Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve

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

Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve is a 159-hectare grassland protected area in the Gungahlin Valley. The reserve rises to a rocky knoll (Crace Hill) at 622 metres above sea level. Several grassy tracks traverse the reserve.

Passive, low-impact recreation, such as walking and birdwatching using existing tracks, is compatible with the sensitive natural values of this reserve.

Horse riding and cycling are permitted only on public roads and marked equestrian trails.

No dogs allowed.

Natural values

Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve protects:

a large remnant of critically endangered Natural Temperate Grassland on the slopes of Crace Hill (approximately 10% of the reserve)
large populations of vulnerable Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar), endangered Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana) and endangered Button Wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides)
habitat for several other threatened or regionally uncommon plant species

Friends of Grasslands works to build community support for grassy ecosystem recovery.

Crace Grasslands 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.

Things to do

Activities

Features

NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Walking track/s

Restricted or prohibited

Aircraft landing/take-off prohibited
Camping prohibited
Chainsaw use prohibited
Dogs 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

Horse riding and cycling are permitted only on public roads and marked equestrian trails

Ngunnawal Country and People

Crace Grasslands 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.

Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve protects one known Aboriginal heritage site listed on the ACT Heritage Register, a stone artefact scatter that is likely to include further buried archaeological deposits. The reserve is likely to contain further, 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 remnants of an early settler's house are indicated by mature exotic trees near the southern end of Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve.

Near the reserve's northern boundary is the heritage-listed Norwood Park Crematorium, opened in 1966. Crace and Gungaderra Grasslands nature reserves provide an unspoilt natural setting for this facility.

The reserve was established in 1995.

The Australian Department of Defence previously managed part of the land and a transmission station on the site was demolished in 2008.

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

Crace Grasslands Nature Reserve can be accessed from Randwick Road or the southern end of Hoskins Street in Mitchell.

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:

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