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
Just next door, to the west of the national park, Onkaparinga River Recreation Park boasts wetlands, boardwalks to explore and kayaking opportunities.
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Closures and safety
This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.
You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.
Check the CFS website or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline 1800 362 361 for:
- Information on fire bans and current fire conditions
- Current CFS warnings and incidents
- Information on what to do in the event of a fire.
Listen to your local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety.
Campgrounds
Shared use trails (walking and mountain biking)
- Chapel Hill Lookout loop
- Old Coach Link trail
- Punchbowl Link trail
- Punchbowl Lookout trail
- Rock climbing area trail
Walking trails
- Echidna trail
- Hardy's Scrub hike
- Nature hike
- Sundews Ridge hike
- Sundews Lookout hike
- Gorge hike
- Old Noarlunga hike
- River hike