Shepherds Hill Recreation Park in Adelaide’s southern suburbs has a few short walks that are great for a quick escape into nature.
There is a feeling of calm in the park among the tall gum trees. The hill bordering the northern part of the park keeps out the traffic sounds and you can hear plenty of birds in the park.
The park is a popular spot for mountain biking and dogs on leads are allowed. There are several paths in the park that criss-cross each other so you are likely to see other people using the park. While there are several paths, they are all well sign-posted, so it is easy to stay on the right path.
The River Red Gum Loop is the park’s easiest walk. The walk takes you through river red gum trees and along Viaduct Creek, which is likely dry unless there has recently been a lot of rain.
The loop takes you on a combination of wide flat fire track and a path through the trees. In parts, it is about two-people wide. The wider sections of the path are shared with cyclists and is considered a beginner mountain biking trail, so make sure to be aware of your surroundings.
The 2.5km loop path leaves the car park and heads left off the main viaduct track, when heading in a clockwise direction. It follows the creek past the Archery Area, which has a club building. The path does go past several archery targets, so if the red flags are flying, make sure to take the detour. At the eastern end of the path, it takes a sharp turn over a small bridge before heading back towards the start by following the viaduct track back past the Archery Area. Before reaching the end, the path heads back off the viaduct track to the right through the gums for a small section.
Walk Details
Distance
2.5km
Duration
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Elevation Gain
33m
Map
Park map can be found on Parks SA’s website.
The Essentials
Getting There
Shepherds Hill is easily accessible and has a car park on the south side of Ayliffes Road. If you are coming in from South Road, you will need to take the signed u-turn area to head back towards the park.
There is an Adelaide Metro Bus Stop (Stop 24A Ayliffes Road – South Side) near the entry to the park.
The Trailhead
The Trailhead is at the end of the car park. There are no facilities in the park.
Altitude to Adelaide 