The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Onkaparinga River National Park

This lookout is easily accessible from the nearby parking area and offers visitors a look over one of South Australia's largest reservoirs. Constructed between 1932-38 the dam is 58 metres tall and 232 metres long.

The Noarlunga Downs Wetland Trail is the perfect track for experiencing wetland habitats teeming with life. This flat dirt track is not very long and is surrounded with aquatic plants and grassland, where you will hear birds chirping, water of the river flowing and maybe even the faint sounds of the rail line passing in the distance. Enjoy this track during low tide and during a non-rainy day.

The Onkaparinga River flows through southern Adelaide and is popular with kayaking, fishing, and bushwalking on riverside tracks. The river valley has lush plants and marshlands here, and on the rest of its 88-kilometre course it flows through sandy shorelines and rocky canyons. It eventually terminates in Port Noarlunga.

A.S. Perry Reserve is a patchwork of marshland, native bushland, and open grassy areas along the banks of the Onkaparinga River. The reserve has restrooms, a playground, and picnic areas near its parking lot, but venture out on the bushwalking tracks to see the natural beauty of the area.

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.

Onkaparinga River National Park protects a rugged section of the Onkaparinga Gorge about 30–35 kilometres south of Adelaide, where steep ridgelines, a narrow river valley, and permanent rock pools create one of the region’s most dramatic landscapes. The park includes a network of walking trails that lead to clifftop lookouts and down into the gorge, with abundant wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, birdlife, and echidnas. The park also reflects a layer of history, with heritage-listed huts and 1880s ruins scattered among areas once used for farming.