Experience the Salt Lake Trail

Explore Yorke Peninsula's Salt Lake Trail across 4 self-guided driving routes, and travel past some of the best vantage points for that perfect photo opportunity.

Salt lakes can be a vibrant pink colour due to high salinity levels, or they can change from white to pink to blue depending on the salt content and season. 

At various times of the day and year, the lakes along the trail can span the colour spectrum from purple to blue, orange to white, or silver to pink.

Full Drive

Follow the complete circuit of the Salt Lake Trail, starting and finishing in Yorketown (approximately 48 kilometres, allow 60 to 90 minutes, view map).

This driving route takes you past some of the best and accessible salt lakes on Southern Yorke Peninsula.

Interpretative signage highlighting the history of salt production in the area can be found at stops along the trail at Lake Fowler, Dhalliwanggu - Lake Sunday and Pink Lake.

Sunrise and sunset offer excellent photographic opportunities as the suns rays reflect on the surface of the lake, creating prisms of colour ranging from pink & orange, to silver & white.

Short Drive

For those wanting a quick but satisfying tour of the best salt lakes surrounding Yorketown, follow this short drive (approximately 9 kilometres, allow 15 to 30 minutes, view map).

Leaving from Yorketown's Weaner Flat Reserve, this short circuit visits Domaschenz Lake, Geitz Lake & Pink Lake before returning to Yorketown.

If you're short on time but want to maximise your salt lake visit, this part of the trail offers a snippet of Instagrammable photo opportunities that will leave you wanting more.

School Ruins and Cemeteries Tour

The Yorke Peninsula Salt Lake Trail is about more that just picture perfect salt lakes.

This tour takes visitors on a self-guided drive past historic school sites, ruins and cemeteries (approximately 28 kilometres, allow 45 to 60 minutes, view map).

Visiting school ruins at Dhalliwanggu - Lake Sunday and Sunbury, before heading to the Lake Fowler school site, this drive also stops at the Pink Lake Cemetery which overlooks one of the best salt lakes around.

Lake Fowler Drive

One of the largest salt lakes near Yorketown is Lake Fowler, which can be found on the way to Edithburgh.

When full, this lake covers an area of around 780 hectares and at the peak of the commercial salt industry on Southern Yorke Peninsula was the largest salt scraping operation.

Lake Fowler has a wealth of history having been part of salt and gypsum mining industries in the late 1800's and early 1900's. 

Following the Lake Fowler Drive (approximately 33 kilometres, allow 45 to 60 minutes, view map), you will drive past 2 sites listed on the South Australian Heritage Register:

  • the ruins of the Lake Fowler Salt Works can be found along Lake Fowler Road
  • a length of dry stone walling can be found along several roads nearby, as well as New Honiton Road south of Lake Fowler

Stop off at the Lake Fowler Picnic Area on Lake Fowler Road to enjoy the lake views, or visit the water tank mural further down the road.


Explore Yorke Peninsula's Salt Lake Trail

The Yorke Peninsula is the traditional lands of the Narungga (Nharangga) people, who have lived on, and cared for, this country since the beginning of time. We work, live and travel on Nharannga Banggara [Country], and we take time away from those pursuits to acknowledge and pay our deep respects to the Nharangga Elders of the past and present. 

Today, it is essential that we continue to care for and protect our spectacular natural environment. Tread lightly and leave no trace. Learn more about responsible and respectful travel on Yorke Peninsula.