Experience SA forests these school holidays

Discovery and adventure await across the Mount Lofty Ranges, where hundreds of thousands of people every year are seizing the opportunity to explore the great outdoors and enjoy South Australia’s vibrant green canopies.

The number of visitors to SA forests is on the rise, as more people take the opportunity to head into the bush and enjoy a range of healthy activities such as bushwalking, hiking, running, bike riding, camping, birdwatching and more.

Annual visitation to ForestrySA-managed reserves in the Mount Lofty Ranges is on track to exceed 700,000 in 2025–26, up more than 19 per cent from 2024-25.

Kuitpo Forest, Mount Crawford and Second Valley are just 45-to-90-minute drives from metropolitan Adelaide and make for stunning day-trip destinations, offering fulfilling outdoor experiences for any family.

These forests also demonstrate how productive land can deliver strong social, health and recreational outcomes alongside sustainable forest industries.

More than 90 organised events are held each year across ForestrySA’s public forest estate, including major family-focused initiatives like Nature Play SA’s Forest Festival – which is this year attracting around 3,000 people across the two-day event.

The Forest Festival is being held at Kuitpo Forest from 15 to 16 April, offering families two screen-free days of outdoor play, creativity and connection in one of SA’s most iconic natural settings.

The festival is a family-friendly celebration of children, nature, Aboriginal culture and the changing seasons, with more than 20 hands-on experiences inviting children to explore, build, imagine and move at their own pace. Each activity is designed by Nature Play SA to encourage curiosity, confidence and active engagement with the outdoors.

Activities include nature crown making, wand crafting, cubby building, potion making, storytelling, yoga, kite flying and guided nature walks.

ForestrySA manages public forests across the Mount Lofty Ranges, balancing sustainable timber productive and conservation efforts with safe, responsibly managed public access for recreation, education and community events.