Parks and the outdoors in Adelaide

26 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Adelaide.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

SeeSalisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully
Angove Conservation Park
Not a conservation park that many travellers go to, but was rather proclaimed to prevent land development. Today, there are some trails, but these are quite short. However, you may be lucky enough to spot a kangaroo though!
EatBelair National Park
Belair Kiosk
The primary kiosk in the park, having the needs of what you can expect to find in most ordinary park kiosks.
10:30AM–3:30PM (weekends, public holidays and school holidays only)
SeeSouth and East
Belair National Park
Here you can walk around and enjoy the green areas, and there are also some tennis courts and a playground for kids. In the park you can also find the Government House that used to be the governor's summer residence. There's a fee to enter the park by car, but it can also be accessed by the Belair train line, a 35-minute trip from Adelaide.
Summer 8AM-9PM, winter 8AM-7PM (closed during Christmas)
SeeSouth and East
Cleland Conservation Park
Popular with hikers and cyclists and has great views over the Adelaide Hills. Some highlights are the Cleland Wildlife Park, the Waterfall Gully and the Mt Lofty Summit.
SeeSalisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully
Cobbler Creek Recreation Park
A park which provides an open space barrier and has dams to mitigate flooding. It is a significant site for both public recreation and native flora and fauna conservation as it's one of the only parks in the northern suburbs of Adelaide.
EatCity and North Adelaide
Elephant walk
Particularly interesting because it is a small, cosy cafe which is very dimly lit. Each booth is separated by straw screens so you can't really see the other patrons. It opens at 8PM and if they're full, you'll have to wait outside for a table.
EatPort Adelaide, Enfield, Prospect and Outer Harbor
Folklore Cafe
A waterfront cafe overlooking the Port Adelaide River. Has all the standards you can find in a standard Australian cafe, along with some local specialties.
(closed Mondays)
SeePort Adelaide, Enfield, Prospect and Outer Harbor
Fort Glanville Conservation Park
A functional 19th century fort and was the first colonial fortification in the state and is the best preserved and most functional in Australia.
DoWest Adelaide
Glenelg Beach
The historic beachside suburb of Glenelg has a jetty, the Grand hotel and many restaurants and cafés. Very popular with young and old, lots of volleyball competitions.
EatBelair National Park
Ice Cream King Trailer
What's better than to have an icecream after going out for one of the park's long or scenic hikes.
SeeSouth and East
Morialta Conservation Park
Famous for its ridges with waterfalls that are particularly impressive during the winter and spring when the water flows at its strongest. However, the waterfalls usually dry up during the summer.
Vehicle entrance open daily from 6:30AM to 7PM (or 9PM during daylight savings time), closed on Christmas DayFree
SeeCity and North Adelaide
North Terrace
Driving east from West Terrace will take you past the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, the University of South Australia's City West campus, the new University of Adelaide's medical school, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), the Adelaide Convention Centre, the Casino (Railway Station below), Parliament House, Government House, the State Library of South Australia, Migration Museum (free entry), Art Gallery of South Australia (free entry), the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia's City East campus, the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital, and the Botanic Gardens. It is an attractive, tree-lined boulevard in a South Australian colonial tradition.
SeePort Adelaide, Enfield, Prospect and Outer Harbor
Port Adelaide Lighthouse
A 25-metre lighthouse that was first set up in 1869, at the entrance to the Port River, then moved to the Neptune Islands out in the sea before being moved to its current location. Nowadays it's an exhibit of the South Australian Maritime Museum, listed on the South Australian Heritage Register and lit on Saturdays just for show.
EatSouth and East
Raj on Taj
Good, reasonably priced Indian food. There are two Raj on Taj restaurants, one in Hyde Park and one nearby in Unley. The Hyde Park one is the better of the two.
SeeWest Adelaide
Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve
The most accessible sand dunes in the state, and is accessible via public transport. Though many of Adelaide's beaches have been severely damaged or impacted in some way or another, this one is a bit of an exception, where you can still see the result of what's been forming for eons. The best way to fully experience the dunes though, is to bushwalk the 1.5-km Tennyson Dunes Discovery Trail (and the trail also has an app that can be downloaded on both the App Store and Google Play), and you might be lucky enough to spot some classic Australian wildlife.
SeeCity and North Adelaide
The Adelaide Botanic Garden
The gardens are quiet and relaxing even though they're in the heart of the city. They contain many large grassed areas ideal for relaxing, and just outside the gardens are the city parklands where ball games and picnics can be held. There is a cafe in the gardens and a conservatory.
Open every day including public holidaysFree
DoWest Adelaide
The Beachouse
A coastal theme/amusement park with several small attractions such as bumper cars, slides, a castle, a carousel, an 18-hole mini-golf course, a miniature train and many other small games.
DrinkCity and North Adelaide
The Grace Emily
The Grace has plenty of trinkets behind and around the bar to keep one's eyeballs busy whilst nursing a Coopers or bloody mary. Local, interstate and overseas bands play most nights. Every Monday night Billy Bob's BBQ Jam sees a variety of local bands strut their stuff to impress the crowd with 3 or 4 songs (though perhaps more by popular demand) whilst a sausage sizzle out the beer garden feeds the hordes - a highlight of an otherwise quiet evening in Adelaide.
SeeAdelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara
Thompson's Beach
Perhaps this spot has what this park is mostly known for – birdwatching.
DoWest Adelaide
West Beach
Ideal for family walks and swimming. It is reasonably close to both Glenelg and Henley Beach. At Henley Beach there is Henley square which hosts some 15 restaurants - an excellent dining venue. All the beaches along Adelaide's coastline are excellent white sand beaches, some with public toilets and cold water showers. If you want to 'wet a line' there are jetties at (suburban beaches, from north to south) Grange, Semaphore, Henley Beach, Glenelg, Brighton and Port Noarlunga.
DrinkCity and North Adelaide
Worldsend
Serves food all day. This lively pub features a beer garden and a solid restaurant. The crowd is generally early to mid 20s, many from the nearby Hindley Street campus of the University of South Australia. While it definitely has a strong pub feel, the music is more like a bar, with live jazz and funk, house and drum'n'bass (rather than rock) the order of the day.
Mon-Fri 11AM-late, Sat 4PM-late, Sun closed
DoPort Adelaide, Enfield, Prospect and Outer Harbor Not mapped
Port River Cruises
Offers ferry cruises of the Adelaide dolphin sanctuary and the ships graveyard all just up river from the soon to be nuclear submarine base. Lots of interesting sights all along this section of water. Weekend cruises can book out so try and book early.
$55
SeeBelair National Park
Lower Waterfall Lookout
Lookout overlooking the lower waterfall at Workanda Creek.
EatSalisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully
The Gully Public House & Garden
1349 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully
9AM–2AM
SeeBelair National Park
Upper Waterfall Lookout
Lookout overlooking the lower waterfall at Workanda Creek.
DoSalisbury, Playford and Tea Tree Gully Not mapped
Adelaide Motorsport Park

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Adelaide (CC BY-SA 4.0).