The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Sturt Gorge Recreation Park

Playford Lake is a charming body of water surrounded by picnic areas, open lawns, and the accessible Wood Duck Walk. The lake attracts ducks, turtles, and other waterbirds, making it one of the park’s best places for wildlife watching and a popular destination for families. Swimming and fishing are not permitted, but it’s a lovely place to take a peaceful stroll around its perimeter.

Wattle Reserve sits directly beside the foreshore at Hove, with open lawns, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and easy beach access along the Seacliff to Brighton coastal walk. The reserve is a popular local stop for families and dog walkers thanks to its grassy open space and position right beside the Esplanade and beachfront. Facilities include toilets, barbecues, picnic areas, and shaded seating close to the sand.

Happy Valley Reservoir is a large water storage reserve in Adelaide, surrounded by protected bushland and open to the public for low-impact recreation. There is a network of walking and cycling tracks that circle the reservoir through easy terrain, with expansive views across the water and plenty of wildlife, including kangaroos who roam the area freely, and over 90 species of land and water birds that call this area home. Popular for hiking, birdwatching, and photography, this area combines a peaceful natural setting with well-managed access and facilities, including picnic and BBQ areas, making it a fantastic place to spend the day exploring and enjoying nature.

Shoreline Loop is an easy, well-formed walking and cycling trail that circles Happy Valley Reservoir, covering roughly 11 kilometres on mostly flat, compacted gravel paths. The loop follows the water’s edge through open grassland and regenerating bushland, with expansive reservoir views and plenty of birds and other wildlife, especially kangaroos, to see along the way. Popular for walking, running, and cycling, it’s a peaceful, accessible route with several lookout points and benches, ideal for a break to enjoy the scenery. The trail is open from 7:30 am to sunset, with gated access points that are locked overnight, so keep this in mind if you’re planning an early morning or later-day stroll through the park.

Boundary Loop is a longer walking and cycling route within Happy Valley Reservoir that skirts the outer edges of the reserve through a mix of open grassland and regenerating bush. Extending beyond the main shoreline circuit, it’s quieter, with less traffic, minimal elevation changes and wider views across the surrounding hills and water. Popular with walkers, trail runners, and cyclists, the loop offers a slightly more remote-feeling alternative to the central pathway.

Sleeps Hill Walking Trail winds through the bushland of Sleeps Hill Reserve on Adelaide’s southern foothills, following old service routes and natural contours through open woodland and regenerating native vegetation. As the trail climbs gently across the hillside, there are a few beautiful views over the surrounding suburbs and nearby valleys, so keep an eye out as you walk along this quiet section of the reserve.

Windy Point Lookout is a well-known scenic lookout in the Adelaide Hills overlooking the city of Adelaide. From the viewing area, the expansive views stretch across the Adelaide plains to the coastline of Gulf St Vincent, with the city skyline visible below. This spot is especially popular at sunset and after dark, when the city lights spread across the plain beneath the hills.

Lynton Belair Urban Trail is a shared-use path that links the suburbs of Lynton and Belair along a corridor of native vegetation and open hillside. The trail follows a gently undulating route with beautiful views across Adelaide’s southern suburbs and nearby bushland reserves. It’s a great route for urban walking and cycling while still offering pockets of quiet natural scenery along the way.