Dog walk trails in and around Adelaide

Thought this was a nice article and list of places to walk the pooches. Well, not their daily walk I don't expect but places to visit for a change, a morning or afternoon out.

 

I've copied over the bulk of the info but there is a bit more on the website plus links to view the walks and covering the trails in more detail. So well worth reading the article on the website

 

 

 

 

20 Best Walks with Dogs in Adelaide

 

 

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Walking SA

 

 

We know that having a dog encourages you to walk more, and that there are numerous health benefits to dog walking.

 

 

We’ve short listed the best walks in national parks, forests and coasts to walk your dog.

 

 

Throughout October we’re celebrating walking with #WalktoberSA.

 

http://www.walkingsa.org.au/news/20-best-walks-dogs-adelaide/

Best Walks with Dogs in Adelaide

 

 

 

Best Walks with Dogs in Adelaide

 

 

1.Blackwood Forest Recreation Park

1.4km, 45 mins

 

A small park in the hills is popular for walking the dog off-leash. A great place to take the kids to explore the pine forest, the creek and Sturt River.

View Walk

 

 

2. Seaview Loop, Shepherds Hill Recreation Park

 

2.2km, 1 hour

 

A loop walk along the wide fire-track which takes in superb views over the Adelaide Plains and of the coast. Great trail for walking the dog.

You can walk your dog in Shepherds Hill Recreation Park provided it remains under your control on a lead. View Walk

 

 

 

3. Lorikeet Loop Walk, Belair National Park

 

3km, 1.25 hours

This gently sloping trail features natural and heritage sites. It passes majestic old red gums and blue gums, as well as endangered ecosystem of grey box woodland.

The wide gravelled surface is suitable for most abilities, and for strollers. There are numerous flat rocks scattered along the trail for impromptu seating.

You can walk your dog in this park provided it remains on a lead. View Walk

 

O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park

 

6km, 90 mins

A loop walk in O’Halloran Hill Recreation Park. Walkers, dogs (on-leash), mountain bikers and horse riders are welcome in the park. The park consists mostly of grassy hills and gullies with some trees. Trails are not well signposted, but we’ve indicated a 6km loop walk.

View Walk

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Porosa Hike

 

3km

Follows some of the original farm tracks, and a tranquil path through the valley of Cobbler Creek among stately river red gums. The trail has connections to Smith Road, and the Mike Green Trail into Golden Grove.

You can also walk your dog in this park providing it remains under your control on a lead.

View Walk

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Fourth Creek Walk, Morialta Conservation Park

 

1.4km, 1-2 hours return

A gentle walk through stands of tall trees following Fourth Creek from the lower carpark on Stradbroke Road, past picnic areas to the First Falls carpark.

You can also walk your dog on this trail, from the recreation area to the First Falls carpark, providing it remains under your control on a lead.

View Walk

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Coast Park Path along Adelaide’s Beaches

 

The Coast Park Path is a 70km walking and cycling path along the metropolitan Adelaide coastline, from North Haven through to Sellicks Beach.

The path is now more or less continuous along the beaches, esplanades, sand dunes and cliffs of Adelaide’s coast. The only notable exception being around the former Port Stanvac oil refinery.

It’s easy to walk any small section of our beautiful coastline.

View Walk

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Anstey Hill Loop

 

7.5km, 2-3 hours

This 7.5km loop walk around Ansteys Hill Recreation Park includes some steep climbs, superb views over the Adelaide Plains, some of the wildlife of the park, and the ruins of Newmans Nursery.

You can walk your dog in this park provided it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Microcarpa Hike, Belair National Park

 

4.5km, 2 hours

Walk through one of the most diverse and best-preserved woodland areas remaining in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

You can walk your dog in this park provided it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Waterfall Hike, Belair National Park

 

6.5km, 3 hours

The most challenging trail in the park takes you through Echo Tunnel and to the picturesque rock escarpments of the Upper and Lower Waterfalls.

