Distance: 20 km
Time: 90 minutes
Grade: Medium
Surface Type: 60% gravel maintenance tracks, 40% sealed bike paths
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map
Route Map
Features: A ride along, mostly smooth, undulating gravel forestry tracks through a pine plantation. Some riding along a bike path, and one kilometre of road. Views towards Lake Burley Griffin and the Brindabellas from lookouts. A couple of steep hills.
Route Description:
While not one of Canberra's Nature Parks, the Stromlo and Greenhills pine plantations are criss crossed with excellent gravel tracks, giving a wide variety of rides. The ride described here is just one, to give a taste of the variety to be found in this area.
The ride starts at the car park overlooking Scrivener Dam, next to a barbeque area under shady trees. An alternative start could be at Yarralumla Nursery in Weston Park. Weston Park has many facilities - barbeques, swimming beaches - and the Nursery sells ice creams and teas, and is well worth a visit. The main bike path around Lake Burley Griffin passes the Nursery, and is a pleasant 3.7km ride to Scrivener Dam, along the lake foreshores past the Royal Canberra Golf Club and the Governor General's House.
All the distances in this ride description are measured from Scrivener Dam.
Leaving the dam car park, head towards the bike path underpass, which leads under Lady Denman Drive, and take the bike path across the dam wall and past the National Aquarium & Zoo . Follow the bike path up a steep hill through a pine plantation, with a fine view across the lake, then down through a plantation of cork oak trees. 6000 cork oaks were planted here and further along this ride, in 1916, just after Canberra was founded, to establish their commercial viability.
Immediately after the cork oaks, a gate and information sign about the plantation can be seen on the left (1.4km). Lift the bike over the gate, turn left onto the gravel track then right onto Lady Denman Drive. Ride 100m down the hill, turn left at the intersection , ride under the Tuggeranong Parkway and straight ahead into the pine plantation, past a sign reading "Stromlo Forest - Greenhills Drive" (2.1km).
If the gate is locked you will have the forest to yourself. If it is open, be aware that cars can drive along these roads.
Ride up the hill into the plantation, and after 100m take a right onto a gravel track. This track heads past a plantation of Himalayan Cedars on the left, then down to a sharp left bend (3.2km).
A car park at this corner gives access to another, larger cork oak plantation which is well worth the 2km detour (just follow the signs along the path which loops through the plantation).
Continuing up a long, steep hill, at the edge of the pine forest, leads to a lookout at the top (3.8km). From here there are extensive views towards the Brindabella range in the distance, the grassy Mt Painter to the right, and behind to the imposing Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower.
Following the track through a zig zag, bear left down a long hill and back up the other side to a 'T' junction (4.7km). Head left up a very steep hill until a car park and lookout is reached at Dairy Farmers Hill, the highest point on the ride (5.3km). From here there are extensive views across Lake Burley Griffin towards the City centre and the distinctive triangular steel flagpole of Parliament House.
Continue past the lookout and steeply down towards a sharp left turn which leads to a long downhill ride to the first track off on the right (6.3km).
This track separates a mature stand of pines on the right from newly planted (1996) seedlings on the left. Traffic noise can be heard from the Tuggeranong Parkway 300 metres away to the left. Take the next fork right and start the climb back uphill untill the track turns sharply left at a gate (7.1km). Keep following the track as it follows a fence line dividing old from more recent plantings.
The track soon passes under some high voltage power lines (8.3km) and continues uphill past long forgotten piles of cut logs. Ride straight ahead at a 'T' intersection on a sharp summit and plunge downhill to another 'T' (9.2km). At this junction the main track, and this ride, takes the left fork. A 2km loop can be added to the ride by going straight ahead instead of left, up a steep hill to a lookout over the Molonglo River, and returning the same way.
Back at the 'T', take the left fork and the next right after 400 metres (9.6km). This track plunges steeply down a heavily eroded section to end in a "T" facing the unseen Molonglo River (9.9km). Take the poorly maintained left track through blackberries and Willows, along the bank of the river, emerging right at an intersection bordering the pine forest (10.5km).
Take a left fork a short distance along this track next to a large sign warning the non existent traffic of possible flooding. Follow this poor quality track as it loops back against the river bank, dropping steeply down to join a well maintained major gravel road (11.3km).
A sharp right takes the ride across "Clo's Concrete Crossing" over the willow choked Molonglo River, heading gently uphill, past a left fork towards a cross roads (11.9km). On the left is a small plantation of cedars; further away the weed choked remnants of the Weston Creek sewerage works can be seen, with a bike path in the distance (which forms a later part of this ride).
Ride straight ahead at this cross roads, taking the first right (12.1km) along a smooth track, through a gate and gently uphill until the pine forest on the right gives way to open grassland (13.2km). This area is popular with joggers and dog walkers. Beware of one and say hi to the others!
Take a left fork at the top of the hill, back into the pine forest, past two tracks from the left, until the ride emerges through a gate next to a shiny new toilet block and bbq area (14.1km). Bear left through the bbq area and past another gate onto a track which runs next to Cotter Road (on the right) to emerge at another gate, stile and parking area (15.5km).
The ride now joins Cotter Road for one kilometre until it joins the bike path at the first set of traffic lights (16.4km). Turning left onto the bike path takes the ride back past the abandoned sewerage works, under Tuggeranong Parkway and the power lines, past a horse riding school (keep a good lookout for horses on this section), and back to Scrivener Dam (20.3km)
Those who started at the Yarralumla Nursery have another 3.7km to some welcome drinks and ice creams. Those who started at Scrivener Dam will probably want to go there as well!
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