Totness Recreation Park

Totness Recreation Park, is a protected area located in South Australia within the localities of Mount Barker and Totness in the central Mount Lofty Ranges. Covering 41ha of land, the park is divided by the South Eastern Freeway and features a large dam. It was declared as a reserve in 1970 and re-designated as a recreation park in 1972. The park has no visitor facilities except for access tracks. It is the only park in the district, managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, that is solely designated for recreation.While parts of the park are dominated by pest plant species, primarily gorse and blackberry, it has native plant communities that are of conservation significance. messmate stringybark and manna gum woodlands are of particular note, being now uncommon in much of their former range across the Mount Lofty Ranges.StructureTotness Recreation Park is approximately 25km from Adelaide and 2.5km from Mount Barker. The park covers 41ha but is divided by the South Eastern Freeway, with 9ha north of the freeway and 32ha on its south. The only connection between the two sections is a 1.5m high, 100m long, concrete storm water pipe that passes under the freeway. 5.8ha of the park's southern section is leased for grazing, and fenced off from public access. The park is surrounded by rural properties that are primarily used for grazing. The most prominent feature is a former railway dam in the northern section. Most of the park, and some adjacent rural properties, drain into this dam. Overflow from the dam eventually reaches the Mount Barker Creek and subsequently the Bremer River. There are walking trails throughout the park and dirt vehicle access tracks along the boundaries. A boardwalk, constructed in 2001 in the northern section adjacent to the freeway, enables passage through boggy areas. Apart from the boardwalk there are no built structures and no facilities nor interpretive signs.