Bushwalking in Morialta and Black Hill Conservation Parks

1 Department for Environment and Heritage Bushwalking on Adelaide's Greater trail network doorstep Many tracks and trails take you to more remote Bushwalking in For over eighty years, the gorges, waterfalls and corners of the parks. They are signposted, Morialta and Black Hill woodlands of Morialta and Black Hill have provided however you should take a map to help you Conservation Parks an escape for Adelaide residents. Today, the parks navigate safely. boast some of the most rewarding and accessible Some of the Black Hill trails are not maintained to bushwalking opportunities in the Mount Lofty Ranges. the same standard as the Morialta trail network. Use this information to explore new parts of the parks, Take care when descending steep slopes as the or rediscover familiar trails. trail surface is often loose. To help you navigate, the trails in this brochure and Please keep to the trails – they take you to on the trailhead are colour coded. You can follow a beautiful places without harming them. suggested walk or hike, or use the map provided in this brochure to design your own route. Walk, hike and trek National Parks has introduced a walking trail classification system that grades walks, hikes and treks. A description of the classification is included for each trail. Scuttle.. rustle... The following suggested walks and hikes commence pause.......dart! from Morialta First Falls car park. All distances and return times are measured from this starting point. The Tawny Dragon, Ctenophorus decresii, is regularly seen and heard along the trails, basking on rocks and rustling through leafl itter. Kookaburra Lookout, Morialta Conservation Park. www.environment.sa.gov.au 2 to Moores Road e Ro Inset Gorg ad Third Falls Trac k to Norton Summit L via Colonial Drive o d Third Falls ge Tr ack Ma A in T G Rid m r ge u a b i l l l e y to City r A s m be Su rs g Gu a ll r y l o a v e s T r a c Second Falls k k c a r T k rac e y T r ull i Pixs G F e S r t t G e n h to Black Hill e Eagles Nest l o p e ai s G C Lookout r t T u T ree Gully lly a Trail Tr n ail o g a r t First Falls e Ghost Tree Trailhead T Kookaburra Summit Rock Addison Ave Link Trail Sum Wildflower mi ek garden t Tr Deep View e S ail r Norton Summit Road um Lookout C Giants mit h ns Hil Trail t Cave Hoga l Trail r Black Hill u k k o c Summit F a r 467m k T BLACK HILL c a e e r T n ll o CONSERVATION PARK Black Hi Sealed road Z r e ff u B Unsealed road d r a h rc Fire track O il Walking trail a y Track r Quarr T Maryvale Road Maryvale d r a Waterfall h Montacute Road c r O First Falls k Car park c a Fox Hill r Scale dam T le 0 km 1 ag Mo Fo E o x H re ill s Tr Morialta Trail Network T ack ra c k k c a r T First Falls Valley Walk Toilets s n Resource a Centre m First Falls Plateau Hike Information p a h C Second Falls Gorge Hike Parking MORIALTA No bicyles or dogs Stradbroke Road Road Stradbroke Three Falls Grand Hike Picnic area CONSERVATION PARK permitted beyond Lookout W First Falls car park. Fire track o o Morialta Road d ky H f Roc ill Tr Youth hostel Walking trail Rockclimbing o ac to City 12 km rde k T r a c DEH office k H o Moores Road g a ns T ra ck n n o l Ce y k n P c t ra re T Tr ck s a ll a k F rac d T ir N k h o e T r e to r n C S n u i m w m T it Fuzzy's Farm R o Col Track ad onial see Inset (note orientation) Colonial Drive To Norton Summit www.environment.sa.gov.au 3 First Falls Second Falls Phytophthora (Root-rot fungus) Valley Walk Gorge Hike Phytophthora (fy-TOFF-thora), otherwise known as root-rot fungus, is killing our *45 min return1.6 km return *2.5 hr return 5.3 km loop native plants and threatens the survival Follow Fourth Creek to the heart This trail skirts the rim of of animals depending on plants for food of Morialta Gorge along a stroller the escarpment and offers and shelter. This introduced fungus can accessible trail. outstanding views of the gorge be found in plant roots, soil and water. from First Falls and Second Falls lookouts. Stretch Please help stop