Uriarra Forest

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

The ACT Parks and Conservation Service will carry out its annual Thermal Assisted Aerial Control (TAAC) program from Thursday 8 May to Friday 30 May 2025. This operation targets vertebrate pest species in key conservation areas, water catchments, and some semi-urban locations across the ACT. Park and reserve closures will be in place during this period for public safety.

View the closure dates and maps

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

Emergency Contact

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

triple zero 000

ACT Public Hospitals

Canberra Hospital

5124 0000

North 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:

(02) 6205 1700

healthdirect

24 hour health advice

1800 022 222

ACT State Emergency Service

Emergency help
during flood or storms

13 25 00

Uriarra Forest is suitable for:

bushwalking on formed management trails
horse riding on fire trails
four-wheel driving on formed management trails (your vehicle must be registered)
trailbike riding (with a registered motorcycle) on formed management trails and single-track networks. We are working with rider groups to close unsuitable single tracks that are causing erosion and to approve new tracks before they are established.
cycling on formed management trails and single-track networks

The nearby Blue Range Recreation Area and Sherwood Homestead are popular for picnics and walks. Facilities such as toilets, barbecues and camping are available at Blue Range Recreation Area.

A permit is required to use the forest for a large or commercial event.

Dogs are welcome on-leash.

What you'll see

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo eating pine seed in a tree

What you'll see

At Uriarra Forest, you can see:

Blue Range Recreation Area nearby
heritage-listed ruins at Sherwood Forest (1.4 MB) nearby

Nearby restrictions

In the nearby Lower Cotter Catchment Reserve, which is marked with blue boundary marker posts, motorcycles and other motor vehicles are only permitted on formed management trails that are open to vehicles driven by the public. Penalties apply for non-compliance.

Horses and dogs are also not permitted in the reserve.

In the nearby Sherwood Forest Special Purpose Reserve, motorcycles and other motor vehicles are prohibited.

Aerial view over the Lower Cotter Catchment area

Things to do

Activities

Features

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

Restricted or prohibited

Camping prohibited
Fires prohibited
Wood and timber collection prohibited

Ngunnawal Country and People

Uriarra Forest 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.

Plantation heritage

Uriarra Forest was established in 1926. Its purpose is the protection of the Lower Cotter Catchment water supply and to provide timber and forest-based recreation areas for the local community.

Uriarra Forest was significantly damaged by the January 2003 bushfires and was replanted progressively between 2003 and 2009. Thinning of forest compartments started in 2019 and is continuing.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by:

understanding safety, especially during fire danger periods or flooding. Driving in wet conditions is not recommended due to slippery roads.
checking alerts

Remember:

check signage as pine forests are hazardous working sites – avoid active logging sites
bring your own drinking water
do not collect timber (timber collection from hardwood and pine forests is prohibited)
camping is not permitted – the nearest camping option is Blue Range Recreation Area
mobile phone reception may be unreliable
follow the expected safety and trail etiquette as a mountain bike rider

1080 poison is used in this area and, although this management activity is signposted, care should always be taken with pets on-leash in the forest area.

How to get there

Uriarra Forest is roughly 40 minutes' drive from Canberra's city centre.

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:

plantations in Canberra
management of commercial pine plantations