos section
- Travel options
- Bus
- Car
- Travel time from Adelaide
- 1 hour or less
- Total climb
- 475m
About the Walking Trail
This popular walk is short and sweet. With a cafe at each end, a well made path and regular seating, this walk is popular for a reason.
On almost any morning of the year the trail attracts a range of people: some casually walking, others using it as a training walk, some runners, and others with heavy-simulated packs training for distant hiking locations like Nepal. As the walk involves some steep sections, the time taken to walk the trail can vary significantly.
On a busy weekend, car parking at Waterfall Gully can be limited.
Starting hiking from Mt Lofty instead of Waterfall Gully can be a good way to use the downhill as a warm up, to super charge your up-hill efforts.
August 2020
The major upgrade of the Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit Trail is now complete. The trail works have been in progress since the trail suffered serious storm damage in 2016.
Looking for an alternate route to Mt Lofty Summit to explore? Try these:
- Steub Trail, new 2020, a gentle climb from Cleland Wildlife Park to the Summit (3.5km one-way, 7km 3 hours return)
- Main St Crafers to Mt Lofty Summit (4.9km one-way, 9.8km 4 hours return)
- View some other ways to hike up to Mt Lofty
7 Other Ways to Hike Up Mt Lofty
The well-known and popular Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty summit hike is good – short and sweet (code for good, but steep).
Here are 7 other ways to hike up to the summit of Mt Lofty. Some are gentler, some just as steep. Expect to see fewer people but more koalas and kangaroos.