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Length: 1.8km
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Duration: 30 mins
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Grade: 1
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Style: Circuit
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Start: Lofty Track, Heathfield
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End: Lofty Track, Heathfield
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Location: Mark Oliphant Conservation Park
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Closest Town:
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Distance from CBD: 21.7 km
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State: SA
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Latitude: -35.03722102
Longitude: 138.704957
Keep the Trail Access info current...

Select items to indicate conditions for access to the trail.


2WD Access


4WD Access


Public Transport


Bitumen Road


Gravel Road


Steep Road


Winding Road


Speed Bumps


Vehicle Ford


Entry Fee


Large Car Park


Small Car Park


Accessible Parking


Accessible Toilet


Public Toilets


Drinking Water


Untreated Water


Picnic Shelter


Picnic Table


BBQ Facilities


Campfire Pit


Camping Area
Keep the Trail Features current...

Mark Oliphant Conservation Park...
Select items to indicate features found along the trail.


Concrete Path


Timber Boardwalk


Gravel Path


Sandy Trail


Rough Trail


Undefined Trail


Prams & Strollers


Manual Wheelchair


Motorised Wheelchair


Bicycle Trail


Mountain Bike Trail


Historic Rail Trail


Dog Friendly


Urban Walk


Coast & Beach


Historic Lighthouse


Waterfalls & Lakes


Rainforest Walk


Goldfields & Mining


Heritage Walk


Aboriginal Art


Alpine Region


Alpine Huts


Exposed Ledges


Rock Scrambling


Steep Terrain


Bush Bashing


River Crossings


Scenic Viewpoints


Well Marked


Drinking Water


Untreated Water


Fishing Spots


Swimming Spots


Overnight Campsites


Trail Running


Horse Riding
Hike Summary
The Mark Oliphant Conservation Park is a park with stringybark forest and numerous walking trails. The park entrance appears rundown, but don't be deceived - this is a gem of a park for walkers. Trails are marked, and firetracks named with street signs. There is no trail information at the carpark. The oval has a modern shelter, but there are no other park facilities.
We feature four walks in the park:
1.8km, 30 mins
This short trail is on walking trail and fire track.
3.1km, 2 hours
Follow the walking trail through the forest. The trail is marked and easily followed. 650 metres of this trail is along the quiet dirt Evans Drive (both the entrance and exit are clearly marked, don't be tempted by the numerous dead-end indistinct walking trails leaving the road).
1.6km, 1 hour
This hike follows the gully up into the waterfall. The waterfall is a series of two large rockfaces, but is generally only likely to be flowing in winter and early spring.
4km, 2 hours
Combine the above three smaller loops into a larger hike.
Stringybark dominate the forest canopy, and there is a small stand of candlebark gums near the Loftia oval. This tall eucalypt with white bark is rare and only found in the higher rainfall areas of the Adelaide Hills. Tiny patches of pink gum, manna gum and blue gum also occur in the park. In the forest understorey there are many spring-flowering shrubs, including myrtle-leaved wattle, beaked hakea and large-leaved bush-pea.
There is a variety of wildlife located in the park, including the rare southern brown bandicoot and yellow-footed antechinus, along with several lizard, snake and frog species. Numerous bird species are also found in the park including the superb fairy-wren, scarlet robin, golden whistler, Adelaide rosella and honeyeater species.
The park was renamed in 1996 in honour of former state Governor Sir Mark Oliphant's contribution to conservation (the park was formerly called Loftia Recreation Park).
GPX file courtesy of Walking SA. File may not contain elevation data and may only represent half the length on return hikes.
About the region
Renamed in honour of former state Governor Sir Mark Oliphant's contribution to conservation, Mark Oliphant Conservation Park provides plenty of bushwalking opportunities to enjoy the forest landscape. Look out for the native birds that are commonly seen in the area, including the scarlet robin, golden whistler and the Adelaide rosellas. The park is also an important habitat for the nationally endangered southern brown bandicoot.
GPX File
Max elevation: 477 m
Min elevation: 378 m
Total climbing: 408 m
Total descent: -303 m
For more information on this hiking trail, please visit Walking SA