Photo by me.

I stumbled across this forest reserve when driving home from a weekend away earlier in the year. There wasn’t much signage at this particular entrance, but there were lots of cars parked and so we wanted to check out what the fuss was all about.

The Kuitpo Forest Reserve was established in 1898 to ensure a sustainable timber resource for South Australia. Nowadays it is a mix of sustainable forestry for commercial use and community forest for recreation. There are a number of walking trails located in different parts of the forest. The map gives a good overview of the area and short descriptions of the trails.

I recently did the short Chookarloo Walk (at The Avenues Picnic Area on Black Nursey Road), which was just 1km return (approx. 30 mins). It was an easy walk on flat ground and passed by one of the campgrounds in the reserve.

I have also explored Bone Gully, which is a section of the protected reserve but not marked as an official walk on the Kuitpo Forest map. It is more scenic than the Chookarloo Walk, with very tall trees. I managed to navigate my way using the small trails marked on Google Maps. It is very steep in sections, so make sure you have appropriate footwear.

I highly recommend driving out to do these trails on a sunny afternoon. The fresh forest air will make you feel wonderful!