Cleland Conservation Park

Some great shared tracks through here. Really urge people to avoid the standard ‘Lofty’ route and try one of the other half a dozen plus paths out here, at least half the routes are less demanding than the Waterfall hike at the end of Waterfall Gully Road and much, much less congested.
Chambers Gully (access off of Waterfall Gully Rd on left 350−400m after you enter) is a gradual incline that ramps up 4 – 5 Kim’s in and onto Long Ridge or up the other side of the gully to Greenhill Road. Walk in half an hour and back out the same way if you want to avoid a moderate climb. Great cool breezes and shade in summer, a bubbling brook at other times.
Long Ridge is a great exposed walk. Above Chambers Gully. Dozens of Kangaroos and Koalas are moving around up here near dusk. The Ridge climbs up to Mount Lofty and passes the Wildlife park on its way or reaches a lookout at its other end (a pic of this is attached). A narrow, very steep goat track heads down directly off of Long Ridge and is a great training run/​walk.
The other side of Long Ridge is Woolshed Gully. Accessed via gate 11 off Waterfall Gully Road. Follow directly to walk up to long ridge. It’s a wide, gradual incline track for 3−4km’s before it reaches Long Ridge. Another option on the right about 200m after you enter leads you up Pengana track. After a very step (near 20%) incline for the first km it runs straight into the wildlife park after 4−5kms.
Just by the car park entrance to the Wildlife Park is the Wine Shanty Trail. This is an easy, wide, well shaded path that winds through the back of Amber’s Gully then heads up to Greenhill Road. This track also heads off into much longer trails like the Heysen and Yurebilla.
The Bilba track links Pengana to the well worn Lofty track and is very pretty.
Halfway up the Lofty track you can peel off right and head up towards the old freeway and down along the Bullock Track for great views as you pass Mount Osmond golf course. Feels like you’re on top of the CBD as you come out here.
You could also start from the Eagle on the Hill lookout and walk across to the Mount Lofty Summit and return (5−6km’s), or navigate around the entire park — a half-​dayer at 18+km’s.
Whatever track or option you choose take a friend if you’re not used to longer walks. There’s mobile reception through most of the park so there’s little chance of getting lost.
More importantly try something other than the standard Waterfall Gully track. People actually say hello on the other tracks and it won’t feel like a Lorna Jane commercial as you jostle up the standard, overused track to Lofty.
SA Gov. PDF map;
Chambers Gully /​Long Ridge Hike:
Alternate Mount Lofty Approach:
Cleland Full Loop:

This is a great place to witness and experience what most of the Adelaide Hills would have looked like for thousands of years prior to the colonial era. Conservation parks like this are an absolute gem for their dedication to preserving a natural environment for its own sake and allowing us in to have a mosy around.
The hikes in Cleland are interesting and varied catering to all skill levels. It’s pretty easy to get lost and into a sticky situation, so taking adequate water into the park is a must. However, it’s not so large that you’re going to have to rely on trapping animals and fashioning a stone hatchet to survive if you do get lost. It’s a great place to have a day out.

This place is worth making the trip to.
The views from up at the lookout are amazing. Seriously amazing. There are various walking tracks to suit beginners right up to experienced hikers. It’s a great place to take the family to fall in love with nature.
There is a restaurant which does a pretty good meal (though it’s not cheap), and also a tourist shop.
Pack a picnic and make a day of it.

If you’re doing touristy types of things in Adelaide, then this is up there for experiencing South Australia’s flora and fauna. There’s really quite a bit to see and do, and you’ll have a great time. I’ll review the wildlife park and Mt Lofty Summit separately, and for now I’ll just focus on my experience walking from the car park at Waterfall Gully up Mt Lofty.
It’s a really nice walk, but it’s much nicer if you’ve got decent hiking shoes. There’s a restaurant here, but I haven’t eaten here, so I won’t say any more about it. But the walk is a really nice one. It’s a round trip of a bit under eight kilometres, so it’s not massive, but I was pretty worn out.
Well worth doing if you’re up for it.