Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is open every day of the year, including public holidays.
| Opening times | Closing times |
|---|---|
8:30am every day | Monday - Friday Weekends and public holidays |
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is closed on days when the fire danger rating is severe, extreme or catastrophic. Please check the ratings prior to visiting during the fire season.
Free entry.
There are two entrances to the garden:
Upper entrance and car park: Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers
Lower entrance and car park: Lampert Rd, off Piccadilly Rd, Crafers. The Main Lake and accessible lakeside trail is most easily accessed from this entrance.
South Australia, 5152, Australia.
From Adelaide, Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is barely a 25-minute drive from Adelaide’s CBD, following the Princes Highway and National Highway M1, taking the Crafers exit.
From there, either following Summit Road to reach the Upper Carpark, or Piccadilly Road/Lampert Road for the Lower Carpark.
Check Adelaide Metro for public transport services into the Garden.
There is an upper car park (accessed via Mawson Drive) and a lower car park (accessed via Lampert Road).
On popular days, both car parks can fill up quickly. If the car parks are full, we encourage visitors to consider moving on to an alternative nature spot, and returning to the garden another day.
Ticketed car parking is available in both car parks using coin-operated ticket machines. Some machines also accept credit and debit cards.
There are accessible car parks in both car parks (four in the lower car park and three in the upper car park).
Funds collected from ticketed parking directly support the garden’s world-class botanical collections, and education and conservation programs.
| Zone | Duration | Rate Mon-Sat per hour | Sundays & Public Holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper car park | Garden opening hours | $1 per hour or $4 flat fee for the day | Free |
Lower car park | Garden opening hours | $1 per hour or $4 flat fee for the day | Free |
Please note that all large coaches can only access Mount Lofty Botanic Garden via the Lower Car Park off Lampert Road.
There are disabled facilities at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and the Lakeside Trail offers universal access. This scenic sculpture-dotted route is accessible to everyone.
Each piece of the interpretation has been translated and embossed in braille for people with vision impairments, and an audio trail has also been developed to complement the trail (available through the MyParx app).This trail is accessed via the lower car park.
Visitors are advised that the garden is very hilly in some parts, particularly the gullies. Steep inclines and descents make it challenging for people using wheelchairs or prams/strollers.
Get your coffee and nature fix all in one!
Well-known local chocolatier Bracegirdle’s will park their bus at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden on weekends and public holidays starting from Saturday 18 September 2021 until Christmas, and then returning again from February to June 2022.
From 10am-4pm, Bracegirdle’s will be offering a selection of hot and cold drinks, savoury and sweet snacks including almond croissants, vegan raspberry croissants, brownies, sausage rolls, toasted sandwiches and more.
So make a day of it; bring a picnic rug and relax on the lawns with a tasty morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea from the Bracegirdle’s menu, specifically designed for Mount Lofty Botanic Garden visitors.
Botanic gardens are different from public parks in that they're living museums, filled with valuable living collections. For this reason some activities - such as allowing dogs to roam the Garden - have the potential to damage or destroy valuable plants.
Botanic Gardens are also internationally-regarded as places for visitors to seek peace beauty and tranquillity, so activities that impede this (such as the use of drones) are also discouraged. You must not:
The Botanic Gardens of South Australia are home to a huge variety of bird and animal life that are attracted to the Gardens’ flora. We do, however, ask that you do not feed the wildlife. Find out more about animal welfare and the Botanic Gardens of South Australia.
03 September 2021
Following the devastating 2020 bushfires on Kangaroo Island, scientists at the SA Seed Conservation Centre have visited the island a number of times to investigate what botanical treasures have regrown, and to collect seeds and plant specimens with a conservation aim.
17 August 2021
Repatriation of a rare pea from the UK Seed Bank for bushfire recovery in the Adelaide Hills.
