Walking the Heysen Trail
Everything you need to know about exploring the Heysen Trail, including the different ways to walk it, how to prepare, and helpful links and resources.
About the Trail
At 1,200 km, the Heysen Trail is one of Australia’s longest hiking trails, extending from Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula to Parachilna Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. Walking the Trail from one end to the other takes around 60 days. Some experienced hikers do this in one trip (often called ‘through-hiking’) but you can also hike the full length of the Trail in shorter sections, or explore the Trail and surrounding areas on one of our short walks.
Much of the Trail is closed during the Fire Danger Season so it’s important to be aware of when the Trail may be closed.
It’s also important to be aware of biosecurity as the Trail passes through sensitive landscapes and diseases such as Phytophthora are easily spread by walkers.
There are two different ways to walk the Trail:
You can walk the Trail with the Friends
Our member-exclusive walks cater for hikers who want to walk the entire Trail end-to-end or who enjoy shorter half-day and day walks with other people. Perfect for anyone who enjoys regular hiking.
You can walk the Trail independently
Explore the entire Trail at your own pace, either in one go (through-hiking) or in shorter sections. This is only recommended for experienced hikers.
Not everyone wants to walk the full length of the Trail. You can also enjoy sampling shorter walks along the Trail, either close to Adelaide or further afield.
Preparing for your walk
The key to an enjoyable and safe experience on the Heysen Trail is proper planning. Depending on where you walk along the Trail, you might have limited access to water and shelter, be isolated or encounter difficult terrain.
Below, you’ll find links to information to help you prepare for your walk:
Join the Friends
When you become a member of the Friends, you not only join a community of fellow hikers but also play a vital role in supporting the maintenance and development of the Heysen Trail.
Your membership also unlocks other benefits including access to our group walks, retail discounts and notification when the next issue of our Trailwalker magazine is available.