The 8 best parks In Adelaide

Perched within the Adelaide Hills’ treetops, a mere 18 kilometres from the city centre, lies the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens – an oasis for nature enthusiasts and avid picnickers alike. The 97-hectare sanctum has stood the test of time as one of the best parks in Adelaide, offering plenty of walking trails, tranquil lakes where reflecting takes on a double meaning, and wildlife galore of kangaroos, koalas and bandicoots. The garden is home to a plethora of cool-climate plants that blush with spectacular hues in the autumn months – a brilliant spot for a romantic date, may we say.

Now, we know what you’re thinking – ‘St Kilda, isn’t that in Melbourne?’ – yes, but we’ve also got a St Kilda right here in Adelaide. Located 31 kilometres north of the big smoke, St Kilda Adventure Playground is a seaside epicentre of fun and games where the kids are in charge of their imaginative destiny. The mega play park covers four hectares and features a three-storey castle, bouncy boomerang, flying fox, pirate ship and volcano with spilling slides where running amok is more than welcome. Big kids never fear, there’s a basketball court for all your hoop-shooting needs, as well as shaded areas and electric barbecues for the ultimate picnic.

You won’t find any offensive, plastic climbing gear at Mukanthi Nature Playspace, just an environmentally-friendly set-up that seamlessly blends into the flora of Morialta Conservation Park. Famously known in Adelaide for its hiking trails and waterfalls, Morialta offers something for those after a more-so relaxing day among the foothills wilderness. Sitting just ten kilometres from the city centre, Mukanthi Nature Playspace incorporates Aboriginal lore into its themed spaces which helps portray the story of Morialta and the Kaurna people. The Ilya Wardli (red-bellied black snake) maze never gets old, nor does the Eagle’s Nest treehouse with a giant slide. There are plenty of shaded spots, wooden huts and fry-up facilities at Mukanthi Nature Playspace, so best make a day of it.

Inner-city bliss awaits at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens – 51 hectares of it, to be precise. The public garden serves as a refuge from the neighbouring city’s buzz, where frolicking is most definitely encouraged. Wander through looming bamboo pathways, smell the roses in magnificently maintained plots, up your knowledge at the Museum of Economic Botany, and discover diverse habitats inside the Palm House, Bicentennial Conservatory and Amazon Waterlily Pavilion. Once you’re all gardened out, whip out the picnic rug for a lil’ urban snooze or pull up at one of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens’ eateries – it’s a smorgasbord of greenery for your pure delight. 

Southsiders, this one goes out to you. Constructed in 2020, Morphett Vale’s Wilfred Taylor Reserve now takes claim as the biggest park in Adelaide’s south. The playspace highlights nature-based equipment suitable for both big kids and not-so-big kids, along with a dedicated BMX trail, riverside pathways along Christie Creek, an obstacle course for dogs, and barbecue facilities. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, a mini train ramps up the entertainment by driving park-goers around the grounds. Buckle up, there’s a reason it’s one of the best parks in Adelaide.

Get your togs on, things are about to go down with a splash. Tusmore Park over in (you guessed it), Tusmore, may look like your average neighbourhood park to the east, but nestled within the lush lawns and grand trees that protect the grounds is a wading pool. The shallow waters are ideal for toddlers who don’t mind a bit of a spritzy play around in the summer season, but dryer mucking about is on the cards too. Tusmore Park takes things back to basics with its play equipment and sandpit, along with its five tennis courts and a couple of barbecues that are optimal for outdoor gatherings.

Adelaide Himeji Garden is one of the city’s best-kept secrets when it comes to lil’ slices of metropolitan paradise. Situated along South Terrace’s parkland hive, the immaculate garden is distinctly Japanese, having been gifted by Adelaide’s sister city, Himeji, in 1982. Perfectly snipped shrubbery encompass peaceful nooks and line rocky ponds, while the kare-san-sui (dry landscape garden) makes for a meditative setting where your mind can get lost in the hypnotising patterns of raked gravel. It’s a nirvana for the psyche, through and through.

Playgrounds come in many tiers. Your entry-level equipment includes swings, a slide, at least one thing that spins and makes you feel a bit sick, and usually some sort of rampart to clamber over, under and around. But when a playground features a 25-metre flying fox, you know you're really onto a good thing. Bonython Park (also called Tulya Wodli, which means police barracks in Kaurna, the language of the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Plains), is part of the Riverbank parklands that surround the River Torrens (Karrawirra Parri). It's home to Bonython Playground, which features water play facilities, an accessible merry-go-round, a sandpit and a giant mouse wheel. There's a nearby mock roadway that allows new bicycle riders to practice their road skills, biodiversity areas, a boat pond, and pathways for runners, walkers and cyclists to clear their heads and stretch their legs.