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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
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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
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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.
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
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