Blowhole Beach – Walking & 4wd Guide

Blowhole Beach is 2 hours from Adelaide in Deep Creek National Park on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. It is a stunning spot year-round, the thing we love about Blowhole Beach is the contrasting colours of the landscape.

The small beach is surrounded on both sides by steep rolling hills. The white sand is bookended by headlands of black rock and, depending on the time of year, the hills are covered in emerald green or straw yellow grass that pops against the turquoise blue water.

From the carpark at the end of Blowhole Beach Road you have two options for getting onto the beach. There is a challenging 3km walk or you can drive if you have a 4wd.

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Blowhole Beach

Driving down to Blowhole Beach

Towards the end of Blowhole Beach Road, you’ll see a turn off to the Cobbler Hill Picnic area. Near there is a sign saying that unless you have a 4wd you should go no further. If you are in a 4wd you can get yourself down to the Beach Carpark.

The track down isn’t long – only a couple of kilometres – but it is steep and rough. It’s not like you’ll be on less than four wheels at any point but it’s certainly not suitable for 2WDs.

We cruised our way down the hill in low 4WD. The track is probably a couple of cars wide but in trying to find the best route you might have to stop to let other cars pass.

We came back up in low 4wd too. Keep an eye on the weather. Getting back up when it’s wet can be tricky.

Blowhole Beach Walking Trail

Walking to Blowhole Beach

If you don’t have a 4WD you’re walking to the beach. There is a carpark on the right near the Cobbler Hill Picnic Ground. The 3km return walk starts at the picnic area. The walk down is a breeze. There are amazing views as you pass through sections of grassland and bush.

The walk back up will get you puffing. There’s no other way to describe it other than steep. Guides indicate it is a 2.5 hour return walk and I’d suggest you’ll take most of that time getting back up to the picnic area.

There are several ‘view appreciation stops’ on the ascent where you can take a seat; there are no shortage of great vistas to take in.

Blowhole Beach

6 Things to know before you go to Blowhole Beach

  • You need to pay a vehicle entry fee for Blowhole Beach. These can be purchased online. We usually buy ours on our way to Blowhole Beach, You won’t need one if you are already camping at one of the Deep Creek campgrounds.
  • Because it is a national park, dogs are not allowed at Blowhole Beach.
  • There are no shops at Blowhole Beach. The nearest shops are the Delamere or Cape Jervis General Stores. There are drop toilets at the campground but there are no toilets down at the beach.
  • The last 10 km of the drive to Blowhole Beach picnic ground/top carpark is on a dirt road, suitable for 2wd cars.
  • As inviting as the water is, Blowhole Beach is not a safe swimming spot.  There can be strong currents and big waves.
  • Wondering where the blowhole is? So are we! We haven’t found it and a call to National Parks SA didn’t help either. Maybe it has something to do with seeing whale blowholes instead.
Blowhole beach kangaroo
Blowhole Beach Kangaroo
Blowhole Beach Kangaroos
Cobbler Hill Campground

Things to do at Blowhole Beach

Take in the views from the beach or the top carpark. You can look across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island and it is a top spot for sunset viewing.

Keep an eye out for wildlife. Every time we have been to Blowhole Beach, we have seen the mob of eastern grey kangaroos that live around there. In the water, lookout for dolphins all year and whales over winter.

Blowhole Beach is also a popular surfing and fishing spot. The rocky headlands either side of the beach often have people on them casting a line.  There is a wide variety of species on offer including salmon, whiting and flathead.

If you want a longer walk than the one up and down to the beach, try the 6.7km, 3.5 hour Blowhole Beach – Cobbler Hill – Marrano Creek Hike. It follows the Heysen Trail along the coast then goes up a steep ridge following Marrano Creek. There are great views of Kangaroo Island and the Pages Islands along the way.

Aaron Creek Walk
Aaron Creek Hike

More things to do in the area

We love this part of the Fleurieu Peninsula, here are some of our tips for seeing more of the area:

  • Rapid Bay – The Rapid Bay jetty is one of the best snorkelling spots in South Australia
  • Second Valley – amazing caves and pool to explore and more good snorkelling
  • Deep Creek – check out our guide to some of the walks and campground in the park. The Aaron Creen Hike is one of our favs.
  • Big Duck Cruise an amazing way to see the area’s wildlife and beautiful coastline. Read our review here.

Read More : Low Cost & Free Camping in SA

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Deep Creek Eco Villa

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Blowhole Beach
Blowhole Beach
Blowhole Beach
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