Trail Fast Facts
Wallowa Hike is a 7km, grade 3 hike in Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park, South Australia. This hike typically takes 2.5 hours to complete.
Hike Overview
Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park with the Wallowa Hike. This moderately challenging (grade 3) 7-kilometre return trail offers an enriching exploration, taking approximately 2.5 hours to complete.
The Wallowa Hike winds its way through the park, starting from the Tanunda Creek Road carpark. Keep an eye out for the park's fascinating rock formations as you traverse the landscape, including the aptly named Horse Head Rock.
A designated lookout graces the park's western side, offering panoramic vistas. While the walking trail leading to this lookout may be slightly hidden, it's well worth the short detour for the rewarding views. The trail itself is clearly signposted and leads you through a scenic stretch of native scrub before reaching the lookout.
Remember, this is an out-and-back hike, meaning you'll return along the same route you took to reach the lookout from the Tanunda Creek Road carpark.
Track Grade
Grade 3 (Moderate) - Walks for Most Fitness Levels: Grade 3 on the AWTGS represents moderate walking tracks. These are ideal for walkers with some fitness who are comfortable with some hills and uneven terrain. While suitable for most ages, some bushwalking experience is recommended to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. Tracks may have short, steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps. The total distance of a Grade 3 walk can be up to 20 kilometers.
Map and GPX file
Max elevation: 587 m
Min elevation: 499 m
Total climbing: 148 m
Total descent: -148 m
Trail Location (trailhead)
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Getting there
Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park is conveniently located just 12 kilometres southeast of Tanunda in the Barossa Valley. For those travelling by car, follow Tanunda Creek Road until you reach the park entrance. Remember, there's no designated car park, so find a safe spot to leave your vehicle along the roadside outside the park boundary.
Photo gallery
If you have any photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here.
Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. If requested, you will be credited for any photos you provide and can ask they be deleted at any time.
About the region
Nestled amidst the Barossa Valley's rolling hills, Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park offers a scenic escape for nature lovers. This park boasts two walking trails, catering to a range of fitness levels. Explore a diverse landscape that encompasses creeks, rocky outcrops, pockets of low forest, scrubland, and open grasslands. As you traverse the trails, be rewarded with panoramic vistas that stretch across the ranges towards the Barossa Valley.
The Wallowa Hike is a more comprehensive route, showcasing the park's key features. This trail leads you to a scenic lookout with breathtaking views, and past intriguing rock formations like Horse Head Rock, named for its resemblance to an equine head. Capped Rock provides another captivating sight - a horizontal slab precariously balanced on a vertical outcrop, offering a challenge for photographers.
For a shorter exploration, choose the Stringybark Loop. This trail offers a glimpse into the park's rich biodiversity, with opportunities to spot native animals like kangaroos grazing in the open grasslands at dawn or dusk. Keep your eyes peeled for echidnas and possums foraging for food in the twilight hours.
While the park itself lacks amenities, nearby towns and other parks in the region offer toilet and picnic facilities for your convenience. There are no designated car parks, but parking along the road bordering the park is permitted.
Established primarily to protect the northernmost population of brown stringybark trees, Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park shelters around 400 plant species. These stringybark trees have a distinctive multi-stemmed, mallee-like appearance, a result of past practices where they were regularly trimmed to provide fuel for brick kilns.
The park is also a haven for native birds, including blue wrens, parrots, honeyeaters, finches, and thornbills. Sadly, habitat fragmentation due to human activity is causing population decline for many bird species in the Mount Lofty Ranges, even within protected areas. These parks can become too small to sustain viable populations of certain species, leading to localized extinction as older birds die.
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Explore Safe
While planning your hike, it’s important to check official government sources for updated information, temporary closures and trail access requirements. Before hitting the trail, check local weather and bushfire advice for planned burns and bushfire warnings and let someone know before you go. Plan ahead and hike safely.
Let someone know
Adventure with peace of mind: Fill out your trip intentions form. Before you hit the trail, fill out an online form to privately send important details about your hike to your family or friends. If you don’t return on time, they can easily alert emergency services, preventing worry and ensuring a swift response. Hike with peace of mind and enjoy your outdoor adventure to the fullest. Be smart, be safe: Register your plans here.
Gear to consider
What you carry in your pack will depend on the weather, terrain, time of year, type of adventure, and personal preferences. Having trouble deciding what gear’s right for you? My free planning, food and packing checklists provide an introduction to things your could consider (as well as the Ten Essentials) on your day, overnight and multi-day adventures. Customise your kit according to your personal needs, always considering safety first.Â
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Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.