Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve is a rare salt marsh and Grey Mangrove woodland located on the Le Fevre Peninsula, on the western side of Port River, approximately 7km north of Port Adelaide.
The reserve covers an approximate total area of 48 hectares and is part of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. It is situated on Crown Land managed by the Department for Environment and Water. Visitors can access the reserve through a small car park located on the western side of the reserve along Mersey Road.
The reserve is a biodiverse area of salt marsh and Grey Mangrove woodland, and it is the last remaining area of its kind on the Le Fevre Peninsula. Despite significant degradation since European settlement due to urban development, the salt marsh still supports several plant species including Beaded Samphire, Austral Seablite, Shrubby Glasswort, and Grey Samphire low shrubland.
The Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve offers a pathway that extends around its perimeter, allowing visitors to observe its unique vegetation and birdlife. The reserve is also home to two shipwrecks, Jupiter and Excelsior, which can be explored. Bird enthusiasts can spot various species such as the White-faced Heron, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Silver Gull, Spur-winged Plover, White-fronted Chat, Singing Honeyeater, Welcome Swallow, and less common species like the Musk Duck, Pacific Reef Heron, Australian Pelican, Rock Parrot, Grey Shrikethrush, and Brown Songlark.
The best time to visit Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve is during the summer months, between December to February, when visitors can experience the best of its flora and fauna.
To get to the reserve from Adelaide, visitors can