Located about 10 minutes up the freeway, not far from the beautiful Mount Lofty house lie the stunning Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens.
Spread over 97 hectares containing accessible paths and trails for all ages and abilities these gardens are sure to be a hit with the whole family.
One of our favourite trails is the lakeside trail, which is a 1 kilometre loop around the main lake that has 8 artworks each with a different theme, this one is perfect for young families.
There is also loads of wildlife in the gardens including birds, butterflies, kangaroos, koalas and the Southern brown bandicoot so its perfect for the little animal lovers.
There is tons to see and do with 8 different gullies to explore, each with a different theme, 4 walking trails, the stunning heritage rose garden and sculptures and artworks scattered throughout the garden. If trails aren’t your thing, there is plenty of open space to let the kids run free and also plenty of spots that you can sit and take it all in (perfect for a picnic).
We love that throughout the year the gardens completely change with a visit in summer being completely different to a visit in winter. Of course Autumn is one of our favourite times to go with all the beautiful leaves falling, and if you head there in spring you can see the amazing Magnolias and Rhododendrons in full bloom.
The Gardens are free and are open 8:30am – 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am until 5pm (6pm during daylight savings) weekends and public holidays. They are open every day of the year aside from days when the fire danger rating is severe, extreme or catastrophic.
The friends of the botanic gardens also offer free guided tours, which run every day (except Christmas Day and days where the temperature is forecast to reach 36 degrees or higher) that leave from the lower car park at 10:30am.
For more information visit their website
www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/visit/mount-lofty-botanic-garden
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