Longing for Loops on a Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Hike

Step into the wild with loop-loving Emily on her self-designed multi-day circuit walk through Mount Remarkable National Park in South Australia.

 

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which this adventure takes place who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants, for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Quick Overview

Sitting at the southern tip of the Flinders Ranges, Wangyarra (Mount Remarkable) National Park offers an array of trails to choose from, with multiple routes, but no established multi-day loop. 

I took an extra long weekend recently and pieced together a multi-day loop within the park to satisfy that urge both to carry everything I need on my back, and avoid doubling back. I ended up on a 65km hike spread across four days.

Read more: 10 Tips For Your First Off-Track Hike

Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop Hike Facts

Distance: 66km
Duration: 4 days
Elevation Gain: 2630m
Nearest Town: Melrose (20km away)

About the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop

With Melrose at the base of Mount Remarkable many people associate this southern Flinders region with mountain biking, however, there’s also an incredible amount of shared trails, and hiking trails extending the parameters of the town and national park. 

Both the Mawson and the Heysen trails wind through Melrose, causing the town to ooze all the outdoorsy vibes one relishes when setting out on an adventure.

How to Get to the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop

The trailhead for my loop hike is at Alligator Gorge, on the north-eastern side of Mount Remarkable National Park. It has toilets, information boards, a picnic area, and multiple short walks to lookouts.

From Adelaide I drove three hours north, arriving in Melrose from the south. I continued through town for approximately 20km before turning left at Alligator Gorge Road. Here I made the slow winding drive into the hills, parking my car at the Alligator Gorge carpark. All up, the trip took just under four hours.

Where You’ll Stay Along the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop

Longhill Campsite: This campsite will be your home on night one of the loop. It’s a tiny campsite for hike-in tents only, and has no facilities. However, the nearby Blue Gum Flats does have a toilet and running water. 

Grays Hut: If you follow my plan you’ll be staying here on night two of my Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop. It’s a great campsite with running water, a toilet, a bench, and a hut to shelter in if needed.

Stony Creek Campsite: This is home on night three and is one of the walk-in campgrounds on the Heysen Trail. It’s relatively basic with a water tank and a small shelter.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace!

Skill Level

Intermediate 

You’ll need to have some experience hiking overnight, and gear suitable for the terrain and weather conditions. There’s minimal to no phone reception in the national park, so a PLB (and an understanding of how to use one!) is recommended too.

Essential Gear

• Water bottles x 3
• Tent
• Sleeping mat
• Hiking pack
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• First aid kit (including a snake bite kit!)
• Food
• Water purification system like a water filter or tablets
• Stove
• PLB

Read more: Which Hiking Stove Should I Get?

What It’s Like to Hike the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop

I took off to hike my self-designed Mount Remarkable Loop with a few days up my sleeve to have some quality time out in nature. With only a three-hour drive from Adelaide to reach Melrose, I was able to leave in the morning, hike during the day, and get to camp by that same night.

Day 1 – Alligator Gorge to Longhill Camp

Distance: 14.5km
Duration: 4-6 hours
Elevation Gain: 550m
Navigation Data: Strava File

After checking out the two ‘few-minute’ walks to lookouts – an ideal way to get a grasp on the country you’re in – I began my hike from the Alligator Gorge trailhead, circling the gorge in an anti-clockwise direction. The gorge loop itself is about 9km, encompassing beautiful rock terraces that guide your path.

I took my time to soak it in.

As I walked through the gorge, gradually climbing higher until I reached the outskirts, the trail circled round on a single track circumnavigating the gorge to the north. Turning south (left at the fork) was a gradual downhill 4WD track with occasional views of the Spencer Gulf. This Alligator Gorge Ring Route Hike passed my first campsite for the trip – Longhill Camp.

After a quick deviation to Longhill to set up camp, I then continued on through the Alligator Gorge Ring Route so that I could see ‘The Narrows’. This is an incredible section of the gorge walk with beautiful colours in the sunlight seeping through the trees. It also allowed me to avoid any backtracking, which felt satisfying!

I ended up back at my car at the Alligator Gorge trailhead, and drove it down to the south car park at Blue Gum Flat picnic area – a two-minute drive – which was only a few hundred metres from my campsite at Longhill Camp. You don’t have to do this but it makes life easier on the last day.

Although the Alligator Gorge Ring Route hike is 9km long, by the end of the day, accounting for the Narrows and moving the car, my total distance hiked was closer to 14.5km. I enjoyed my first night in solitude surrounded by trees and the pitter-patter of small bush marsupials.

Read more: Get Swallowed Up in Alligator Gorge: An Overnight Hike in South Australia

Day 2 – Longhill Camp to Grays Hut

Distance: 26km
Duration: 6-8 hours
Elevation Gain: 940m
Navigation Data: Strava File
Note: 26km may seem like a lot, however, it’s entirely possible to stay at other campsites along the way, or walk a bit further on day one to avoid it. Stay with me!

