All the rides which are described here are on unsealed paths and trails in one of the many Canberra Nature Park reserves, which are found on the hills and ridges throughout Canberra. They can be reached by transporting your bike to the start of the ride by car, or by riding to the start along the extensive bike path network. All rides are less than a one hour bike ride from the centre of Canberra, and can generally be completed in one hour or less. So they are ideal for residents, tourists or visitors who only wish to spend a morning or afternoon cycling.
Riding through the bushland and open grasslands of the Canberra Nature Park reserves, you'll see Canberra from a very different perspective, and enjoy the open space and wildlife which is so close to Canberra's suburbs.
Each ride description is in text only so that they can easily be printed out and taken on the ride. In addition, each ride is accompanied by a map with the route and distances marked on it. This can also be printed out for easy reference. It is also suggested that you take a copy of the Canberra Cycleways Map 2nd Edition with you to get more information about the area.
Each ride has a summary which is described here, followed by a step by step description of the ride and interesting features which can be seen. It is impossible to get lost if you have the ride description and the map.
The rides are not difficult and anyone of average fitness, with a reasonable bike with good brakes, low gears and non-skinny tyres would be able to complete the rides. A mountain bike with wide chunky tyres and a good gear range does however make the going easier and more fun.
Hints for off-road cycling Mountain Bike Code Check the weather before you go.
Distance: (km) distance to travel along described route to complete the journey from start to finish. Nearly all rides are circuits which finish and start at the same place, to enable bikes to be transported to the start.
Time: the approximate time taken to complete the ride by an average recreational cyclist riding an average bike. Includes time for short rest stops.
Grade:
Easy (generally flat terrain, smooth surface, well formed trails)
Medium (some hills but mostly short, some rough spots, with some parts of ride not
on formed trails)
Hard (significant proportion of ride has steep hills and unformed paths. Rider may
need to walk short sections)
Surface Type: percentage of each
bitumen - road or bike path
gravel vehicle maintenance track or fire trail which is closed to general traffic
unformed path or single track, dirt or gravel
Map Reference: All rides can be found on the Canberra Cycleways Map. The page number(s) for each ride are referenced. Maps are available from Pedal Power, newsagents, bike shops, tourist bureau and online from Canberra Connect.
Features: describes the main characteristics of the ride, and points of interest. (Terrain, vegetation, views etc)
Route Description: a detailed description of the route to be taken, with intermediate km measurements to help in route identification. Having a bike computer will help to keep track of where you are.
| Nature Park | Ride Description | Map |
| Black Mountain | description | map |
| Black Mountain and Aranda Loop | description | maps |
| Bruce and O'Connor Ridge | description | map |
| Capital Hill | description | map |
| Cooleman Ridge and Duffy Pines | description | map |
| Farrer Ridge | description | map |
| Gossan Hill | description | map |
| Googong Dam | description | map |
| Green Hills | description | map |
| Isaacs Ridge | description | map |
| Majura Pines | description | map |
| Mt Ainslie and Mt Majura | description | map |
| Mt Taylor | description | map |
| Mulligan's Flat | description | map |
| Red Hill | description | map |
| Rob Roy Range | description | map |
| Twin Peaks (Cooleman Ridge to Mt Taylor) | description | map |
| Tuggeranong Hill | description | map |
| Urambi Hills | coming soon | coming soon |