You can walk your dog in this park provided it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Wirraparinga Trail Loop, Brownhill Creek

 

5.4km, 2 hours

The Wirraparinga Trail Loop meanders along the Brownhill Creek valley, through Brownhill Creek Recreation Park. A narrow creek flows through the steep-sided valley, with majestic river red gums, some more than 300 years old.

You can also walk your dog in this park providing it remains under your control on a lead.

View Walk

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Valley Circuit

 

4.2km

The Valley Circuit takes visitors to some of the more remote parts of the park and past Teakles Ruins.

You can also walk your dog in this park providing it remains under your control on a lead.

View Walk

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Babbler Loop

 

3.6km

The trail climbs to the top of park with views. Walk through some of the wooded areas of the park.

You can also walk your dog in this park providing it remains under your control on a lead.

View Walk

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Devils Nose Hike via Lizard Rock and Hissey Trails, Para Wirra

 

8.8km, 4-5 hours

A circuit hike to the Devils Nose and including the Lizard Rock Nature Walk and the Hissey Loop Walk. There are superb views from the rocks at Lizard Rock into Wild Dog Creek. Descend into the South Para River at the northern end of this hike, and glimpse views of Devils Nose from below as you gradually contour around on the ascent to the lookout.

You can walk your dog on this walk providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Lady Pearce Hike, Para Wirra

 

5km, 2-3 hours

This 5.0km circuit hike explores the former mine workings of Victoria Hill, a scene of much activity in the late 1860s, and descends into the South Para River. The lower sections of the trail, in the south near the South Para River, are particularly rewarding.

You can walk your dog on this trail providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Phoenix Hike, Para Wirra

 

4.2km, 2-3 hours

This 4.2km circuit hike explores the former mine workings of Victoria Hill, a scene of much activity in the late 1860s. Interpretive signs provide information about mine shafts, mine workings and the former town that was once here. See the former pumping station and tramway tunnels.

You can walk your dog on this trail providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Sturt Gorge Loop along the River Trail

 

7.1km, 3 hours

A walk along the Sturt Gorge in the lower western part of Sturt Gorge Recreation Park. The walk follows the River Trail along Sturt River with river crossings. The trail climbs out of the Gorge, following the Lomandra Trail with views over the Adelaide Plains, before returning back in to the gorge via the Spring Creek Trail.

You can walk your dog on these trails providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Loop of Upper Sturt Gorge, along River Trail

 

7.6km, 3-4 hours

A loop of the upper section of the River Trail in Sturt Gorge Recreation Park, following the river in the gorge. This 7.6km + 3.8km trail can be accessed by Adelaide Metro bus.

You can walk your dog on these trails providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Wetlands Loop Trail, Onkaparinga River

 

4.5km, 2 hours

The Wetlands Walk is a loop through the Onkaparinga River estuary.

You can walk your dog on this trail providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Pingle Farm Trail via estuary, Onkaparinga River Recreation Park

 

3.3km, 90 mins

Walk along the estuary before returning via the ruins of the former Pingle Farm farmhouse and sheds.

You can walk your dog on this trail providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Tinjella Trail, Kuitpo Forest

 

12km, 4 hours

A meandering loop trail following forest trails and paths through Kuitpo Forest.

You can walk your dog in the forest providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

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Heysen Trail Loop through Mount Crawford

 

13km, 7 hours

Walk a loop hike on the Heysen Trail through the native and plantation forests around Mount Crawford. Highlights include the native forest along the ridgeline up to Little Mount Crawford, and the open plantation forest between Rocky Paddock Campsite and Chalks Campsite.

You can walk your dog in the forest providing it remains on a lead.

View Walk

I was in the UK in June and was amazed at just how dog friendly places were. We stayed in Knaresborough for a while and the weekends saw hundreds of visitors with their 4 legged friends.

with the proportion of households in Australia that have pets I would expect places to be more open to pet access.

 

Am toying up replacing my Boxer (with another Boxer!) and the above is really useful for everyone with a dog...locals and visitors. It might be useful to have it made a sticky and perhaps other areas can be added?

Good idea re the sticky. Shall do so now.

Maybe we could combine it with a list of the dog friendly beaches around Adelaide?

 

My local ones are O Sullivans (totally leash free all year round) and Port Noarlunga South. There must be a list (or maybe a combination with a map) that would be really useful?

Its very dog friendly in the UK in terms of the amount of places you can take your dog. Plus the public footpaths across countryside is a real bonus. Pretty much all pubs allow dogs into either their garden or a section of the pub.

 

The down side is the people who don't keep their dogs under proper control these days around livestock. Or don't stick to the actual designated footpaths across fields but go their own way and disturb livestock or the other thing is the dogs foul the fields and this can contaminate the ground for the livestock grazing. Spoils it for others when the farmers then fence in the path to ensure people can only walk the path but with a 5 foot fence either side of them. Not quite the same effect for rambling alas. I've seen this happen more and more in the south west as more people head to the countryside and sadly flout/ignore the rules. I know one farmer had this issue with a popular field and people would walk a loop round it but the footpath was straight down the side of it and out the other end. He put up signs re the dog fouling and left bags for people to clear up after their dogs and asked for them to just stick to the path for hygiene and safety reasons. Worked for a few months but then people just resorted back to walking round the whole field and dog crap built up again. In the end he put up a big long fence from stile to stile, path was a metre or so wide and that was it. Dogs couldn't run around, owners unhappy and it spoilt the view. But it meant his cattle were safe. If people had just done as they were supposed to, would have been fine but alas, they didn't so now their daily dog walk is far less enjoyable.

 

I do miss its not so dog friendly here. I do like the amount of water bowls out front of shops though, but don't get why people would take their dog to a town, event or farmers market on a stinking hot weekend day anyways. I'd leave them at home. Far less stressful for the dog. Most dogs don't look happy to be out in such crowds in the heat. We always leave ours at home when we do things like that. His walks are his walks and we make time in our day for those regardless. If I go to Stirling market on a hot day, the last thing I want is my dog being pulled round or having kids trying to grab him (he's small and cute looking and people always think he is a puppy and want to make a fuss of him, much to his disgust).

 

We don't visit the beaches much with him so I can't really comment on those. We've been a few times but its been the on leash time of year so he stays on his extending lead.

 

Dog parks I refuse to go to anymore. We went in the early days after we first got him and it was ok so long as there were not a heap of big bouncy dogs there. We went one time and someone came in with 2 huskies, then some bull breed types arrived and my dog got chased and chased and was not impressed. Owners don't tend to do much as its a dog park and they are "just playing". Yes, your dog might be 'just playing' but mine is stressed as he has 3 or 4 big dogs chasing after him and doesn't want to run. One husky in the end got really dominant and my dog ran to me yelping and I managed to catch him so we could leave. I tried a few more times but certain big dog breeds in a confined space is not my idea of an enjoyable walk or exercise for my dog so we don't bother anymore. I much prefer an actual proper walk along trails or some such and we do that daily in our local area and further afield on weekends.

Maslin and Moana are both lead free north of the boards all year round and the whole beach from April - October; although the unclad end of Maslin is dog free.

 

I've also recently found a walk in Seaford/Moana that is lead free but dogs have to kept under effective control and are not allowed to disturb the wildlife (mostly birds); it's the stormwater project on the junction of Dalkeith & Commercial Roads. The actual path isn't a long walk - around a km but it's in a valley and you can walk along the creek and there's a play park with bbq (and toilet!).

I was wondering what is it like going for walks regarding wildlife etc.

I dont have a dog but I have 2 young girls who may as well be dogs.

Is there any sort of rules which you need to follow, or is it pretty much safe to walk anywhere.