Punchbowl Lookout Trail
Opened in 2017,
Punchbowl Lookout Trail is a short and easy walk to the spectacular Onkaparinga River Gorge. It has been constructed using compacted gravel and hence is suitable for people of all abilities including those with prams and limited mobility. One member of our group successfully navigated the trail in her wheelchair without any assistance.
Compacted gravel suitable for all abilities
Grey box woodland
Beginning from its car park on Piggott Range Road, the one-kilometre trail will lead you through grey box woodland before arriving at a lookout platform where your breath will be taken away. The near 360-degree view of the gorge is simply stunning and you can also see where the Punchbowl Waterhole lies below. It is called "punchbowl" because of the beautiful bowl-shaped rock pool created by rock formations at the bottom of the gorge.
Lookout platform
For access to the tranquil waterhole itself, you will need some extra time to head down the cliff along a moderately graded link trail. Please note, however, that this section is not wheelchair-friendly. Signage is also limited once you reach the bottom, hence, using the
Avenza Map app to plot your real-time location is highly recommended.
Onkaparinga River Gorge
Take the left turn down to the waterhole
Punchbowl Lookout Trail is located within the
Onkaparinga River National Park approximately 40 kilometres south of Adelaide. A number of picnic benches are available along the trail. But, unfortunately, toilets can only be found at the next Sundews car park.
One of the picnic benches
