Distance: 9.7 km with an extra 7 km loop through Duffy Pines
Time: 1 hour + 0.5 hours through Duffy
Pines
Grade: Easy (east side of Cooleman Ridge)
/Medium (west side)
Surface Type: 0% bitumen, 90% gravel maintenance tracks, 10% unformed path
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map
Route Map
Features: Cooleman Ridge: A ride along mostly well maintained undulating gravel
tracks through open grassland. Spectacular views east over Weston Creek towards Woden and
Black Mountain, and west across the Murrumbidgee River Valley to the distant Brindabella
Mountain Ranges. A couple of steep, gravelly climbs.
Duffy Pines: Through mature Radiata Pine forest on well maintained and smooth forest
trails. One steep climb.
Route Description:
Cooleman Ridge Ride. (9.7 km)
A convenient place to start this ride is at the western end of Kathner Street, Chapman , where the large solid 60’s houses end and the country begins. From the bicycle path network, it is a 3.4 km ride from the Cooleman Court shopping centre (where every conceivable variety of fast food can be had), through the suburbs of Stirling and Rivett to reach the start of the ride.
Head through the gate at the Cooleman Ridge Nature Park sign leading towards a steep hill up a badly maintained and slippery track on to the Ridge. It may be best to push your bike up this hill, which only lasts a couple of hundred metres or so before it abruptly levels out with a fine view across the suburbs towards Black Mountain and the prominent Telstra Tower, north west towards Duffy Pines and Stromlo forest, and west towards the Brindabella Mountains. Back on the bike, a smooth and level track winds along the eastern side of the ridge well above the houses of Chapman. After 1.3 km from the start, a small track off to the right leads 20 metres to a gate with superb views west across the Murrumbidgee Valley to the distant Brindabella Mountain Ranges. Returning to the track continue to follow the smooth undulating route as it follows the backs of the suburbs for a further 3 km. Rounding the bends display extensive views towards the partially treed Mount Taylor, which is a prominent land feature of the area, dividing Weston Creek in the foreground from south Woden in the distance and Tuggeranong to the south.
The houses of Chapman end abruptly (4.0 km) with the track still high above the surrounding landscape, h ugging the slopes of Mt Arawang, which marks the southern end of Cooleman Ridge. A short track to the left leads down to Namatjira Drive and the bike path network, and provides a convenient connection to the Mt Taylor Ride. Continue on the track around the flanks of Mt Arawang, until a gate is reached (4.1 km). Through the gate the track deteriorates to a rather bumpy unformed path, which continues in a clockwise direction around the lower slopes of the mountain, with fine views south across Tuggeranong and giving glimpses of Lake Tuggeranong, until some horse paddocks and an old homestead flanked by mature pine trees come into view (5.5 km).
Ignore the gate and track between the horse paddocks and homestead, which leads into Kambah and eventually towards Kambah Pool about 5 km away. The ride crosses the drain then turning sharply left heads steeply up a faint grassy path just to the right of the homestead, until a ridge is reached (5.8 km), with extensive views west across open paddocks towards the Murrumbidgee River valley.
Turning left onto a rough track, the ride descends steeply towards the homestead, before swinging around to the right and improving into a well defined track which is used extensively by the local equestrians.
The ride follows this clear track, which meanders and undulates along the edge of the paddocks, through a number of gates, and past a picturesque pond, complete with a park bench. Nearing the end of the Cooleman Ridge ride the track swings to the right and climbs steeply back up to the top of the ridge and through a gate on the ridge crest (9.0 km). A steep descent leads the track around the end of the ridge, with views of Duffy Pines and the pine covered Mt Stromlo in the distance.
Descending to the left of a small pond, the track passes through a Cavaletti and back onto Kathner Street (9.7 km).
Duffy Pines Loop (total length 7.0 km). Easy, with one steep climb.
An extra half hour can be added to the Cooleman Ridge Ride by cycling the Duffy Pines loop. From the end of the Cooleman Ridge ride continue along the Kathner Street verge, turning left at a fence line before the street joins Darwinia Terrace. Follow this dirt track, which loops around to the right, across the stub of Hindmarsh Drive, and 50m along the Eucumbene Drive verge to a gate and style into the adjacent Duffy Pines (1.0 km from end of Cooleman Ridge Ride). (Warning: This is a favourite exercise area for dog owners, so caution is suggested when approaching unleashed dogs, which can have unpredictable reactions towards cyclists).
Entering Duffy Pines, ride 50m to the huge water reservoir and then head left down a smooth gently descending ride through mature pine trees until the southern edge of the plantation is reached. Turning right into a wide reservation through the pines the track heads uphill until it crosses another track at right angles. Keeping straight ahead the track deteriorates and steepens to a difficult climb to the top of a ridge and another intersecting track (2.3 km). A couple of strange structures on the ridge are part of the two huge buried water pipes which carry Canberra’s drinking water from reservoirs deep in the Brindabella Mountains to be distributed throughout the urban area via the storage reservoirs seen on most of the Nature Park rides.
Turn left on the ridge and head down a smooth winding track through the pines until a right turn is reached at the edge of the forest. Continue on along the forest edge as the track heads north then east, then south back along the edge of Eucumbene Drive to the entry gate and style (5.9 km). It is a short return ride back along the track to Kathner Street and your transport.
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