the spread by staying on During summer the creek is dry. After autumn and your legs and ascend the steep slope to Deep View tracks and trails and by complying with winter rains, water tumbles thirty metres from the top Lookout for a view of the city. The first 700 m is a all Phytophthora management signs. of Morialta's best known landmark, First Falls. heart starter! If you prefer an easier gradient, hike in Look for information signs and discover which animal an anti-clockwise direction. Morialta and Black Hill conservation never reaches its first birthday and why huggable parks, and their trails may be closed on trees are good for wildlife. days of Total Fire Ban. Listen to your local Three Falls radio station for broadcasts, or contact Grand Hike the CFS Hotline on 1300 362 361 First Falls Plateau Hike *3.5 hr return 7.3 km loop An emergency public phone is Visit all three of the waterfalls. located near the toilets at the First *1.5 hr return 2.5 km loop Admire the dramatic cliffs, Falls car park. Mobile phone reception Rising above the valley floor, this gorges and scenic vistas over is poor in the gorge. trail takes you to the top of First Morialta, Adelaide Plains and the River Torrens. Falls, overlooking Morialta Gorge. Experienced hikers can continue beyond the Free car parking is available at the The trail ascends about 60 steep steps to Giants Cave. gorges to Norton Summit Road and the stringybark Stradbroke Road, and Resource Centre woodlands. A little further along the trail, First Falls appears – rest car parks. A parking fee applies for a moment and enjoy the view from Kookaburra Rock the First Falls car park at the end of Lookout. As you continue, look for differences in Morialta Road. All car parks in Morialta the vegetation on each side of the gorge. Sheoaks * Return time is generously estimated for an Conservation Park are closed 15 minutes average walking speed of 3 km per hour - prior to sunset. prefer the drier, sunnier north-facing slope and the extra time has been allowed for resting stringybark eucalypts grow along the wetter south- and sightseeing. facing slope. The Heysen Trail is a long-distance bushwalking trail (about 1200 km in Take care descending the steep trail below Eagles length) that extends from Cape Jervis Nest Lookout. in the south to Parachilna Gorge in the north of South Australia. The Heysen Trail enters Morialta at Moores Road and Colonial Drive. www.environment.sa.gov.au 4 LOCATION MAP Torrens AD AD Yurrebilla O O GORGE ROAD Black Hill ALE R ALE R ADAD YV YV Conservation OO M Park MAR MAR O MONTACUTE ROAD NTAC UT OKE ROKE R E Morialta and Black Hill conservation parks ROAD are part of the Greater Mount Lofty Parklands STRADBRSTRADBR Morialta OR Conservation N TO – Yurrebilla. The parklands contain around N Park MAGILL ROAD ST BERNARDS ROAD River S U M M 40 000 hectares of lands managed by DEH, IT R O A KENSINGTON ROAD D Forestry SA, SA Water and Planning SA. ADELAIDE GREENHILL ROAD The Yurrebilla Trail enters Morialta at Colonial Drive and makes its way through Morialta and Black Hill parks to its northern limit, the River Torrens, near Ambers Gully. www.yurrebilla.parklands.sa.gov.au. Walk safely Be prepared when bushwalking: For further information contact: • Wear sturdy shoes, hat and sunscreen. • Carry sufficient drinking water. Department for Environment and Heritage Northern Lofty District Office • Keep to the defined trails and follow 115 Maryvale Road the markers. Athelstone SA 5076 • Inform a responsible person of your Phone (08) 8336 0901 proposed route and expected time Fax (08) 8336 0900 of return. • Weather conditions can change quickly. Emergency Contact Ensure you have appropriate wet-weather Office Hours Phone (08) 8336 0901 clothing. After Hours Duty Officer 1300 650 411 and quote pager number 465281 Phone Information Line (08) 8204 1910 Email [email protected] Website www.parks.sa.gov.au © Department for Environment and Heritage April 2008 • FIS 72984 www.environment.sa.gov.au .

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