Distance: 20 km
Time: 2 hours
Grade: Easy / Medium
Surface Type: 24% bitumen, 63% gravel maintenance tracks, 13% unformed path
Map reference: Canberra Cycleways Map (2nd
Edition) pages 12, 16 and 17
Route Map
Features: A longer 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. A short pleasant ride on bike paths
and roads between Cooleman Ridge and Mt Taylor.
Route Description:
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 hugs 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, hugging the slopes of Mt Arawang, which marks the southern end of Cooleman Ridge. A short track to the left leads 200m down to a gate at Namatjira Drive and the bike path network, to enable the ride to cross the valley to Mt Taylor. Turn right onto the bitumen bike path and follow it for 300m until the houses end on the other side of the road, at a large "Weston Creek" sign (4.5km). Cross the road and follow the unformed track closest to the houses as it heads north for a kilometre, until it joins another bike path close to the Tuggeranong Parkway (5.6km).
Turning left onto the bike path, the ride follows the Tuggeranong Parkway until it crosses it at an underpass and emerges onto Waldock Street (7.0km). Turn right onto Waldock Street and head uphill for a further half a kilometre until a gate and squeeze into the Mt Taylor Nature Park is reached on the left (7.5km).
Enter the reserve and follow the gravel track as it turns right towards the hill and a huge water reservoir (7.8km). A steep dirt track leads away from the left side of the reservoir, and quickly flattens out as it reaches the ridge. Continue to the first break in the trees (8.1 km) to catch the extensive views of Black Mountain and the Telstra Tower to the north, to Woden town centre, Woden Valley Hospital, the distant Mount Ainslie to the east and the suburbs of O’Malley and Isaacs below the pine forested Isaacs Ridge to the south east.
The smooth dirt track continues south east as it climbs above the houses up the flanks of Mt Taylor. A footpath with hundreds of carefully built steps to the summit is passed at 8.6 km and a smaller water tank at 9.4 km, until a gate on the right is reached (9.8 km) just before the track sweeps downhill to the left towards Athllon Drive and the Farrer Ridge Ride. Go through the squeeze next to the gate and climb 100 metres to the ridge crest. A concrete path to the summit leads off to the right, with views to the south across Tuggeranong, the Tuggeranong town centre next to Lake Tuggeranong, and the Namadgi National Park far to the south. To the west a treeless ridge can be seen to the north of the town centre and just beyond the houses. This is Urambi Hills Nature Park. The track descends steeply until a fork (10.1 km), which leads off to the right along the flanks of the hill and under some electricity lines. Follow this track as it undulates along the hill side and take the left fork at 11.0 km, where the track leaves the power lines and plunges down towards Sulwood Drive. Follow this track for 500 metres along the edge of a huge stormwater drain until the drain disappears through a steel grill into a tunnel (11.5 km).
Head left and downhill to the gate 100m away, which leads out of the reserve. Through the gate turn sharp right along a narrow foot track which emerges after 200m into Colquhoun Street, close to the intersection with Sulwood Drive.
Turn into Sulwood Drive and ride downhill along the sealed road shoulder to the traffic lights at Drakeford Drive (12.5km). Crossing the road leads back onto a bike path which winds uphill next to Namatjira Drive until the gate is reached which leads back into the Cooleman Ridge Nature Park. A short ride up a dirt track returns the rider to the Cooleman Rideg track and a gate on the left (14.2km)
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 (15.6 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 (15.9 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 (19.1 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 (19.8 km).