Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Closures and safety

This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.

Check the CFS website or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline 1800 362 361 for:

• Information on fire bans and current fire conditions
• Current CFS warnings and incidents
• Information on what to do in the event of a fire.

Listen to your local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety.

Visitor information, bookings and park management:

Willunga Natural Resources Centre
Phone: (+61 8) 8550 3400
Email:  DEW.FleurieuOnlineBookings@sa.gov.au 

Emergency contacts:

Medical, fire (including bushfire) and police emergency situations
Phone: Triple Zero (000)

Police Assistance
Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance

National Parks and Wildlife Service SA – After-hours duty officer
Phone: 0427 556 676 

Injured wildlife:

Within the park
Please contact Willunga Natural Resource Centre on (08) 8550 3400 or the after-hours duty officer on 0427 556 676 (outside of business hours)

Outside of the park
Please contact a local wildlife rescue group

Marine mammals
If you find a sick or stranded marine mammal (including whales, seals, sea lions and dolphins), please contact Willunga Natural Resource Centre on (08) 8550 3400 or the after-hours duty officer on 0427 556 676 (outside of business hours)

Visit in spring to enjoy a stunning range of wildflowers as the park bursts into colour.

Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park is located 46km south of Adelaide, on the coastline of the Gulf of St Vincent, between the townships of Aldinga Beach and Sellicks Beach.

From Adelaide, take Main South Road and turn right at Aldinga Beach Road. Bitumen and gravel roads provide conventional vehicle access to the park boundary.

Visitors cannot drive into the park. Walkers can enter via stiles or gates at the corner of Wattle Avenue and Acacia Terrace, Quandong Avenue, Fraser Street, Boomerang Avenue and Cox Road. A small car park is located on the corner of Fraser and Dover Streets.

• Park maps

Public transport

You can catch an Adelaide Metro bus to Lower Esplanade which is approximately 650m to the park.

Assistance dogs are permitted in most public places and are therefore welcome in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assistance dogs must be appropriately restrained on a lead and remain under your effective control at all times while in a park or reserve.

As per the dogs in parks and reserves policy, if the dog is not an accredited assistance dog, they must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate that disability and meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a dog in a public place. However, refusal may be given if the person with the disability is unable to produce evidence the dog is an assistance dog with the appropriate training.

Before taking your assistance dog into a park that does not normally allow dogs, it is highly recommended that you contact us so we can provide you with the latest information on any potential hazards within specific parks that may affect your dog. Please contact the park via the contact details provided under the contact tab or contact the visitor service centre via email or on Facebook, or you can live chat with a customer service representative on the website Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Dogs are not permitted in this park.

Discover which parks you can walk your dog in on our find a park tool or read 12 dog-friendly walks in Adelaide Parks by Good Living for inspiration.

There are no facilities in the park. Please ensure you carry sufficient water, food and supplies for your entire visit. It is also a good idea to let a responsible person know of your intended movements and when you expect to return.

• Parks management plans
• Trails SA
• SA Marine Parks

• Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.

• Useful maps, brochures and species lists can be found on the Friends of Aldinga Scrub website.

Plants

Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park contains a diverse range of plant communities from sedgelands and closed heaths to pink gum woodlands and mallee box. These plants, adapted to the sandy soils, help stabilise the sand dunes and help prevent sand blows.

Low woodlands and heath communities cover most of Aldinga Scrub. In the north-east and far eastern sections of the scrub, a low woodland of mallee box trees grows on brown sandy loam soils. Sedgelands grow in areas where the water table is close to the surface and the soil is semi-permanently waterlogged. Tall shrublands of drooping sheoak give way to low-growing coastal dune vegetation on the western side of the scrub.

Several rare species of plants are found in the park. They include lacy coral lichen, nardoo, hairy sedge and several species of orchids. 

Animals

More than 166 different bird species can be seen and heard within Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park. Some are migratory and visit the area for only a few months each year. If you watch quietly you may spot mistletoe birds, rainbow bee-eaters, brown goshawks and golden whistlers.

The park’s vegetation provides a variety of host plants for 18 species of butterflies and 540 species of other insects. Brushtail possums, short-beaked echidnas, bats, geckoes and skinks live in the park. Aldinga Scrub also provides a home for brown snakes and red-bellied black snakes.

