Morialta Conservation Park: Three Falls Grand Hike

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.

Third Falls Hike or Three Falls Grand Hike

(+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.

Morialta Conservation Park hiking trails

(+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.

Morialta Conservation Park waterfall hiking trails

(+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.

second falls hike and top of first falls

(+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

Second Falls Hike of Three Falls Grand Hike

(+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

Morialta Conservation Park red headed mouse spider

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

First Falls Walk of Three Falls Grand Hike

(+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.