Mt Lofty Fire Danger Season commences today
With the commencement of the Fire Danger Season in the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District on December 1st 2020, many sections of the Heysen Trail are now closed.
The closed sections of the trail will reopen during April/May 2021. The re-opening dates vary across the three Fire Ban Districts the trail passes through.
Much of the trail traverses private property. The viability of the Heysen Trail is dependent on the continuing co-operation of private landholders. Therefore the trail closures must be obeyed during this period.
Some sections of the trail remain open over the Fire Danger Season
During the declared Fire Danger Season some sections of the Heysen Trail remain open to walkers. They are principally the sections of the trail that are not on private land. These include public roads, Conservation Parks and Reserves, Forests and vacant land. The Fire Danger Season page of our website provides a list of Trail Sections Open Year Round
Please note that Conservation Parks and Reserves and Forests are closed on days of Total Fire Ban. The CFS publishes these bans, as does the Bureau of Meteorology. In addition, the media also broadcast weather reports including fire ban information.
If you want to walk on the trail, check which Fire District you will be in. The Fire Districts are listed on the Fire Danger Season page and shown on the Interactive Map on the Friends website.
Access to Heysen Trail huts is also restricted
Access to huts on the trail is also restricted. A number of the huts along the trail are on private property and are therefore not accessible to the public (including walkers) during the Fire Danger Season.
These are:
- Marschalls Hut
- Huppatz Hut
- Hiskeys Hut
- Catninga Hut
- Mayo Hut
Huts in National and Conservation Parks or Forest Reserves are accessible during the Fire Danger Season, provided it is not a day of Extreme or Catastrophic fire danger.