Crafers: Nature Trails, Wildlife and Botany

In Crafers, trails through bushland, wildlife watching and botanical discoveries offer different ways to experience nature. The Crafers to Mt Lofty link trail passes through Cleland National Park, which also has walking and cycling trails, as well as mountain biking opportunities. If you would rather get to know animals up close, Cleland Wildlife Park offers two different experiences: a one-hour guided tour and a Reptile Experience, subject to availability. The Mount Lofty Botanic Garden adds another option, with two entrances in Crafers.

Explore the Link Trail on Foot or by Bike

The Crafers to Mt Lofty link trail is 4.5 km long and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Its starting point is opposite the Crafers bus stop. Along the way through Cleland National Park, natural surfaces alternate with existing fire tracks and well-maintained trail sections. Visitors can cover the route on foot or by bicycle. Its length and stated duration provide a clear guide for planning your day without assuming a particular walking speed.

The other walking and cycling trails in Cleland National Park also take visitors through a diverse range of native wildlife. This makes the park appealing to anyone looking to combine outdoor activity with the chance to observe local wildlife. Mountain bikes can use shared trails and fire tracks. If you are planning a bike ride, these are the designated types of route to consider; for an outing on foot, the walking trails offer a different way to experience the park.

Cleland National Park protects a significant area of bushland in the Adelaide Hills face zone. This landscape provides a distinctive backdrop to the trails in the park. Rather than committing to just one way of visiting, you can choose your focus based on whether you want to walk, cycle or look out for native wildlife.

Botany and Animal Encounters

In Crafers, Mount Lofty Botanic Garden has an upper entrance on Mount Lofty Summit Road and a lower entrance on Lampert Road, which branches off Piccadilly Road. These two locations can help you place a visit to the garden in your travel plans. Depending on which entrance is relevant to your visit, you can use the corresponding road as a landmark.

At Cleland Wildlife Park, the one-hour Guided Day Tour offers a different experience from the trails in the national park. Experienced staff lead visitors through the park, where they can see and learn about some typical Australian animals. For anyone particularly interested in reptiles, there is the Reptile Experience: subject to availability, visitors can meet and hold a snake or lizard together with a keeper. Be sure to take availability into account.

If you are travelling with family, you can choose together what to focus on: getting active on the trails, native wildlife or a guided animal encounter. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Crafers, this is a useful starting point for choosing experiences that match your interests. The trails, garden and Wildlife Park offerings described here provide different reasons to discover Crafers and its nature experiences.

Discover More Places

For more travel ideas, you can also explore Hahndorf, Walkerville, Port Willunga, Gawler, North Haven, Devon Park, Oaklands Park and Noarlunga Downs.

For the main travel overview: Adelaide.