Best South Australia Waterfalls
South Australia is a gorgeous state not known for it’s waterfalls. Queensland comes to mind, Tasmania, but not the state of South Australia. It’s time to make a change! Let’s stand tall and showcase South Australia’s best waterfall hikes that are on offer.
Waterfall Gully, South Australia
Waterfall Gully has six waterfalls along this Mount Lofty hike. The first waterfall can even be seen from the carpark! After that it’s just a short 500 metres to Second Falls and then the Mount Lofty hike begins. This hike is 3.9km return and takes roughly 2 hours to complete. It’s a beautiful walk and why not treat yourself to a coffee or cold drink at the Utopia Restaurant and Cafe at the start of the walk.
Morialta Conservation Park Waterfall, South Australia
The Three Falls Grand Hike in Morialta Conservation Park is a great hike that offers get this; 3 waterfalls! The Morialta waterfalls are appropriately named First Falls, Second Falls and Pow Wow Swish Falls (that’s not true it’s Third Falls). The First Falls are accessible from the Morialta Falls Valley Walk and can be viewwed from the spectacular Eagle Nest Lookout. The distance is around 5.5km and takes about 1.5 hours to walk. Plus, Morialta Conservation Park is less than 30 minutes from Adelaide CBD so you don’t have to go far to enjoy South Australia’s waterfalls.
Deep Creek Waterfall, South Australia
Deep Creek Waterfall is a great waterfall near me (South Adelaide-based) so if you want to explore a Fleurieu Peninsula waterfall then this is a great option! This hike is best done in winter and spring but also great in summer as it offers views of the ocean and plenty sightings of Kangaroos. I recommend starting your hike from the Trig Picnic Area. This waterfall hike offers a short and a long version, want to do the full 7 hour circuit? Don’t bring me but enjoy the 12km!
Waterfall Hike, Belair National Park
Waterfall Hike in Belair National Park is a… get this; a hike in Belair National Park that takes you to a waterfall?!! It’s a beautiful walk full of emus, koalas, kangaroos and more South Australian wildlife. If you’re interested in Australian wildlife then be sure to read our blog on the best South Australian Wildlife-based Activities! This hike can take around 3 hours and is all up hill to the waterfall, it’s about 6.5km but the abundance of wildlife makes it all worth it.
Ferntree Falls, Flinders Rangers
Let’s get to some hidden gem waterfalls of South Australia. I wanted to start off this blog with some of the big name ones but there are plenty that only a handful of people know, and luckily for you I’m one of them! This can be accessed through Flinders Ranges Wy is just outside of Hawker, South Australia. It lies on the outskirts of Flinders Ranges National Park and is sometimes not even flowing. However, I couldn’t skip it from the list!
Currency Creek Waterfall, South Australia
Currency Creek Waterfall is another unknown hidden gem waterfall of South Australia. It’s located near the town of Currency Creek and the walk is reasonable for all skill levels of hiking. The path is quite narrow and overgrown as it is very unknown but that makes it even more charming! It is a very small waterfall however when making a South Australia waterfall hike list it felt wrong to not include it.
Horsnell Gully Waterfall Hike
This charming waterfall is also lesser known to Adelaide residents. The waterfall may not be alike of Iceland’s gorgeous streams however if you’re ticking off your waterfall bucketlist (which I did this year) then it can’t be missed. Horsnell Gully’s waterfall is very gentle but being only 10km east of Adelaide City it’s a great hike for your weekend itinerary.
Waterfall Creek Hike, Billy Goat Waterfall, Kangaroo Island
Billy Goat Waterfall is located on Kangaroo Island and is a 7.2km hike located near Western River. It offers scenic views of this famous Australian Island and is a fairly moderate walk. The landscape is still recovering after the devastating bush fires of 2020 and Kangaroos and birds can be seen on the walk!
Hindmarsh Falls, Fleurieu Peninsula
It’s time for another waterfall on the Fleurieu Peninsula! This is a really short walk and perfect for young families. The water cascades over many pools of water and there is a picnic area in the lower carpark, perfect for a family picnic! It’s only a 10 minute walk as it’s only around 200 metres away. If you’re visiting all South Australian waterfalls then you have to visit this one as well!
Ingalalla Falls, South Australia
Speaking of short walks, this walk is only 250 metres! Again, perfect for families or a cute Adelaide based date idea. There are several picnic areas and the whole experience can take only 30 minutes. This waterfall is located around 1.5 hours drive away from Adelaide so makes for a great weekend trip to explore more of this great state.
Mannum Waterfall, South Australia’s Murray River
Mannum Waterfall is a beautiful walk and fun for families, solo hikers and couples. It features a flowing stream and a gorgeous landscape of rocky bolders and grassy hills. There is plenty of birdlife as there is a full stream of water which they love to bath in. This hike is a bit longer and can take 2 to 3 hours even though it’s just a 3km walk. This is a hidden gem of South Australia’s riverland and something most people travelling to Mannum don’t think about visiting.
List of all South Australian Waterfalls
There are dozens of more waterfalls in South Australia! Too many to write about. So I have compiled it into a map below. Here you can find all of South Australia’s waterfalls. This took a lot of hunting so if you want to thank the writer I would really appreciate a coffee through BuyMeACoffee.