Adelaide Mount Lofty Summit Reviews
Had nothing to do in the afternoon and wanted to casually find a mountain to walk around. Ended up finding Mount Lofty Summit. The photos looked pretty good, very nature-focused, so we headed out straight away. Originally thought it would just be a short walk, but it turned out there are many trails to choose from, and the longest one is actually 1,200km!
The car park is quite large. After getting out of the car, crossing a small road takes you straight to the entrance. We randomly chose the route to Waterfall Gully, and didn’t expect the entire trail to be full of slopes. By the end, our legs were shaking.
Pick a day with good weather and it would definitely be beautiful. We even came across kangaroos along the trail. We drove directly to Mount Lofty Summit, which is already the summit, so the whole walk is basically going downhill first and then climbing back up.
The lighthouse-style summit marker and the lookout overlooking the whole of Adelaide are popular photo spots, so taking photos is a must. After that, we started our hiking journey.
Adelaide Mount Lofty Summit Walk
At the entrance to the downhill trail, there are signboards showing multiple route options. There are also direction signs along the way, so there is no need to worry about getting lost. It was our first time there, so we chose the shortest route to Waterfall Gully, which is about 4km one way. Our group arrived at the summit around 8:40am. Everyone can choose a route according to their available time and fitness level.
Now for the overall experience and things to note:
- The overall experience was great. It wasn’t too tiring. My friends and I work out regularly, so completing it was quite easy for us. It also provides a good cardio workout. Going in the morning can even count as fasted cardio.
- Since we took the Waterfall Gully route, there are some small water puddles along the way. Be careful around wet areas to avoid slipping and getting injured.
- Some sections of the trail are quite steep. When going downhill, don’t rush too much, especially if you have knee issues, otherwise it can be hard on your knees.
- Going uphill is much more tiring than going downhill, so be mentally prepared. We were almost jogging during the climb back up, so the uphill and downhill times felt similar, both taking around half an hour.
Corner Store Cafe is probably familiar to most people, so I won’t introduce it too much. All I can say is that their food has never disappointed me.
Finally, hiking really is addictive. Next time I definitely want to try a longer and more challenging route. If anyone is interested, come along with us!