Visitor Information

Hours

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is open every day of the year, including public holidays.

Fire Danger

Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is closed on days when the fire danger rating is extreme or catastrophic. Please check the ratings prior to visiting during the fire season.

Admission

Free entry.

Location and Map

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.

Download the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden map.

Getting there

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.

Parking

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.

Find out more about parking.

Please note:

All large coaches can only access Mount Lofty Botanic Garden via the Lower Car Park off Lampert Road.

Accessibility

There are accessible toilets at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in the upper car park and lower car park.

Please note that the accessible toilet in the lower car park is a portable toilet. New upgraded facilities will be available from late March 2023.

The Lakeside Trail is a scenic, flat, bitumen pathway with sculptures at various locations around the trail.

Each piece of the interpretation has been translated and embossed in braille, 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.

Facilities

Public toilets are available at five locations in Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. These are:

1. Upper carpark (O5 on the map)
2. Lower carpark (L17 on the map). Please note that these are being replaced with new, modern and sustainable facilities. Portable toilets will be available here from 6 September 2022 - late March 2023 while this work takes place.
3. Bottom of Rhododendron Gully (M12 on the map)
4. Top of Fern Gully (S14 on the map)
5. Near the Woodland Garden (J10 on the map)

Refreshments

Local chocolatier Bracegirdle’s will park their refreshment bus at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden on weekends and public holidays from 24 September 2022 for your springtime walks.

From 9am-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.

Dates available:
24 September - 11 December 2022

18 February 2023 - early June 2023

Regulations

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 bring dogs or other pets into the Garden
• You must not fly drones in or above the Garden (under CASA guidelines. Learn more at our Filming and Photography page)
• You must not ride bikes / bicycles, scooters, skateboards or rollerblades
• You must not bring alcohol into the Garden
• You must not use BBQs and portable gas cookers into the Garden
• You must not smoke in the Garden
• You must not drive vehicles into the Garden
• You must not damage or remove plants
• You must not enter garden beds
• You must not play ball or throwing games.

Wildlife

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.