McQuoids Hill 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

13 25 00

McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve is a 56-hectare protected area located in the west of the Tuggeranong Valley. The reserve provides scenic views of the Murrumbidgee River.

The reserve is close to Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve and is separated from the Murrumbidgee River by horse paddocks and rural land. Though small, the reserve is important in supporting wildlife movement from Mount Taylor, Farrer Ridge and Wanniassa Hills nature reserves to the east, through to the Murrumbidgee River.

McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve includes a number of management trails and the National Trail follows one of these, paralleling the reserve's western boundary. The trails are challenging due to steep slopes.

Horse riding is permitted on marked equestrian trails only.

No dogs allowed.

Natural values

McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve protects:

rocky areas that support the vulnerable Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)
areas of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland, with a few regionally rare plants present in the understorey
a small patch of vulnerable Pale Pomaderris (Pomaderris pallida)
regenerating and remnant woodland that provides habitat for threatened and declining bird species
the vulnerable Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides), which has been recorded as breeding within the reserve

McQuoids Hill 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 is permitted on marked equestrian trails only

Ngunnawal Country and People

McQuoids Hill 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.

It is likely that unrecorded Aboriginal heritage sites exist in the reserve. 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

Pastoral settlement of the Tuggeranong district dates back to the 1820s and, from then until the 1990s, the area was primarily used for grazing. During this earlier period the north-eastern slopes of McQuoids Hill were cleared of trees.

The reserve was established in 1993.

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

McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve is accessible off Kambah Pool Road.

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