Winter is the time to hike in the Eyre Peninsula – you’ll avoid hot weather (probably) and views over the countryside should be of green fields.
There are plenty of great hikes of varying difficulty across the region, but we’ve collected a few of our favourites to inspire you to get active and discover these gorgeous locations.
We’ve also included a few easier ‘walks’ as well – for those who don’t want a real hike, but to just take in the views.
1. MOUNT GREENLY (COULTA)
Located just near Greenly Beach (of rockpool fame), this hike isn’t very long and offers some beautiful views to the coast or to Lake Greenly – depending on what side you’re facing! It’ll take you between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, and is considered an intermediate hike.
2. WILD DOG HILL (WHYALLA)
Classed as an easy walk, the 30 minute, 1.2km return journey up Wild Dog Hill is a perfect sunset hike to take in the views over the rugged hills. It’s located in the Whyalla Conservation Park, 10km north of Whyalla.
3. HILTABA WALKING TRAILS (GAWLER RANGES NATIONAL PARK)
Hiltaba Station on the edge of the Gawler Ranges National Park has four walking trails of varying distance, ranging from a 1 hour jaunt to a 10km, five hour loop for experienced walkers that requires registration before you embark (safety first). There are plenty of opportunities for bird watching, and you’ll get to enjoy the rugged outback views of this remarkable part of Eyre Peninsula
4. STAMFORD HILL HIKE (PORT LINCOLN NATIONAL PARK)
Excellent views are your reward for this hard hike – look out over Boston Bay, Port Lincoln and the Port Lincoln National Park when you reach the top. It’s about a 45 minute trip up and back, or you can follow the Stamford Hill Loop for an almost 6km, two hour walk. It’s got a good trail surface, too!
5. CARAPPEE HILL (DARKE PEAK VIA CLEVE)
Carappee Hill is the highest point on the Eyre Peninsula (495m above sea level), and unsurprisingly it’s a reasonably challenging hike to the top. Follow the white arrows for approximately 2km (4km round-trip) to reach the summit, with some steep and long inclines and declines along the way.
6. ELLISTON COASTAL TRAIL
At over 13km, this is a walking and driving trail – spanning across the stunning clifftop between Little Bay Surf Break and Cape Finnis, there are plenty of options of how to follow this track. Break it up into smaller trails (the Clifftop Trail, Little Bay Trail and Beach Loop), or walk the whole thing allowing 6 hours return – either way you’re treated to spectacular views.
7. ROORA RESERVE WALKING TRAIL (KIMBA)
The Roora Reserve Walking trail is a 6km round trip featuring recycled steel sculptures of various native animals, including an echidna, emu and wombat. It’s easy walking, with a gradual rise to Whites Knob Lookout and its views of the countryside, and the directional dial at the top will help you identify local landmarks.
8. YANGIE BAY TO LONG BEACH (COFFIN BAY NATIONAL PARK)
Finally, the Yangie Bay to Long Beach hike – well, it’s really more of a walk. It’s certainly long (a whopping 20km round trip), but you can take the shorter Yangie Bay Loop (2km) or the Yangie Island Loop (5km) if the Long Beach hike isn’t your thing. Stunning bay views are on the menu, and the national park is a great place to spot wildlife.
While these few walks are enough to get you started, there are more hikes and walks besides these 8 – Walking SA has a whole bunch on their website you can check out for inspiration.
And it’s a great time of year to get out exploring this beautiful and varied region (trust us, Elliston’s coastal walk will be completely different from the Hiltaba Walking Trails!), so make the most of the cooler weather. And be sure to use #eyrepeninsula on Instagram and tag us in your snaps!