Map of the Wild South Coast Way, the Heysen Trail along the southern coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula
The Wild South Coast Way on the Heysen Trail (WSCW) is a five day, four night hike walking experience between Cape Jervis and Victor Harbor on the Fleurieu Peninsula. This section of the 1,200km Heysen Trail begins at the Cape Jervis trailhead, and passes through Deep Creek National Park and Newland Head Conservation Park before reaching Victor Harbor. At Kings Beach, near Victor Harbor, the Heysen Trail continues north towards Mount Lofty, the Mid North and the Flinders Ranges.
The WSCW project included substantial upgrades or creation of four hike-in campsites along the way. These campsites include camp kitchens with water and USB power, toilets and individual camping pads and platforms. This is supplemented by four drive-in vehicle campsites along the way.
The walking experience offers some of the state’s most spectacular and awe inspiring coastal walking imaginable. The WSCW provides visitors a genuine sense of wilderness, featuring remote beaches, native bushland, rugged cliffs, First Nations’ history, breathtaking vistas, deep gullies and a rich diversity of native birds, bush and wildlife, in fact more species than anywhere else on the coast.
The project is an initiative of the South Australian government, in partnership with the Friends of the Heysen Trail, First Nations, Yankalilla District Council, City of Victor Harbor, park users and the private sector.
Open Year Round
The Wild South Coast Way is open all year round, except that it is closed on days of Catastrophic fire danger. Trail users should check the Parks SA Closures and Alerts web page on days of extreme or total fire bans.
Walk it your way
The Wild South Coast Way provides a range of walker experiences from short walks to multi-day hikes. The Parks SA WSCW website provides a list of ways you can walk it.
Trail Notes
Walkers intending to undertake day and multi day walks will find detailed trail notes and campsite information here.
Campsite Bookings
Each site has ten tent-pads and bookings are required. Bookings can be made here.
Cooking and Fires
Parks protocols for fire danger season apply: Fires and BBQs – National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.
Department of Environment & Water Management Practices, including Fire Danger Season – Management Guidelines for Parks apply across the Wild South Coast Way:
- Gas or liquid fuel cooking is permitted in the shared camp kitchens at each hike-in campsites. Wood fires are not permitted.
- No camping on private land
- No gas or solid fuel fires on private land
- Camping permitted only at designated sites on public land
- Public land campsites – gas fires only during Fire Danger Season
- Gas fires only all year in Newland Head Conservation Park
- No fires, including gas fires, on days of Total Fire Ban
- Deep Creek National Park and Newland Head Conservation Park closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger
- Fuel build-up and buffer zones assessed prior to each Fire Danger Season as part of asset protection
Rainwater Tanks
Each hike-in site has 3 large rainwater tanks that supply the cooking area, hikers needs and toilets. Parks Rangers check the sites daily.