ONKAPARINGA RIVER NATIONAL PARK

In Onka­paringa Riv­er Nation­al Park, diverse hik­ing trails take you to cliff tops with mag­nif­i­cent views, or down to per­ma­nent rock pools teem­ing with life. You’ll see rugged ridge tops and the nar­row riv­er val­ley of the spec­tac­u­lar Onka­paringa Gorge. This park pro­tects some of the finest remain­ing pock­ets of rem­nant veg­e­ta­tion in the South­ern Ade­laide region. Wher­ev­er you go, you’ll be among native wildlife such as birds, koalas, kan­ga­roos and pos­sums — you may even spot an echid­na. Areas of the park were used as farm­land for many years, so you can also dis­cov­er her­itage-list­ed huts and the ruins of hous­es built in the 1880s.

Shared-use trails also offer oppor­tu­ni­ties for moun­tain bike rid­ers and horse rid­ers to enjoy the rugged beau­ty of the park

In Onka­paringa Riv­er Recre­ation Park, the riv­er spills onto the plains, cre­at­ing wet­land ponds and flood plains. The area con­serves impor­tant fish breed­ing habi­tat and hun­dreds of native plant and ani­mal species, many of which are rare. The Onka­paringa Riv­er estu­ary also pro­vides habi­tat for endan­gered migra­to­ry birds. You can go fish­ing in the riv­er, wan­der along the wet­land board­walks, ride a bicy­cle on the shared use trails, walk your dog (on a lead), kayak the calm waters or just be at peace with nature.

Just next door, to the east of the recre­ation park, Onka­paringa Riv­er Nation­al Park boasts cliff top views, deep gorges and rock climbing.

(+61) 7133 7300