One of the original reasons for rail trails was to create conservation corridors, and the Nurragi Conservation Reserve is a good example.

- The trail through this reserve provides a unique opportunity to experience remnant vegetation which is native to the region
- It has a mix of natural and cultural heritage features
- It is recommended for families, train enthusiasts and groups who want a gentle 2-3 hour walk
Nearby Attractions
- Lake Alexandrina is a great place for a dip, especially for the kids; the water is only waist deep until past the end of the jetty
- Milang Railway Museum (open from 12-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and by appointment at other times (Ph: 8537 0061). There are souvenirs and refreshments served in the carriages.
- Encounter Bikeway
- Goolwa, Port Elliot and Victor Harbor
Last updated: 9 April 2025
This trail is only suitable for walking as there are stiles at the road crossings, although these have been eased considerably. It can be ridden on an MTB if you are prepared for some significant lifting with a friend. The trail is generally flat but can feature hidden animal burrows and sections of thick vegetation.
More than 300 species of native plants grow on the reserve; 67 of these are of particular conservation significance. The reserve also attracts native mammals, reptiles and birds.
Local volunteers have established a self-guided walk with features numbered from the Sandergrove end. There are brochures and engraved maps at access points on the trail. Distance markers have also been installed with measurements in both directions.
The trail can be split into two main sections:
- Sandergrove to Nurragi features pink gums and Mallee vegetation in its 7 km of heavier soils
- Nurragi to Milang has the remains of the Nurragi Siding and a memorial to the person who chaired the Friends of Nurragi for 20 years
Section Guides
Sandergrove to Nurragi (7.2 km)
- You can reach the Sandergrove end of the trail via Goolwa Rd and Tucker Rd, which you follow to the end, past the railway line.
- Here there was a school to the south west until the 1950s
- To the west, the SteamRanger heritage trains run to Victor Harbor
- Around Dry Plains Rd, the area can be inundated when the rains finally come
- Sandy soils here favour pink gums
- Before Nurragi Rd, the former siding is on your left
Nurragi to Milang (5.4 km)
- After crossing the stiles on both sides of Nurragi Rd, there is a picnic area and another place to pick up a brochure
- There is a memorial to local naturalist John Eckert, who chaired the Friends group for 20 years.
- You will see mallee trees like bottle brush and dryland tea-tree, native pine and correa
- The railway crossing of Finniss-Milang Rd was acute, so the trail resumes diagonally opposite. Watch for traffic and avoid the private property on the right
- Sections of the track are overgrown and sandy.
- From Weeroona Rd, where the trail crosses beyond the cemetery, is a section that was included in the reserve in 2001. Closer to Milang, this land was subject to grazing until more recently and not direct-seeded until 2008.
- The trail ends at McDonald Rd, not far from the Milang Railway Museum. Try to time your visit for when it is open (see FURTHER INFORMATION below)
- Milang is the only place with facilities, including BBQs and a foreshore caravan park.
![The Sandergrove Railway Station site still has its telegraph office [2006]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/8681605553204-300x225.jpg)
The Sandergrove Railway Station site still has its telegraph office [2006]

Native vegetation growing in abundance on the trail
![Early days at the Nurragi Conservation Reserve [2006]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/S13-155-Port-Milang-2006-09-118-1888-300x225.jpg)
Early days at the Nurragi Conservation Reserve [2006]
![Negotiating the stiles, here at Weeroona Dr, takes practice [2025]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/S13-150-Negotiating-one-of-the-stiles-off-Weeroona-Drive-Milang-takes-practice-2025-IMG_5647-300x169.jpg)
Negotiating the stiles, here at Weeroona Dr, takes practice [2025]
![Scarlet Bottlebrush which can be seen on the trail [Jeff Whittaker]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/6311605553204-300x200.jpg)
Scarlet Bottlebrush which can be seen on the trail [Jeff Whittaker]
![Low branches, burrows and sink holes are more suited to walking [2025]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/S13-100-Low-branches-burrows-and-sink-holes-are-a-feature-2025-IMG_5652-300x169.jpg)
Low branches, burrows and sink holes are more suited to walking [2025]
![Nurragi Station site [2006]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/6791605553204-300x225.jpg)
Nurragi Station site [2006]
![Studying the engraved trail map at picnic area near Nurragi Rd [2025]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/S13-100-Studying-the-engraved-trail-map-at-the-picnic-area-near-halfway-at-Nurragi-Rd-and-site-of-Nurragi-Siding-2025-IMG.5663-300x169.jpg)
Studying the engraved trail map at picnic area near Nurragi Rd [2025]
![Kick-to-kick at Milang Station waiting for the rail cafe to open [2025]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/S13-150-Kick-to-kick-at-the-Milang-Railway-Station-waiting-for-the-carriage-cafe-to-open-2025-5639-300x169.jpg)
Kick-to-kick at Milang Station waiting for the rail cafe to open [2025]
![Interpretive signs have been added to display in Milang's railyard [2025]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/S13-150-Interpretive-signs-have-been-added-to-the-display-in-Milangs-former-railyard-2025-IMG_5642-300x169.jpg)
Interpretive signs have been added to display in Milang's railyard [2025]
Do you know of a bike hire or transportation service on this rail trail that should appear here? If so, let us know at admin@railtrails.org.au.
Information and Links
Contact Rail Trails Australia
To contact us about this rail trail, email sa@railtrails.org.au
Background Information
Traditional owners
We acknowledge the Ngarrindjeri people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail is built.
Rail line history
The Sandergrove to Milang branch line opened in 1884, with Sandergrove Station being about 10 km south of Strathalbyn on the main line from Mt Barker to Victor Harbor and Nurragi being the intermediate one on the branch. The name is based on the Ngarrindjeri word for scrub. By the early 1990s much of the native “scrub” had been cleared for agricultural production.
Ironically, after the line’s closure in 1970, the rail corridor was left relatively undisturbed and, through the efforts of the local community, council and SA Government, existing vegetation has been protected and species of the original Milang scrub added to the railway corridor. The area was dedicated as a nature conservation and plantation reserve in 1991 and the trail was officially opened in May, 2014. A heritage agreement permanently protects the area.
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One review of “Nurragi Conservation Reserve”
Bit of a surprise this one and definitely easier walking but I did it on a MTB. Never did quite sort out getting over the stiles … would be easier with two people. Watch out for wombat and rabbit burrows and loose sand on the singletrack. The cyclocross crowd would love it.