Forest Trail, Kuitpo Forest

Forest Trail threads through Kuitpo Forest in the Adelaide Hills, roughly 50 minutes south of Adelaide, running through radiata pine plantation and native scrub on wide fire tracks and unpaved forestry roads. It is a proper dog-friendly bushwalk: choose a short 45-minute stroll or a loop well past 10km, and let the forest set the distance.

The walk

Expect undulating going with some steep pinches and loose gravel underfoot, on a network shared with mountain bikers, trail runners and the occasional horse rider, so keep your dog close at crossings. For a shorter, well-marked option, the blue-marked Eucalypts Trail loop runs about 2.2km on easy ground near Rocky Creek Hut.

Leash status

ForestrySA zoning sets the rules. Dogs on a lead of up to three metres are required in picnic areas such as The Avenues, at Chookarloo Campground, and on any signed on-lead trails. Dogs are banned outright from the Native Forest Reserves to protect wildlife, including the endangered southern brown bandicoot.

In the open plantation areas off-lead walking is permitted, but only with a dog that stays within sight, close by, and instantly responsive to voice. ForestrySA's dogs-on-lead map and on-site signage are the final word.

Max: check the ForestrySA website before you drive out. Forestry operations and logging close tracks with little warning, and you do not want to be turned back at a barrier with an excited dog in the car.

Water

Potable water on the trail is limited to non-existent, so carry plenty for yourself and a collapsible bowl for the dog. There are no bins either, so pack out everything, dog waste included.

Watch-outs

Snakes and bush ticks are active in the long grass through the warmer months, so keep your dog on the tracks. The forest is closed on declared total fire ban days, and campfires are banned from November through April. Forestry operations can close tracks without much warning too.

Getting there

It is roughly a 50-minute drive south of Adelaide via the freeway or through McLaren Vale. Parking bays sit along the forest access roads near Chookarloo and the Ironbark and Avenues picnic areas, and there is no practical public transport, so you need a car. Pit toilets and picnic tables sit near the main day-use areas.

When to go

Winter and spring are the greenest and most comfortable windows, though tracks turn muddy after rain, while autumn lays the trails with pine needles. Summer walks need an early start and a fire danger check.

Make a weekend of it with a stay at CABN Kuitpo Forest or Chookarloo Campground, or book the Happy Houndz Adventure Park private paddock nearby. More walks are on the South Australia dog walk guide and the Kuitpo destination page.