Canberra was established in 1911 as the site for the national capital. A competition was held to produce a design for the city, which was won by Walter Burley Griffin. His vision for Canberra was one of a 'city....seen in relation to the hills, the sky, the clouds and the clear atmosphere'.
As the built up areas of Canberra spread in the 1950s to the edge of the basin which is surrounded by Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie and Red Hill, it was necessary for the recently established National Capital Development Commission to formally recognise Burley Griffin 's vision. It did this by choosing a city plan which would maintain its open character, and preserve the hilltops and ridges in their natural state.
It is these hilltops and ridges, found within the developed area of Canberra, which form the Canberra Nature Park system of parks and reserves.
Today there are almost 6000 hectares of bushland in 24 separate Parks, making up the Canberra Nature Park system.
The Canberra Nature Parks are shown, along with their tracks and trails, in the Canberra Cycleways Map. They include:
The Nature Parks are all available for cyclists, as well as pedestrians and horse riders (some parks).
Cyclists should avoid riding on the single tracks, especially in the areas where bushland is dense and it may be difficult to see pedestrians. Cyclists should also be very wary of horse riders. Check out the ACT Government's Mountain Bike Code before you go.
For more information about Canberra Nature Parks look at "Canberra Nature Park: Draft Management Plan 1996". Department of Urban Services, Conservation Series No 8, by dialling up the Canberra public library.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has published a useful report regarding the impact of mountain bikes in off-road areas, which demonstrates that their physical impact is little different from that of walkers.
Another paper from the USA called "Mountain Biking Issues and Actions for USDA Forest Service" is also interesting reading.