Morialta Conservation Park is a well-loved nature park for all kinds of activities. There are superb hiking trails, ranging from easy strolls to half-day bushwalks. Also, there are mountain biking trails, and even natural rock climbing areas for experienced rock climbers. Morialta Conservation Park is a great place to visit all year round, but to see Morialta Falls at their best, do come during the wet season in spring or winter. Entry to Morialta Conservation Park is free.
On this hike, I visited the three waterfalls by taking the Third Falls Hike (yellow line trail) with a side trip to the top of first falls and Eagles Nest Lookout, plus the First Falls Walk (pink line trail) with a side trip to the Giant’s Cave. You can download the free map from Avenza Maps.
Morialta Conservation Park
9.33am: Starting from Morialta Conservation Park car park and trailhead.
(+1)9.34am: As you enter the park, you’ll see three paths ahead. To do the Third Falls Hike / Three Falls Grand Hike in a clockwise direction, take the path with a staircase on the left.
(+3)9.37am: This path rapidly takes you up the hill, and you can see the other two paths from above.
The steep climb ends as quick as it starts. The rest of the hike is pretty much undulating.
(+7)9.44am: You could spot the first and second falls on the trail.
A colorful bird.
(+3)9.47am: Approaching Deep View Lookout platform by the cliff.
(+3)9.50am: The view from Deep View Lookout. Over the hills you can see Adelaide city.
(+10)10am
A koala sleeping on the tree.
(+15)10.25am: Heading towards the Third Falls, the Rock Climbing Zone is on the other side of the trail. Here you can see a few people abseiling down the rock.
(+4)10.29am: Closing in towards the Third Falls, there are two crossings over a stream. As I went for this hike a day after a multi-day heavy rain, the stream was fast flowing and I had to wet my feet crossing it.
(+5)10.34am: The second stream crossing to Third Falls.
Morialta Falls: Third Falls
(+5)10.39am: The Third Falls on the upper stream is the smallest (in terms of height) of the three waterfalls. By the way, swimming is not allowed at all of the Morialta Falls.
(+11)10.50am: After Third Falls is the return trail through the same two stream crossings to a split path, where the right side is where you would have come from. Take the path to the left that follows next to the stream to continue the clockwise hike.
(+5)10.55am: At the next junction where Third Falls Hike joins the Second Falls Hike. Turn to the right for the side trip to the top of First Falls (The top of Second Falls is right at the left turn but I’ll come back to this later).
Eagle Nest Lookout & Top Of First Falls
(+6)11.01am: At the junction where Second Falls Hike and Plateau Hike join. Here, I turned right to head over to Eagles Nest Lookout, then I returned here and turned left to the top of First Falls.
(+2)11.03am: The view from Eagle Nest Lookout.
At the Eagle Nest Lookout is where you can view the First Falls from above.
(+7)11.10am: Back to the last junction and turn the other way to get to the top of First Falls.
Morialta Falls: Second Falls & Top Of Second Falls
(+5)11.15am: While heading back towards the Second Falls junction (I took the no-color-trail from top of First Fall lookout), you get to see the fuller view of Second Falls.
(+5)11.20am: Back to the Second/Third Falls junction, I crossed the wooden bridge over the top of Second Falls and continued along the rest of Third Falls hiking trail.
Kookaburra Rock Lookout
(+14)11.34am: At the viewpoint known as the Kookaburra Rock Lookout.
(+3)11.37am
(+5)11.42am
A red-headed mouse spider, as venomous as a funnel-web spider but rare serious envenomation cases, as these mouse spiders tend to ‘dry-bite’ or use less venom.
Morialta Falls: First Falls Walk
(+5)11.47am: Onto the First Falls walking track. There are multiple parts where the stream crosses the walking trail, but there is always a bridge that goes over the water, so you don’t have to wet your shoes.
(+10)11.57am: Rocky cliffs surround you as you approach the First Falls.
(+2)11.59am: The view of First Falls from the viewing platform.
Giant’s Cave
(+8)12.07pm: On the return track on First Falls Walk, I took a short side trip up a series of stairs to the Giant’s Cave.
(+2)12.09pm: Arrived at the Giant’s Cave.
Interior of the Giant’s Cave.
(+9)12.18pm: Back to the car park.
From the car park there is a trailhead to the Pretty Corner Trail. It looked very beautiful with the lush green landscape.
Dropping by at Naan Tandoori Restaurant for their melt-in-the-mouth lamb paya.
Have this guide helped you? Tag @meowtainpeople in your hiking stories & posts!
*Captain Planet passing by* Remember, please take care of our environment, and please don’t destroy the Nature. Leave no trash behind and take back only photos and memories (and also some trash if you can). Walk on the designated path and stay in the middle as much as you can, so that the exposed soil doesn’t spread/corrode further. BE ONE WITH NATURE *flies away*
Affiliate Links to support this site:
Yay for transparency!: The links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a booking/purchase after clicking the links. I recommend only products and companies I use. Your support helps me keep the site going 🙂
Want to do the same affiliate marketing with your site? Use this AccessTrade platform link to receive RM5 reward.
