The Best Underrated Hikes in Adelaide You Need to Try

There’s more to hiking in Adelaide than one summit trail (yes, we’re talking about Mount Lofty). This guide is for anyone ready to explore the coastlines, gullies and ridgelines that make the city such an underrated hiking destination.

Where to Hike in Adelaide When You Want More Than Lofty

Adelaide’s hiking reputation tends to circle around the same hits. Mount Lofty gets the crowds, Waterfall Gully gets the photos, and most people stop the conversation there. Then there’s the coast, where a walk from one popular beach suburb to the next is a popular go-to.

But spend a little time on the trails and you realise the city is criss-crossed with walks that never make the souvenir mug.

And the thing that surprises people about Adelaide most is how varied its hiking really is. Hills rise straight out of the suburbs, coastal boardwalks feature turquoise water right below you, deep gullies feel far more remote than they should, and a whole network of tracks link everything neatly together.

Everything is well signposted, everything is close, and everything feels like a small discovery waiting to happen.

So yes, Lofty is great (you should definitely go, if you haven’t already!). But some of Adelaide’s best views sit on quieter ridgelines and its best climbs hide in the folds of its conservation parks.

The Best Underrated Hikes in Adelaide

This is a city where you can finish work, lace up, and be on a trail in minutes. If you want proof, here are eight walks that show exactly why Adelaide is one of Australia’s most underrated hiking destinations.

1. Pioneer Women’s Trail

Beaumont to Hahndorf | 22 km

We start our list of Adelaide hikes with a long and ambitious one.

Starting in Beaumont puts you straight into the work. The climb out of the suburbs is steady and within minutes you’re on a stereotypical Adelaide hills trail heading north. Slowly, the route moves through patches of native scrub, fire tracks, open slopes and short road links that connect everything.

Reaching the summit of gorgeous Mount Osmond is one of the many highlights.

As you gain height the views back over Adelaide only get better, then disappear again as the trail drops into gullies and quieter sections. Enjoy long, uninterrupted stretches where you can settle into your meditative hiking state and actually cover distance. The sections of forest pockets, farmland edges, creek lines and old stone walls remind you why the trail exists in the first place.

Women from Hahndorf once walked this route in the 1850s, carrying produce on foot into Adelaide and crossing hills, gullies and farmland long before the region had proper roads.

The final approach into Hahndorf always lands well. You emerge out of the bush, roll past vineyards and then suddenly you’re in town with cafés, bakeries and a seat waiting for you. What a welcome end to a long day of hiking!

2. Anstey Hill Quarry Loop

Anstey Hill Recreation Park | 8 km

The trail at Anstey Hill settles into its character quickly. Starting out on steady inclines through dry scrub and open ground, the terrain that makes you aware you’re in the northern hills rather than the leafy south.

As the track climbs, the views back over Tea Tree Gully become visible, and the landscape becomes more exposed, with rocky sections that keep the walk interesting without tipping into the difficult category.

The approach to the old quarry is the most distinctive part of this route. As the ground levels out, the rock walls rise around you and the space opens into a huge natural amphitheatre shaped by years of excavation; an odd mix of industrial history and bushland.

Once you loop past the quarry, the trail moves through quieter pockets of vegetation and a few open flats where kangaroos usually appear in the late afternoon. The return is definitely gentler than others, and certainly not as long but with enough variation so it doesn’t feel repetitive.

The Quarry Loop,  feels unexpectedly rugged for somewhere so close to suburbia, but that’s Adelaide for you!

3. Coast to Summit Trail (Start at Seacliff or Brighton)

Brighton Jetty to Mount Lofty | 32 km 

If you thought the Pioneer Women’s Trail was a little longer, this one may not be for you.

Starting at Brighton Jetty gives the Coast to Summit Trail a completely different feel to the usual Mount Lofty approach (not to mention that it’s much longer).

You begin with flat coastal path, ocean on one side, cafés and houses on the other, which gives you a gentle warm-up before the climb begins. Once you leave the shoreline, the route cuts through quiet suburban streets and then into the foothills, where the gradients start to pick up and the scenery shifts into scrub and gullies.

You do not need to commit to the full 32 kilometres for it to be worthwhile. The stretch from the coast through the early foothills is one of the most interesting parts. You get that contrast of sea-level calm followed by steady climbing and long views opening across the suburbs. Otherwise, you could head inland Sturt Gorge or Belair National Park.

As the trail links into the main hills network, the climb towards Lofty gets started.

By the time you reach the higher sections, the terrain will become a little more familiar to anyone who hikes around Adelaide, but the satisfaction comes from knowing you reached it from the beach rather than a carpark!

4. Hallett Cove to Marino Boardwalk

Hallett Cove | 7 km return

Walking from Hallett Cove to Marino isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s an Adelaide walk that really shows you the coastline without limiting you in the popular spots of Glenelg or Henley.

