Distance: 4.2 km
Time: 30 minutes
Grade: Medium
Surface Type: 65% gravel maintenance tracks, 10% path and 25% sealed maintenance
track
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map
Route Map
Features: A ride along undulating tracks and paths through (red stringybark)
eucalypt bushland, with good views of Belconnen.
Route Description:
[If the rider is combining this short ride with the Bruce and O'Connor Ridge Ride, look at the link route description between these rides.]
The ride starts at a small informal parking area off Haydon Drive, Bruce, adjacent to a vacant site once occupied by a hostel.
Go through the gate which is next to a sign "Canberra Nature Park - Gossan Hill". Follow the track which heads uphill for 200 metres, across a concrete catch drain, to a fork. Take the left branch, which follows the edge of the houses of South Bruce. There are soon views to the left of Calvary Hospital, with Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower behind.
Continue just uphill of the houses for about one kilometre, past two tracks coming downhill from the right. At 1.1km bear left then right to connect with a sealed fire trail above the houses of West Bruce.
Turning right onto the sealed track, the ride follows the contour above the houses, giving excellent views over Belconnen Town Centre close to Lake Ginninderra (1.6km). The Brindabella Mountains can be seen off to the west heading north towards Yass and Burrinjuck Dam. Close to the town centre, the distinctive yellow Australian Taxation Offices and the cluster of greeny-blue Ginninderra College buildings can be seen next to the lake.
As the track rounds a bend, the three communications towers of the Belconnen Naval Station form a prominent landmark, with the University of Canberra campus hiding in the trees in front.
The track heads steeply downhill to a gate (2.2km). Before the gate go right for 20 metres across the grass towards College Street and right again onto a very rough path, which follows the College Street cutting. After a short distance the track peters out into a single path, which continues for another 200 metres to join a clearer track at a large eucalypt tree and gate (2.6km).
Turning right onto the track the ride heads uphill, with the 'Gossan' on the left. Take the left fork at a cross roads (3.2km), bear right on the main track 100 metres further, and then go left at a 'T' intersection a further 100 metres (3.4km). Ride left at the 'T' downhill and along a grassy catch drain with Radford College over a fence to the left. At the next 'T', where the catch drain ends, (3.8km) go right uphill and back to the concrete catch drain close to the start of the ride (4.0km). Turning left over the catch drain it is a short ride downhill back to the start (4.2km)
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