The most popular hike from Waterfall Gully runs 3 miles (4.5 kilometers) past six of the park’s seven waterfalls to the 2,330-foot (710-meter) Mt. Lofty Summit, which has a café, a visitor center, and a bus stop. It can take 1.5–3 hours depending on fitness, pace, and temperature. Tours are convenient and often stop at the Cleland Wildlife Park, home to a wealth of native fauna, including koalas, emus, wombats, kangaroos, and wallabies.
Waterfall Gully sits about a 7-mile (11-kilometer) drive southeast of central Adelaide. The Metro Adelaide Route 823 bus stops at the nearest bus stop, Cleland Conservation Park. Since the gully is about a 2-mile (3-kilometer) walk from there, most travelers opt to drive or join a tour with round-trip transport.
Waterfall Gully is open daily, with the gate at the Mt. Lofty Summit open until late in the evening. At times of high fire risk, the park may be closed. It’s best to avoid visiting at weekends, particularly during the Australian school vacations, when the trail can become extremely busy and parking impossible.
Between the city of Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, Cleland National Park incorporates some of the Adelaide area’s most charming—and accessible—wilderness. Besides the Cleland Wildlife Park and Waterfall Gully, highlights include Mt. Lofty, the 6-mile (10-kilometer) Wine Shanty hike, and an extensive range of mountain biking trails.