The walk starts near the foreshore at Hallett Cove and heads straight into those signature boardwalk stairs that climb and drop along the cliffs. Along the first stretch, you’ll get raised views over the water so bright it almost looks edited, with dark rocky shelves below where waves crack against the shoreline.

As you move south, the path wraps around a series of ancient glacial formations; striped cliffs, layered rock and colours that shift from rust to deep purple. You’ll hit sections where the boardwalk threads close to the cliff face, then opens out again to wide coastal views. Keep your eyes open for dolphins!

Past the Sugarloaf formation, the trail becomes a rhythm of small climbs and flat stretches, with pockets of native scrub and lookout points that make you pause longer than you planned. The southern end near Marino gives you a broad, airy finish, with the cliffs softening out and the water showing off those aqua tones.

5. Waterfall Gully to Chamberlain’s Trail Loop

Burnside | 7 km

Most people head straight for the Mount Lofty summit when considering a walk through Cleland, which makes this loop feel like a small secret!

Start at Waterfall Gully with the usual scene; the creek, the sound of water, the familiar first climb, but instead of following the crowd uphill, you turn off onto Chamberlain’s.

This particular track settles into quieter bush almost immediately. The canopy closes in and the path winds through a series of gullies that feel cooler and greener than the main routes. Every now and then the trees break and you get those open hillside views back toward Burnside.

There are a few solid climbs sprinkled through the loop, enough to get your heart rate up and the ground switches between smooth stretches, rocky patches and narrow single-track.

As you curve back toward Waterfall Gully, the landscape opens again and the sound of the creek creeps back in, giving the loop a neat, natural ending.

6. Onkaparinga Sundews Ridge Track

Onkaparinga National Park | 6 km

Although Onkaparinga isn’t an unknown location by any means, it’s not typical one that people head to unless they live nearby.

The Sundews Ridge Track starts off here gently, pulling walkers along sandy paths lined with low scrub before the landscape suddenly opens and the gorge drops away beside you.

As you move along the ridge, fantastic views stretch out into layered hills and quiet valleys; the kind that look different every time the light shifts.

Sections of the trail run close to cliff edges, giving you clear lines straight into the gorge and a good chance of spotting birds riding the thermals below. Further in, the track dips through pockets of thicker bush where the sounds disappear and the whole walk feels more remote than it actually is.

The great thing about Sundews Ridge Track, is that you get a lot of great moments, in a short 6 km hike that you could very easily do on a Sunday morning.

7. Belair Valley Loop + Echo Tunnel

Belair National Park | 4–8 km depending how you link it

As you probably already know, Belair National Park has a maze of smaller tracks, and the Valley Loop is one of the easiest to build a satisfying walk around.

The route moves through open forest with plenty of tall gums, and it is common to spot koalas overhead if you take your time. When you have visitors coming to Adelaide, this is one of those classic go-to’s. The terrain rolls gently, with nothing too steep, so the distances feel manageable even if you extend the loop.

Adding the Echo Tunnel gives this frequented walk its quirk. You can follow the side track toward the old railway line, step into the cool dark of the tunnel and hear your footsteps bounce off the curved brick walls. It might be a simple detour but memorable and completely different from anything else in the park, and even across Adelaide.

Taken together, the loop and the tunnel create a short hike with variety, a bit of history and enough landscape changes to keep it interesting without needing a full-day commitment.

8. Yurrebilla Trail Section 2

Eagle on the Hill to Norton Summit | 16 km

For those who don’t already know, the Yurrebilla Trail is an iconic Adelaide walk that weaves together some of Adelaide’s best patches of bushland, running along the foothills from the south to the north.

And this particular section of the Yurrebilla is the one that feels most like a steady journey across the face of the hills. You leave Eagle on the Hill and drop into open, exposed country where the ridgelines sit high above the suburbs and the ground underfoot switches between rocky, uneven patches and smoother, well-tracked sections. The views arrive quickly and what’s great about this section is, they stay with you for most of the early kilometres.

As the trail continues, it moves through long stretches of scrub and low woodland where the city disappears completely. The terrain changes often enough to keep the distance interesting; short climbs, narrow side cuts, wider sections where you can settle into a pace.

The final approach into Norton Summit is the best part. As you come out of the bush, you’ll pass the orchards and small properties on the edge of town, and land right where you can sit down for something to eat or drink before organising your lift home.

Where to stay in Adelaide

Staying at The George gives you the best mix you can get in Adelaide; proper beach living with city access that takes no effort at all.

Step outside and you’re moments from the shoreline for a swim, a slow walk along the jetty or an afternoon ice cream by the water. When you’re ready to head into the CBD, the tram rolls out from right out front and drops you in the city about twenty minutes later.

Inside, the hotel has bright, comfortable rooms, a stunning rooftop bar and plenty of space to unwind after a day on the sand or in the city.

Book your stay at The George.