Top 10 walks in the ACT

Capital walks

Few people realise that almost 50 per cent of the Australian Capital Territory is taken up by just one national park – Namadgi. This special alpine wilderness includes alpine ranges flecked in snow, plunging waterfalls, granite cliffs and vast forests of alpine ash, peppermint and snow gums. In spring and summer many of these peaks remain cool and become festooned in native wildflowers.

Canberra has great wildlife, and it’s relatively easy to see large animals such as eastern grey kangaroos on many of the walks. As well as Namadgi, the ACT holds the excellent Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which has a multitude of walks and the Sanctuary, with abundant platypus, birds and other wildlife. There are also 30 reserves spread across the ACT in the diverse Canberra Nature Park.

Take a healthy break from the pollies and the Pollocks, and ride Shanks’s pony to any of these.

1. Square Rock

By far the best medium-distance walk in the ACT, this 9km return route starts on Corin Road, in Namadgi National Park. Wind your way up through pretty forests of alpine ash, black sallees, mountain gums and snow gums, past wetlands of croaking frogs and massive round granite boulders left over from a giant’s game of marbles. The track is rich in wildlife, particularly reptiles, with dragons, skinks and snakes galore, but there are also kangaroos, swamp wallabies and red-necked wallabies. After a short breather at Orroral Valley Lookout, the highlight is the surprise at the end – a fantastic adventure playground of huge granite boulders on the edge of a vertiginous cliff, with stunning views over the national park.

Square Rock summit

2. Jerrabombera Wetland Reserve

Almost in the centre of town, this wonderful wildlife refuge provides vital habitat for a whole range of birds, including rare migratory species. Take a pair of binoculars and dawdle along the cycling track or a series of winding paths, to five very well set up bird hides. There’s many of the species you’d expect to see within sight of Parliament House – the occasionally vocal (Wayne) swans, the pretty but hard-to-catch dollarbirds, old coots galore and, if you stick around the ACT long enough, you might even get to hear (Mark) Latham’s snipe. Enter from the end of Newcastle Street in Kingston.

3. Pialligo Forest

Squashed between the airport and the drag-racing track is this heritage-listed secret – the largest stand of mature redwood trees in Australia. Giant sequoias are the tallest trees in the world, and Canberra architect Walter Burley Griffin decided to plant 120,000 of them – giant redwoods and coastal redwoods – to provide a majestic grove. Although many of the imported trees died in the Australian conditions, there are still some 3000 remaining, and a very gentle 3km walk wanders through them. As they are “only” 100 years old, they are still relative newborns, but it’s still worth a meander through the “nursery”.

4. Black Mountain via Botanic Gardens

One of the most prominent landmarks in Canberra, Black Mountain, with its needle-like Telstra Tower, holds two wonderful natural treasures revealed only to those who explore its covered flanks. The first is at the bottom: the brilliantly laid out Australian National Botanic Gardens, which features 74,000 individual plants representing 6,200 Australian species, making it the world’s most comprehensive display of living Australian native plants. Don’t miss the gorgeous Rainforest Gully or the Eucalypt Lawn. From the back of the 40 ha gardens, an easy-to-follow path (5.4km return) heads gently up through surprisingly lovely forests of scribbly gum, drooping lime-coloured cherry ballart and red stringybark to the summit with its glorious views over Canberra. The mountain has the most diverse vegetation in all the ACT, as well as bubbling creeks and rich birdlife.

5. Yankee Hat

Visit the most accessible Aboriginal rock art shelter in the ACT on this relatively easy 6km return walk in Namadgi National Park. The white clay and ochre painted figures include a turtle, dingos, emu and a series of abstract humanoid figures, all on a rounded off, under-cut granite boulder. Carbon dating of nearby campsite deposits indicates the site has been in use for more than 800 years, although indigenous people have lived in the wider area for many thousands of years. The track leaves from Old Boboyan Road, 30 km south of Tharwa, and travels through undulating grasslands in which you’ll see kangaroos and views over wilderness areas.

6. Mt Tennent

When bushranger John Tennant was captured near here in 1828, it’s rumoured he left a whole cache of loot somewhere on Mt Tennent. It hasn’t been found – yet. Search to your heart’s content on this bracing 15km return walk to the mountain’s summit. The mountain itself is the prominent landmark looming over Canberra’s south-western suburbs, and is rich in wildlife, with kangaroos, swamp wallabies and birds galore. It’s a long, steady climb to the fire tower at the top, but there are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the cascading creeks, weird granite boulders, massive fungi and views over lush grazing land. The walk starts directly behind the Namadgi National Park Visitor Centre.

Snow gum colours, Mt Tennent

7. Walk over politicians

There are few countries in the world in which you have the democratic right to walk right over the top of leading politicians and bureaucrats – and we get to do it on lush grass. The long sloping tracts of ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass lead invitingly from either side of the courtyard up to the iconic 81m flagpole, although barriers prevent you from actually reaching the flagpole unless you go down and through security at Parliament House. Enjoy the views back over Old Parliament House and the War Memorial. Go barefoot to get the most out of the experience.

8. Lake highlights

No visit to Canberra is complete without a refreshing stroll around part of Lake Burley Griffin. The route around the whole lake is more than 35km long, so unless you have a couple of days it’s best to pick a section. For a tranquil experience, start at Black Mountain Peninsula, off Parkes Way or, if you want to be in the heart of Canberra’s icons, start near the National Library, passing the Australians of the Year Walk (tromping over the written music for Advance Australia Fair), Peace Park, the Captain Cook Memorial Jet, the International Flag Display, Speakers Square, the National Carillon and 3ha sculpture garden outside the National Gallery of Australia.

9. Mt Ainslie

Like Black Mountain, Mt Ainslie’s summit is most commonly reached by road, but it’s well worth taking the local’s route: the concrete pathway from the back of the War Memorial. In the mornings and evenings, there is a constant stream of joggers and power walkers, but even they don’t scare away the large mobs of eastern grey kangaroos, fantails, superb fairy-wrens and crimson rosellas that are always found in the scribbly gum and drooping she-oak forest. It’ll take about 45 minutes of walking to reach the summit, and then you can really appreciate the view.

10. Cooleman Ridge Nature Trail

Abundant in birds and other wildlife, this 3km loop offers one of the easiest ways to see common long-necked tortoises in their natural habitat. The park, found at the end of Kathner Street in Chapman, is an ex-grazing area and initially doesn’t look spectacular, but it has some lovely woodlands and grasslands, with attractive box trees and red gums, and birds everywhere. The easy walk leads up to a trig station with views over farming land, the Brindabella and Tidbinbilla ranges, Mt Stromlo to the north, and Mt Tennent to the south. It’s easy to spot the tortoises in the dams.

Some of these are featured in Top Walks in NSW