Flora and fauna species lists

To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the 'Create Simple Species List' tab under 'Flora Tools' or 'Fauna Tools'  in NatureMaps. 

Aldinga Scrub was part of the territory of the Kaurna people who used the area during the summer months. The scrub yielded a rich and bountiful supply of food and materials used for utensils. Shellfish, fish, marsupials, reptiles, birds and plant foods such as nardoo, muntries, yams and quandongs were abundant.

Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state. 

There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations.  At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners.

In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave.

Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia. 

• DEW Park management
• DEW Aboriginal partnerships

Aldinga Scrub is situated in an area known as the Willunga sub-basin. This was formed by red clays being washed down from the Willunga Hills over several thousand years. Sands from the ocean floor have been deposited over the clays and an older red marine sand deposit.

Mobile sand dunes known as ‘sand blows’ occur along the western boundary of the park. These mobile dunes are backed by semi-stabilised sand dune ridges which reach up to 35 metres high. Further inland, stabilised dunes up to ten metres high alternate with swales to form an undulating sand plain.

The first European settler in the area was Mr F Culley in 1857. Before World War I the scrub was subdivided and several attempts were made to farm the area. Because of the sandy soils, farming did not prove viable.

In the 1960s the Willunga Council became concerned that subdivision of the area would cause erosion. Between 1965 and 1982, 300 hectares were purchased at Aldinga to be managed by the State Planning Authority as an Open Space Reserve. In 1985 the reserve was declared Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park.

Walking trails of varying lengths provide the opportunity to explore the park’s habitats and unique plant life. Take the time to stop, look and listen for animals and birdlife. You will hear a wide range of sounds and see a variety of plants. During spring the park is ablaze with wildflowers making any walk an enjoyable experience.

Easy walks

Coral lichen circuit (1 hour loop, 1.1 km)

This self-guided trail is perfect for exploring the local vegetation communities, including a rare colony of lacy coral lichen (Cladia ferdinandii). The trail includes a series of green markers which can be used in conjunction with the walking guide brochure produced by the Friends of Aldinga Scrub.

Permitted

Fishing is permitted at accessible beaches within the park, make sure you are familiar with fishing restrictions before casting off.

Not permitted

Fishing is not permitted at creeks, dams and waterways within the park - this includes fishing for marro and yabbies via the use of nets.

Camping is not permitted within this park.

• Use Find a Park to discover which parks you can camp in.

Accommodation is available close to this park at Aldinga Beach and Sellicks Beach.

There are no designated mountain biking trails in this park, however bicycles may be ridden on public roads within the park.

• Which parks can you ride in?

Want to help?

To find out how you can help in this park or nearby, please visit Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges – Volunteering.

Want to join others and become a Park Friend?

To find out more about Friends of Parks groups please visit Friends of Parks South Australia.

You could join others to help look after a park. You can take part in working bees, training and other events.

The international Trail Users Code of Conduct is to show respect and courtesy towards other trail users at all times.

Ensure that you:

• when hiking, wear sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen
• be aware of weather conditions and avoid walking during the hottest part of the day
• make sure you have appropriate weather proof clothing
• carry enough water to be self-sufficient
• please be respectful of other users at all times
• stay on the designated trails and connector tracks for your own safety, and prevent the spread of declared weeds to other areas in the park
• ensure someone knows your approximate location and expected time of return
• take appropriate maps.
• Walk, hike or trek - what's the difference?

Can I have a fire or barbecue?

• Wood fires, solid fuel, gas fires and liquid fuel fires are prohibited throughout the year.
• Ensure you are familiar with the fire restrictions for this park.

Closures and safety

This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.

Check the CFS website or call the CFS Bushfire Information Hotline 1800 362 361 for:

• Information on fire bans and current fire conditions
• Current CFS warnings and incidents
• Information on what to do in the event of a fire.

Listen to your local area radio station for the latest updates and information on fire safety.

If you think you might be interested in volunteering opportunities within this park please contact our Volunteer Support Unit.

Come and enjoy this park for free. 

This park is not included in the park pass system. 

• Which parks are included in the park pass system?

There is no camping or accommodation available within this park. 

There are no other fees or permits associated with this park.