7 Hikes In Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park Everyone Should Try (At Least Once)

The Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, South Australia, is where you’ll find some of the BEST hiking trails on the Yorke Peninsula.

Looking for insane coastal views? Do the Cape Spencer Lighthouse walk.

Want to wander through history in a ghost town? Don’t miss the Inneston Historic Hike.

Or maybe you’re looking for a longer trek, to get in touch with nature and spot all the wildlife of the area? Do the Gym Beach hike.

There’s something for everyone here! But it can be hard to pick which hikes to do, more so if you’re time-constricted.

So this guide has my 7 favourite walks in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. It has a good mix of short scenic strolls and more challenging hikes, so you can choose what suits your adventure level!

But first… travel essentials for Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park

• Book your stay in Inneston (the historic town inside the park) right here

• Great deals on flight tickets to Adelaide here

• Rent a car in Adelaide to get to Dhilba Guuranda! Compare these two rental companies to find the best deal for you: Rental Cars and Discover Cars

• Or rent a caravan in Adelaide and camp. You can’t go wrong renting from Jucy Campervans or Star RV.

• Get the best travel insurance in Australia

This tour takes you to Dhilba Guuranda National Park:

7 must-do Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park walks

We recognise the traditional owners of this land, the Narungga nation.

1) Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk (2 km circuit)

On a fine day, the view over the Stenhouse Bay jetty takes some beating in the scenic stakes. That’s why it’s usually our first stopping-off point after entering the park a few kilometres southwest of Marion Bay.

From the park entrance, it’s only a short drive to the jetty – and the town that the Waratah Gypsum Company built in 1900, although there’s not much of it left.

It’s also the trailhead for the Lookout Walk – a 2 km circuit that shows off what is left.

The track passes rusting machinery, interpretive signs explaining the bay’s historic significance, and 9 lookouts showcasing the spectacular views of the islands in Investigator Strait and the Rhino’s Head!

But the most memorable thing for me on this walk isn’t the scenery, wildflowers or wildlife. It’s the grave of a sailor buried in this lonely outpost far from home.

Rest in peace, Dao Thanh.

2) Cape Spencer Lighthouse (600 m return)

This is the shortest of the walks in Innes National Park.

The track from the car park to the lighthouse on the Cape runs along a ridgetop with massive cliffs on one side and exposed slopes running down to the pounding seas below on the other.

I didn’t need the signs warning walkers not to go too close to the edge – it’s a sheer drop way, way, way down to the water.

Directly across the strait from the lighthouse are the Althorp Islands, the site of several shipwrecks and another lighthouse – a stunning two-lighthouse view!

3) Inneston Historic Township Walk (2km circuit)

If you’ve already walked the previous two trails, the historic township of Inneston provides a welcome break from the relentlessly staggering coastal scenery.

It’s crazy to think that these ruins were once a mining town, with its own bakery, and even post office!

The walking track shows off the town’s highlights, including restored buildings, Inneston Lake, spectacular spring wildflowers – the freesias are particularly fabulous – and wildlife such as emus, malleefowl and kangaroos.

You’ve probably realised by now you won’t be able to complete all these walks in one day. So if you’re looking for a cool place to stay, there are restored heritage cottages you can stay at.

Check them out here and book your stay – if you can live without TV or mobile access, that is!

4) Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster Trail (7.6 km)

This is an old wooden railway line that once connected Inneston with Stenhouse Bay!

It’s an easy walk through the trees and along the embankment upon which the railway line was built. You’ll see fragments of the gypsum cargo lying among the leaf litter where they, fell many years ago.

Not much of the railway track remains today, but there’s a sense of the past that lingers along the line where horses once drew heavy loads of gypsum from the mining sites to the Stenhouse Bay jetty.

Other than glimpses of the sea near Inneston and Stenhouse Bay, this walk is another opportunity to escape the superb coastal scenery – if you need to!!

5) West Cape Headland Hike (1 km circuit)

The stretch of (almost) deserted beach stretching out below the long, wooden stairway down to the sand many metres below is an impressive sight.

But the view’s even better from the top of the Cape, where a trail to the West Cape lighthouse goes just a little closer to the cliffs than I’m comfortable with, especially when the wind is strong!

It’s sometimes hard to stay fully upright when the wind’s up. But the beach views in one direction and the scenic splendour of Pondalowie Bay in the other make braving the wind worthwhile.

6) Royston Head (4km return)

This is one of the most spectacular spots in the park.

The walk winds up from Dolphin Beach through the dunes before reaching the exposed cliff tops of the Head – an interesting range of habitats, vegetation and wildlife that you’ll promptly forget when faced with the awesome view at the end of the hike!

7) Gym Beach hike (11 km return)

Although it’s part of Innes National Park, Gym Beach isn’t accessible via the main road through the park.

You have to come from Marion Bay. There’s no direct road access to the rest of the park without returning to Marion Bay, either.

But luckily, you can get to this beautiful beach via Browns Beach, along the back of the dunes. This hike is an introduction to the varied coastal vegetation habitats as well as providing access to Gym Beach.

…Although 11 km is a LONG way to go for a swim!

Top Tips

The best time to hike this park is in spring, when the wildflowers are in full bloom, but the cooler months also offer ideal hiking conditions.

There’s self-contained accommodation in the park, just book at any of the campgrounds in the park!

Most of them are near the walking trails mentioned above. Plus there’s nothing like staying in such a pristine and remote place.

Did you know?

The Tammar wallaby was once widespread across the Yorke Peninsula but went extinct in mainland Australia in the 1920s.

In 2004, they were successfully reintroduced to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. Now, these little guys are thriving in the park, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot them hopping around at dusk.

This park is also the heart of the Marna Banggara project, a major conservation initiative that aims to restore native wildlife to the Yorke Peninsula.

Brush-tailed bettongs (also called woylies) were recently reintroduced as part of the project, with plans to bring back up to 20 locally extinct species by 2040.

It’s a huge step towards restoring the region’s natural balance.

FAQs

The bottom line

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park has walks not only for all fitness levels, but for all interests! History, nature, scenery… you got it.

If you’re after something easy and scenic, the Cape Spencer Lighthouse walk is a perfect start with breathtaking coastal views and minimal effort.

For a bit more of history, check out the Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk or the Inneston Historic Township Walk.

But if you’re ready to tackle a longer trek, the Gym Beach hike will give you a true sense of the diverse coastal vegetation and habitats that make this park so unique!

Have you done any of these hikes? Let us know in the comments below!