Through rugged landscape and coastal beauty, discover the best of McLaren Vale Walking Trails
Are you planning a trip to the Fleurieu Peninsula? Want to explore the best of McLaren Vale’s exciting wine trails and scenic walks? Then this is the guide for you. In this article, we are covering the best of McLaren Vale’s walking trails. Whether you’re looking to bike, hike or stroll around, these options should definitely be on your list for your next visit to this amazing wine region.
Located 40-minutes from Adelaide, McLaren Vale is one of the most-visited regions of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Despite being close to its coastal towns, McLaren Vale still feels miles apart from all the hustle & bustle the region boasts. It’s a peaceful destination where you can hang around, chill, and have a great time with your friends and families. But that’s not all!
Fringed by bushland, vineyards, scenic trails, cellar doors, and award-wining restaurants – McLaren Vale is a perfect paradisical place for all food & wine lovers. So, along with exploring the outdoor activities, you can treat yourselves to great culinary products. I mean, who doesn’t get hungry after a tiresome hike, right?
5 Scenic McLaren Vale Walking Trails
From walking and bush-hiking to exploring the scenic coastal trails, these are some of the wine region’s best McLaren Vale walking trails.
Willunga Basin Trail
Willunga Basin Trail is one of the fantastic walking trails of McLaren Vale. This 130km ultimate stretch winds through a varietal landscape the Fleurieu Peninsula boasts. From the greens of bushland and forests to the colours of vineyards and almond parks, Willunga Basil Trail is a must-visit stretch in this region.
Since the path is long, you can complete the trail either in 5 days or 11 days. This entirely depends on your fitness levels, as you need a moderate physique to walk this trail. However, if you prefer to do only a specific portion, then it’s best recommended to walk from Maslin Beach to McLaren Vale, covering Seaford and Willunga in between. You can cover this tiny portion within 4-5 hours.
Read Next | The Best of Fleurieu Peninsula Hikes: Walking & Hiking Trails
McLaren Vale Cellar Door Tree Trail
McLaren Vale is not only about wineries and culinary tales but also about the sustainability and conservation of the trees surrounding the region. To educate more on this to tourists, a partnership was formed between McLaren Vale and Willunga Environment Centre to create an interesting trail called McLaren Vale Cellar Door Tree Trail. The pathway connects 14 wine cellar doors, along with 54 tagged trees.
These tagged forests mention the tree’s age, height, and unique characteristics. This makes it interesting for travellers to learn more about the forest’s diversity harbouring in the McLaren region. Also, the cellar doors you visit during this trail are worth stopping by. Some of these include Paxton Wines, Chalk Hill Wines, Samson Tall Wines, and Gemtree Wines.
Flat to McLaren Vale Trail
Flat to McLaren is best suited for families travelling with kids, youth, and senior citizens. It’s a friendly-walkable trail connecting McLaren Flat and McLaren Vale, and it’s a newly constructed track, which now sees a frequent hustle of tourists from all over Australia.
Stretching up to 3.6kms in length, the entire path of Flat to McLaren Vale is flat, connecting different townships based between McLaren Flat and Vale. It also connects the Coast to Vines Trail, including the famous path Shiraz Trail. This makes it super convenient for runners and cyclists to explore other routes within the McLaren Vale wine region.
Shiraz Trail
Shiraz Trail is the best walking trail in the entire McLaren region. Being one of the most well-known paths, Shiraz Trail runs from McLaren to Willunga via an 8km track. The trail is best suited for walking and cycling both. Interestingly, the track was previously used as a rail corridor. However, considering its locality, the stretch got constructed into a beautiful path today.
Shiraz Trail is a relatively flat-surfaced and easy-to-walk. Since it is best suited for all age groups, the path can get crowded with tourists during Australia’s summer and autumn seasons. However, baring the crowd scene, the Shiraz is one of the best to provide scenic vineyard views of the entire McLaren Vale. During your exploration, you’ll come across many wine cellar doors which are worth visiting. Some of these include Serafino Wines, Battle of Bosworth, and Hardys Wines.
If you’re cycling the path on an early Saturday morning, then don’t forget to hit the famous Willunga Farmers Market. You can shop local produce, artisan food, and varietals of cheeses, meats and breads here.
Ocean to Vines Rail Trail
Ocean to Vines is one of the best McLaren Vale walking trails if you prefer to see a range of diverse attractions. Winding alongside the coastal beauty of Marino, the trail stretches up to 38kms in length, traversing between coastal suburbs and towns. It’s interesting to see how the landscape changes throughout the trail as you venture more and more inner sections of McLaren.
Ocean to Vines Rail Trail starts at Marina and ends in Willunga. It’s a shared path that both cyclists and walkers can access. As you begin your journey, you’ll hut some of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s best coastal quaint such as Hallett Cove, Morphett Vale, Seaford Rise and Hackham.
The Shiraz Trail is a shorter section of the Ocean to Vines Rail Trail. So, it makes sense to take the latter one to explore more attractions and activities along your way. Furthermore, it also connects other trails such as Christies Creek Trail and Field River Trail.
Further Readings & Resources
Love Australian road trips? Here’s a couple of in-depth guides:
Great Ocean Road: The Ultimate Great Ocean Road Itinerary for 2 Days
Melbourne to Coober Pedy: 9 Sensational Melbourne to Coober Pedy Road Trip Stops
Yarra Valley: Yarra Valley 3 Day Itinerary : Ultimate Guide (+Map & Tips)
Whitsundays: Whitsundays Itinerary 7 Days: Ultimate Guide (+ Sailing Ideas, Tips)
Explore Fleurieu Peninsula with us:
Experiences: Best Things to Do in the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia
Where to Stay: 10 Gorgeous Places to Stay on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Coastal Towns: 10 Unique Places to Visit on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia
