The 4 Best Walks, Hikes and Bush Walking Trails in South Australia’s Limestone Coast

The Limestone Coast is chock full of unique landscapes that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia. We marvel at the most recent volcanic activity in the country and our cenotes, sinkholes, and karst springs are found in only two other regions on the planet (Florida and Mexico). So what better way to see this region’s incredibly diverse flora and fauna than lacing up the boots and walking it.

To get your hiking adventure started, here’s our roundup of the four best short walks in our neck of the woods. 

Mount Schank / Pareen State Heritage Area and Geologic Monument in Mount Schank

This one is obviously our favourite as its quite literally in our backyard and we try to get up and around a few times a week (try being the key word here). A walk for the nature-lovers, you’ll find some gorgeous endemic tree species and multitudes of wallabies and kangaroos that have taken up permanent residency on the slopes of this 100 acre dormant cinder-cone volcano…there’s even a cheeky old goat that is fun to try and spot as you circle the crater rim. If you’re lucky enough you’ll be treated to an awesome display of Yellow-Tail Black Cockatoos flying in to feast on the pine nuts and native seeds or a pair of Wedge-Tailed Eagles that circle high overhead. It’s a haven for the birders out there so bring your binoculars for a better look. From the carpark at the bottom to the top of the crater it’s a 30 minute round trip; and about an hour if you’re going all the way around the rim. Carve out about 2 hours if you walk all the way into the centre of the crater (just be careful — that part of the trail is not maintained). However you decide to tackle the Schank, it’s a walk you will not regret.

Penambol Conservation Park / Caroline’s Sinkhole / The Butterfly Walk near Port MacDonnell

How long does it take; you can drive straight to Caroline Sinkhole carpark and step out over the void on a well-built and very sturdy platform that extends a short distance over the side of the Sinkhole. This place is special as the Boandik people used the caves perched up high on the sides as a winter camp and you can imagine the scene before colonisation, tranquil is a word we’d use to describe it and well worth the trip out just for the sinkhole alone. For those with a little more time and a decent pair of shoes, the Butterfly walk begins at the carpark and is a 2 hour loop through a range of remnant vegetation which can be pretty hard to find in this region.

Honan Mint Trails in Glencoe

A great walk for those who want to avoid steep inclines and descents and some of the walk is raised up out of the damp wetland/scrub on a nicely constructed boardwalk with the trail clearly marked throughout. Best to do this walk during the spring season as the incredible native wildflowers are in full bloom and well worth the hour and a half loop through the native bushland near Glencoe. Fun Fact: The Honan Mint (Mentha Atrolilancina) is a small creeping herb with grows up to 30cm tall, it has beautiful purple flowers and heart-shaped leaves and is only found within a 20km radius of this reserve.

Valley Lakes Precinct/Blue Lake in Mount Gambier

Take your pick of walks with this smorgasbord of natural wonder right on Mount Gambier’s doorstep. Catering to all fitness levels and abilities, the Valley Lakes Precinct has a walk for just about anybody. You’ll find many locals pounding the pavement around the Blue Lake, and for those a little more adventurous, the views from Centenary Tower are well worth the steep climb to get up there. Leg of Mutton Lake (Lake-no-more) is easily accessible from a small carpark on Bay Road and worth doing in Autumn as the foliage down the bottom puts on a magnificent display of colour. There are some great trails in the Valley Lake Conservation Park and a chance to get up close and personal with some wallabies and roos or even to find a nice spot by the lake to have lunch. We’ve barely scratched the surface of the many trails and walks this incredible geological feature offers up — you’ll just have to check them out for yourself.

Any walks we’re missing? Slide into our DMs and let us know if you have any recommendations to add to our list.