Onkaparinga Gorge Trek is a 21km, grade 5 hike located in the Onkaparinga River National Park, South Australia. The hike should take around 2 days to complete.
Hike overview
Experienced bushwalkers can trek the length of Onkaparinga Gorge in the summer months.
Discover a sense of remoteness as you trek between commanding cliffs, tranquil waterholes and enduring river red gums.
This is a difficult hike, which requires navigation and route choice, including selecting routes around obstacles, water pools and cliffs. Some sections of this route are non-existent as a trail. During winter and after rainfall events, the unmarked route is not accessible.
Contact the Belair National Park Office on (08) 8278 5477 for seasonal information and to lodge a Trip Intentions form.
Alternative shorter hikes in Onkaparinga Gorge include:
GPX file courtesy of Walking SA. File may not contain elevation data and may only represent half the length on return hikes.
Route and GPX file
Max elevation: 133 m
Min elevation: 4 m
Total climbing: 499 m
Total descent: -598 m
For more information on this hiking trail, please visit Walking SA
Trail location
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Gallery
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About the region
In Onkaparinga River National Park, diverse hiking trails take you to cliff tops with magnificent views, or down to permanent rock pools teeming with life. You’ll see rugged ridge tops and the narrow river valley of the spectacular Onkaparinga Gorge. This park protects some of the finest remaining pockets of remnant vegetation in the Southern Adelaide region. Wherever you go, you’ll be among native wildlife such as birds, koalas, kangaroos and possums - you may even spot an echidna. Areas of the park were used as farmland for many years, so you can also discover heritage-listed huts and the ruins of houses built in the 1880s.
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Gear to consider

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Let someone know
Let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to return. Fill in an online trip intentions form to privately send important details about your adventure to your emergency contact. They can then inform emergency services if you don’t return on time.
Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.
0 Reviews on “Onkaparinga Gorge Trek (21km)”
and also one of the most spectacular ones
Chad Ownsworth Dave Loechel … what are the chances either of you would give this a go?
Emma Mickle add it to the list
Emma Mickle nahh you’re my fav