Filsell Hill Circuit (4.7km)

Kenneth Stirling Conservation Park is actually a series of four parks. They were bequeathed by Kenneth Stirling to the people of South Australia, the parks were declared conservation park in 1990. Information about the parks is limited. We've featured walks in the two largest parks:

Both parks are predominately remnant native stringybark forest, similar to nearby Mount George Conservation Park. The understorey is a mixture of bracken, ferns and grasses.

The walk detailed below remains in the conservation park and doesn't enter private property (there are some minor crossings into private property, but there is no signage or gates or fences to note the boundary and it would be reasonable to walk on these short track sections). Please be respectful of private landowners who have permitted this. It isn't easy to include a loop walk that explores the northern part of the park, but we have included some optional notes to walk to the quarry and return.

Read these directions in conjunction with the map.

You could walk further north along Proberts Track from point 4, but there isn't an easy way to make it into a loop, so you will need to return along the same route. The fire track on the western boundary, north of point 5, becomes fainter and more overgrown as it heads north. It disappears entirely before reaching the creek.

From the quarry you could walk to Filsell Track. The fire trail to the quarry is easy to follow. The quarry was used to quarry stone for the Adelaide to Lobethal road. There is a plaque here commemorating a worker's accidental death. After the quarry, the fire track becomes increasingly faint before disappearing. You could make a small loop by continuing to walk by contouring around the hill for a further 150 metres to reach Filsell Track. Looking right (east) the Filsell Track enters private property, there is an old loose wire gate there, and a fence. You could walk left (west) and uphill to the peak of Filsell Hill - it's steep but manageable. Over the summit, where Filsell Track meets the western boundary, there is a locked gate with commercial vines the other side. It's easy to remain in the park, to walk downhill (south) along the inside of the fence - but it can be tough going, you can't walk immediately beside the fence, but can walk parallel to it, returning to the dam you passed earlier. It's only 250 metres, doable but maybe not pleasant.

GPX file courtesy of Walking SA. File may not contain elevation data and may only represent half the length on return hikes.