Black Hill Conservation Park

Black Hill sits above Athelstone between Gorge and Montacute road. It can be accessed off Gorge Road, Addison Avenue (end of), Maryvale Road, or Montacute Road.
Black Hill is a tricky one to recommend for beginner solo walkers. The park has minimal signposting besides junctions at the top of most ridges. Although the SA gov PDF guide (linked below) is fairly detailed. There’s also one fairly craggy goat track straight off the summit and another couple of paths up that require some minor rock scaling (Marked Summit Trail) on the PDF map. I’d avoid either of these if you’re inexperienced, especially during summer. This is the only park close to the CBD I’ve spotted Brown snakes in.
I’d recommend the fire tracks to begin. They’re wide and much more easygoing and unlikely to have you running into a slithery friend… A great intro route is to come in via the carpark on Gorge Road, follow the Ambers Gully track as it heads up (beautiful close to dusk), then follow the signs to Black Hill Summit. Head back via the same way once you’ve reached Black Hill Summit (the view is just trees, don’t get too excited…) but turn left onto the Sugar Loaves Track and follow it back to the carpark.
There is adequate mobile reception here on both a Telstra ¾G service I use and a work 2G backup service I have with Optus everywhere except the bottom of Ambers Gully.
Trickier walks can be had off of Montacute Road and from the end of Addison Avenue. Take good shoes for this (not runners) as there’s mesh-​wired grip and spaced pavers so vehicles can get grip heading up some of these stepper paths. These paths off the back of the summit heading down (and up) from Montacute Road are the real deal; some of the hardest inclines you’ll get this close to the CBD. If the Mount Lofty paved strut is your benchmark these climbs will wreck you.
All in all there’s less wildlife around here, a higher chance of coming across snakes and fewer good views. The paths are interesting and varied and wont be for everyone but it has it’s own charms and is usually very quiet.
People out here aren’t out for the show and I’ve walked and talked with fellow hikers out here more often than anywhere else as a result; it’s a great feeling and makes it seem like you’re well out of the CBD on a more remote walk/​hike.
SA gov PDF:

Black Hill Conservation Park is huge, and filled with excellent bushwalking trails. For those who like a good jaunt into nature, you’re bound to find it here — it does come with a couple of caveats though.
Much of the Black Hill area is a mobile black hole, so don’t get caught up on being able to rely on your phone for communication when you’re in there. A local snake expert showed lots of signs of snake activity, and managed to chase a brown out of a creek bed while I was there once, so be wary of our slithery friends, too.
Weekends are a walkers haven, you’ll see plenty of company on the trails — plenty of parking abounds on Maryvale Road, but you’ll find the best spots along Montacute Road fill up fast.