In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

Emergency Contact

triple zero 000

ACT Public Hospitals

Canberra Hospital

6201 6111

Mental Health

Call Mental Health Triage on

1800 629 354

(free call except from mobiles or public phones) or

6205 1065

Poisons Hotline

For a poison emergency in Australia call

13 11 26

Drug and Alcohol Help Line

The Drug and Alcohol Help Line is available 24-hours, 7 days a week on

5124 9977

Health Protection Service

For after hours urgent public health matters including environmental health, radiation safety, food poisoning and communicable disease management phone:

1800 022 222

ACT State Emergency Service

Emergency help
during flood or storms

13 25 00

Caution

Strong currents

Shallow water

Deep water

Submerged rocks

No lifeguard on duty

Translation services

Cotter Avenue is the most developed recreation area in the Murrumbidgee River Corridor. It is an ideal area for family gatherings and the best place to view the Cotter Dam wall.

Enjoy a shady picnic beneath an avenue of European deciduous trees or let the kids explore the playground and surrounds. Electric barbecues, picnic tables, a shelter and toilets are available.

Numerous walks start at Cotter Avenue. Some are wheelchair- and pram-friendly. On the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail, you can learn about the history of water in the Canberra region as you walk up to the dam viewing area.

No dogs allowed.

Young Rangers group at Cotter Dam lookout.

What you'll see

Autumn pathway lined with golden trees, people walking in the distance, clear blue sky.

What you'll see

At Cotter Avenue, you can see:

an adventure playground
colourful display of autumn leaves
Cotter Dam
Cotter Bend nearby
Moores Hill Lookout nearby
Grasstree Lookout nearby

Things to do

Activities

Features

BBQs - electric
Drinking water
NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Picnic tables
Playground
Shelter
Toilets
Walking track/s
Wheelchair access

Restricted or prohibited

Camping prohibited
Dogs prohibited
Fires prohibited

Walking tracks

Stay alert for slippery surfaces and trip hazards when walking or running near waterways. For more tips on how to reduce your risk around waterways, visit the safety page.

Cotter Dam Discovery Trail

Distance: 1 km return
Time suggested: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy; wheelchair-friendly

Once you have carefully crossed the Cotter River you can wind your way up to the dam viewing area, learning about the history of the dam along the way. The trail is lined with stories of Canberra's water history and features a 16-metre wide, amphitheatre-style viewing platform which provides direct views of the Cotter Dam.

Cotter Explorer Track

Distance: 2 km return
Time suggested: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy, wheelchair-friendly

This trail takes you along the banks of the Cotter River as well as Cotter Avenue. It is wheelchair- and pram-friendly.

Honyong-Cotter Track

Distance: 2.3 km return
Time suggested: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate

The Honyong-Cotter Track starts at the northern end of Cotter Avenue and climbs up to the Cotter Dam lookout. It provides a good perspective of the true size of the dam wall.

A wooden bridge over a calm river surrounded by green and yellow trees under a clear blue sky.

Walking tracks nearby

Cotter Catchment Lookout Track

Distance: 1.7 km return
Time suggested: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate

This walking trail takes you on a meandering path through open woodland as you gently climb toward the Cotter Catchment Lookout. A fantastic panoramic view at the lookout shows the Cotter Reservoir extending beneath you, and the Tidbinbilla and Brindabella Ranges in the distance.

Mount McDonald Summit Track

Via Cotter Catchment Lookout Track (not suitable for cyclists):

Distance: 3.8 km return
Time suggested: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

Via management trail (suitable for cyclists):

Distance: 5.2 km return
Time suggested: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

This track climbs to the summit of Mount McDonald where you are rewarded by a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape. You can see the Murrumbidgee River, the Brindabella Range to the west and Canberra itself.

Ngunnawal Country and People

The waterways on Ngunnawal Country have sustained all life including their people, the plants and animals. The Murrumbidgee is part of Ngunnawal songlines, and pathways throughout Ngunnawal Country.

Songlines are the memory code that gives Ngunnawal people information from the landscape to tell the stories of vital knowledges, cultural values and wisdom.

European heritage

For over 40 years after its completion in 1915, the Cotter Reservoir was Canberra's only water supply, until Bendora and Corin Dams were built upstream on the Cotter River in the 1960s. These became the primary source of supply (with the Cotter used only as an emergency back-up), supplemented more recently by Googong Reservoir on the Queanbeyan River in NSW.

In response to the 2003 bushfires and the prolonged drought of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cotter Reservoir was accessed again for domestic water in 2004. The Cotter Dam was enlarged to its current size between 2009 and 2013, with the building of a new dam wall just downstream of the original.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by:

understanding safety
checking alerts

Remember:

mobile phone reception may be unreliable
camping and fires are not permitted
you can bring your own gas barbecue
check the recreational fishing rules

Cotter Avenue is part of the Cotter Recreation Area, a Special Purpose Reserve protected under the Nature Conservation Act 2014. Thank you for taking care of the natural environment.

How to get there

Cotter Avenue is located off Cotter Road, 25 minutes' drive west of Canberra's city centre.

Parking is 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:

There are dog-friendly areas in and nearby the Murrumbidgee River Corridor at:

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

1800 022 222

13 25 00

Cotter Avenue

What you'll see

Things to do

Activities

Features

Restricted or prohibited

Walking tracks

Cotter Dam Discovery Trail

Cotter Explorer Track

Honyong-Cotter Track

Walking tracks nearby

Cotter Catchment Lookout Track

Mount McDonald Summit Track

Ngunnawal Country and People

European heritage

Before you go

How to get there

More information