To prepare for your visit, please check the conditions of access.

Lookout

You can view the reservoir with access via a public road. Walking across the dam wall, you can view a historic swing bridge downstream of the dam wall, and take in the scale of the state's largest reservoir.

Please note the swing bridge is not accessible.

Dogs are not welcome at reservoir reserves as they can carry harmful organisms that can easily contaminate the water and present a risk to the safety of the drinking water. Dogs also pose a threat to local native birds and wildlife. Assistance animals are accepted.

Click map below for a print-friendly version.

Expanded recreational access coming in 2021

Already a popular spot among sightseers for views of the state’s largest reservoir, a range of land-based activities will soon be available at Mount Bold Reservoir Reserve when it’s opened for expanded recreational access by the end of the year.

The initial phase of the site’s opening will see a more than 12-kilometre trail network established for hiking, running and walking, a new lookout and viewing platform with views across the dam wall and Mount Lofty Ranges, and a new car park, toilets and facilities for picnicking.

Unlocking access to the southern section of the reserve enables the new trails to connect with the Kidman and Heysen walking trails, along with the Onkaparinga National Park and Willunga Basin Trail, as well as capturing views over the reservoir and the reserve’s diverse terrain – offering a leisurely stroll, through to a more rigorous hiking experience.

For a sneak peak of what's coming to Mount Bold, take a look at the concept plan.

Capacity: 46.4 gigalitres (one gigalitre is one billion litres), that’s enough to fill the Adelaide Oval with water more than 93 times

Constructed: 1932-1938

The dam at Mount Bold was built to increase the water supply for the Adelaide metropolitan area as it grew in the years following the end of World War One. Millbrook Reservoir had been completed in 1918 and just 13 years later its supplies were no longer sufficient to support Adelaide’s growing population.

When it was finished in 1937, Mount Bold was South Australia’s first major reservoir built on-stream rather than diverting water into it from other sources.

Little known fact about Mount Bold Reservoir

Between 1938 and 1961, Mount Bold also supplied its own electricity through a small hydro-electric plant.

Mount Bold Reservoir is one of 16 across the state that help supply water to more than 1.7 million South Australians.

Water in the reservoir is released as required to maintain an adequate level at the Clarendon Weir and, from there, water is diverted to Happy Valley where it is treated and supplied to homes and businesses across metropolitan Adelaide.

Treating drinking water before it’s supplied for people to enjoy straight from the tap is important to make sure it is clean and safe to drink. You can learn how SA Water treats water and maintains the quality its customers value and rely upon.