Canberra Nature Park facts for kids
The Canberra Nature Park is a series of thirty three separate protected areas in and around Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ranging from bushland hills to lowland native grassland. Many of the areas have previously been cleared for grazing, but many are now being returned to native bushland through revegetation and rehabilitation programs.
Canberra's inner hills Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Mount Majura, Mount Pleasant, Russell Hill, Red Hill, Mount Mugga, O'Connor Ridge, Bruce Ridge, Aranda Bushland, Mount Painter, The Pinnacle, Lyneham Ridge, Oakey Hill, Mount Taylor, Isaacs Ridge, Mount Stromlo, Mount Arawang, Neighbour Hill, Wanniassa Hill, and Narrabundah Hill are protected from development by the National Capital Plan and almost all are now part of the Canberra Nature Park system. These hills provide a scenic backdrop and natural setting for Canberra's urban areas, as originally set out in the Walter Burley Griffin Plan.
Most people in Canberra live within easy walking distance of a Canberra Nature Park area.
The areas are typically enclosed by simple wire fences, or by house fences. Gates are provided for people to walk or run in the parks; motorbikes are excluded. Some parks with mountains have reservoirs, as part of ACT Electricity and Water's supply network.
Park | Vegetation | Area (km²) | Map (PDF) |
---|---|---|---|
Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve | Forest | 1.06 | [1] |
Black Mountain Nature Reserve | Forest | 4.52 | [2] |
Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve | Forest | 1.34 | [3] |
Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve | Woodland | 1.89 | [4] |
Crace Grassland Nature Reserve | Grassland | 1.21 | [5] |
Dunlop Grassland Nature Reserve | Grassland Nature Reserve | 1.06 | [6] |
Farrer Ridge Nature Reserve | Woodland | 1.78 | [7] |
Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve | Woodland | 7.01 | [8] |
Gossan Hill Nature Reserve | Forest | 0.48 | [9] |
Gungaderra Grassland Nature Reserve | Grassland | 2.70 | [10] |
Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve | Forest/Woodland | 0.34 | [11] |
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve | Wetland | 2.08 | [12] |
McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve | Woodland | 0.56 | [13] |
Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve | Forest/woodland | [14] | |
Mount Majura Nature Reserve | Woodland | [15] | |
Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve | Woodland | 1.05 | [16] |
Mount Painter Reserve Nature Reserve | Woodland | 0.86 | [17] |
Mount Pleasant Nature Reserve | Woodland | 0.50 | [18] |
Mount Taylor Nature Reserve | Woodland | 2.93 | [19] |
Mulanggari Grassland Nature Reserve | Grassland | 1.17 | [20] |
Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary | Woodland | 12.53 | [21] |
O'Connor Ridge Nature Reserve | Forest | 0.62 | [21] |
Oakey Hill Nature Reserve | Woodland | 0.66 | [22] |
Percival Hill Nature Reserve | Forest | 0.63 | [23] |
Red Hill Nature Reserve | Woodland | 2.87 | [24] |
Rob Roy Nature Reserve | Forest | 19.77 | [25] |
The Pinnacle Nature Reserve | Woodland | 1.38 | [26] |
Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve | Woodland | 3.17 | [27] |
Urambi Hills Nature Reserve | Woodland | 2.43 | [28] |
Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve | Woodland | 2.27 | [29] |