I woke at first light, and walked past Kingfisher Flat Campsite – a very large, established campground with water and toilets – and Hidden camp, a little gem in Hidden Gorge. These are both places you could stay instead of Longhill Camp if you want to balance out the distances between day one and two.

As morning wore on, I embarked on a short and sweet climb back up to Blue Gum Flat, before turning south down Kingfisher Track towards Mambray Creek. I followed an old easy 4WD track for a number of kilometres, with tall hills on either side, and the sun chasing me for warmth.

This day was a diverse one: from the open tracks in the early morning, to creekbeds and rocky terrain, followed by denser gums and the sunlit magic within Hidden Gorge.

The track meandered through, over, across, within, and alongside creek beds boasting many boulders to perch upon for a morning cuppa and some Vegemite on rice crackers. It then opened out towards Mambray Valley, providing a picnic area, and an open space to digest the morning journey. This was an obvious intersection, where one could turn towards Mambray Creek.

However, I turned north towards Scarfes Hut and Sugar Gum Lookout, following Mambray Creek Track. This was the beginning of an upwards journey that, to put it lightly, felt like it would never end! Just a few kilometres from this intersection, at Sugar Gum Lookout, sitting above the gorges and valleys, I felt sunkissed and warm. I stopped on a larger boulder, made myself a cuppa, and had a read for a while. It was a nice rest before I continued on the upwards journey.

One hill after the other, one foot in front of the other – it’s all part of the adventure right!

Arriving at Grays Hut was an utter delight. It’s in a huge green field and as I arrived it was smothered in the last light of the day. The hut felt like my own little slice of heaven.

Day 3 – Grays Hut to Stony Creek Hut

Distance: 15.6km
Duration: 4-6 hours
Elevation Gain: 740m
Navigation Data: Strava File

Day three had me following the well-known Heysen trail. Unlike the previous day of complete solitude with only myself for company, I bumped into two other humans: one seeing how far he could walk in two weeks, the other, marking the trail for an upcoming trail running event.

The terrain today is quite varied but you’ll mainly be on single tracks. The ground is undulating and you’ll come across chossy rock at times. The trail gradually carves through to the north-eastern side of the national park, gaining in elevation before dropping down to the creek bed below.

Stony Creek Camp made me feel like I was camped in a house, with the steep hills as the walls and the creek bed beside me as the hallway. I felt enclosed in a safe way.

Day 4 – Stony Creek to Alligator Gorge/Blue Gum Car Park

Distance: 10km
Duration: 2-3 hours
Elevation Gain: 400m
Navigation Data: Strava File

I woke up just before dawn, made my tea in the light of my head torch, and sipped slowly while packing my gear up. From Stony Creek, you can either head back up the trail from where you came, or turn left (south) or right (north) along the Kingfisher Track/Heysen Trail.

I opted to follow the creek, turning left along the Kingfisher Track to complete my loop and reunite with my car. This track – which is really more of a creek bed – eventually morphs into an old 4WD track. As it slowly rose in elevation, dawn approached too. I watched for emus and listened to early morning bird calls. I even stumbled across emu eggs and wallabies at one point!

I arrived back at Blue Gum to get my car nice and early so that I could get the first coffee from the in-store cafe at Over the Edge in Melrose. Truly delicious! This also meant that I had plenty of time to embark on my three-hour drive home without rushing.

Tips For Hiking the Mount Remarkable Loop

• Call Parks SA to book ahead, sometimes the larger campsites book out with large school groups
• Ask Parks SA about the water levels of the tanks, and ensure you pack supplies to purify your water
• It’s also worth checking with parks that the areas you plan to explore are currently open

Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop FAQs

Is the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop an official trail?

No, the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop Hike isn’t an official trail. Our Explorer, Emily, put it together and we thought it was so awesome that we asked her to share! The route’s made up of multiple existing trails linked together to form an enjoyable multi-day loop.

Is it free to hike the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop?

While there’s no fee specifically to hike the trails around Mount Remarkable, there’s a $13 entrance fee per car to enter Mount Remarkable National Park and booking fees apply for campsites. You can organise those online or at any of these National Parks and Wildlife Service SA Information Centres.

Where is the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop Hike located?

This hike took place in Mount Remarkable National Park, South Australia. The drive from Adelaide is less than four hours in duration.

Are there places to swim along the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop Hike?

There are multiple creeks and rivers to enjoy but they aren’t guaranteed to be full. You’ll most likely find enough water there during the cooler months of the year, but then you’ll need to brave the cold!

How difficult is the Mount Remarkable Multi-Day Loop Hike?

This collection of tracks through Mount Remarkable National Park is suited to intermediate to advanced hikers. You need to be able to treat your own water, carry all your own supplies, and manage distances over ten kilometres daily. If you’re unsure, maybe consider doing the Alligator Gorge overnight hike as a tester and take a mate with you!

What else can I see and do in the Flinders Ranges?

There’s so much to see and do in South Australia’s Flinders Rangers. Consider a spot of bikepacking along the Oodnadatta Track, navigate the Explorer’s Way on a 2WD-friendly road trip, or check out a world-renowned fossil site.