Mount Taylor Nature Reserve

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1800 022 222

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Emergency help
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Mount Taylor Nature Reserve is a 300-hectare protected area in Canberra's south, on the north-eastern edge of Kambah. Mount Taylor itself, at 856 metres above sea level, is the highest southside hill within easy reach of Kambah, Chifley, Pearce and Torrens. Walk to the top of the hill to view one of the best panoramic views of southern Canberra as well as the mountain ranges to the south and west.

The reserve is part of an extensive landscape of remnant wooded vegetation that provides a wildlife movement corridor through to NSW in the east, to the Murrumbidgee River in the west, and to the southern ACT through Tuggeranong Hill and Rob Roy Range nature reserves.

Picnic tables are located at the southern end of Waldock Street (Chifley), which extends into the reserve.

Cycling is permitted on management trails only.

Horse riding is permitted only on marked equestrian trails.

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only.

Natural values

Mount Taylor Nature Reserve protects:

a diverse high-quality woodland complex, habitat for rare plant species including the largest ACT population of the endangered, heritage-listed Small Purple Pea (Swainsona recta), approximately 10% of the national population
important habitat for threatened and regionally declining woodland birds
critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland on the western slopes
a large population of the vulnerable Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)

Large areas of Drooping She-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata) are beginning to mature and will, in future, provide a food source for the vulnerable Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami).

Mount Taylor ParkCare, established in 1989, undertakes volunteer environmental activities including weed control, wildlife monitoring, stabilising erosion, and collecting Bird Atlas information. Like so many other ParkCare groups, it brings together passionate locals who care and advocate for their local bushland.

Mount Taylor Nature Reserve is protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Thank you for taking care of the natural environment.

Add a sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website.

Walking tracks

Mount Taylor Summit

The summit of Mount Taylor can be accessed from Sulwood Drive, Gouger Street, Parkhill Street or the southern end of Waldock Street, which extends into the reserve. These different tracks are a mix of unsealed and sealed walking track and management trail.

The most popular track starts from Sulwood Drive (opposite Mannheim Street). The track to the summit begins gently, gradually steepening towards the top. There are benches to rest on intermittently along the way, with beautiful views of the mountain ranges to enjoy as you sit. This summit track is just over 2 km in length (return) and involves an ascent of 180 metres in altitude.

Group of 4 walkers on Mount Taylor walking track.

Things to do

Activities

Features

Dogs on-leash
Lookout
NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Picnic tables
Walking track/s

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Camping prohibited
Chainsaw use prohibited
Domestic animals (other than dogs) prohibited
Off-road driving prohibited
Driving on management trails prohibited
Drone use prohibited
Fires prohibited
Wood and timber collection prohibited
Metal detector use prohibited
Trailbikes prohibited except on public roads

Cycling is permitted on management trails only
Horse riding is permitted only on marked equestrian trails
Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only

Ngunnawal Country and People

Mount Taylor Nature Reserve is located on Ngunnawal Country, an ancient and diverse landscape managed and cared for by Ngunnawal people for tens of thousands of years.

For time immemorial Ngunnawal people have maintained a tangible and intangible cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, and economic connection to these lands and waters.

The reserve protects 2 known Aboriginal heritage sites, including a modified tree from which Aboriginal people once removed bark for cultural use. The reserve likely includes other, as-yet-unrecorded Aboriginal heritage sites.

All Aboriginal places and objects in the ACT are protected under the Heritage Act 2004 and must not be disturbed. Aboriginal places and objects within reserves are additionally protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Anyone finding an (unregistered) Aboriginal object or place has an obligation to report it to the Heritage Council.

European heritage

The name 'Mount Taylor' is most likely derived from the name James Taylor. Taylor's hut can be seen in the field books of the early surveyors and also on Dixon's 1829 map of the Molonglo River. Taylor was the son-in-law of Colonel George Johnston, reputedly the first person ashore when the First Fleet landed. Mount Taylor is some distance from the actual site of the hut, which was located near the site of the Yarralumla Woolshed.

With European settlement, the area was extensively cleared and heavily grazed. Today the area would be unrecognizable to those early Europeans, as the reserve’s native vegetation has been managed to allow for its regeneration. Across the reserve, forest and woodland now has generally good structure and diversity in all layers (trees, shrubs and ground layer).

Mount Taylor Nature Reserve was established in 1993.

A large part of the reserve was burnt in the 2003 bushfires and has since recovered.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by understanding safety and checking alerts.

Respect Canberra Nature Park reserves by:

staying on the tracks to minimise your impact
taking your rubbish home with you
leaving what you find, including plants, animals, rocks and timber (dead and alive)
respecting our heritage - leave cultural sites undisturbed
riding safely and following trail etiquette as a horse rider
riding safely and following trail etiquette as a bicycle rider
collecting and responsibly disposing of your dog's droppings (where dogs are permitted)
cleaning your outdoor gear, including bicycles, to avoid spreading weeds and disease

Remember:

bring your own drinking water
carry a mobile phone, especially if you are on your own
let someone know where you are going and when you'll return
be bushfire alert - on total fire ban days some reserves may be closed

How to get there

Mount Taylor Nature Reserve can be accessed from:

Sulwood Drive, Kambah
Colquhoun Street, Kambah
Parkhill Street and MacFarland Crescent, Pearce
Waldock Street, Chifley
Hawker Street, Torrens
Athllon Drive, northbound from Sulwood Drive, via the horse paddocks, Torrens

Various parking options are available.

Boundary mapping is indicative only.

More information

If you notice any issues during your visit:

report maintenance issues to Access Canberra
report vandalism or other illegal activities to the police on 131 444
in an emergency, call 000

Find out about:

Planned Park Closures: Thermal Assisted Aerial Control (TAAC) Program

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

triple zero 000

5124 0000

6201 6111

1800 629 354

6205 1065

13 11 26

5124 9977

(02) 6205 1700