Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve is a 637-hectare protected area adjoining Mount Majura Nature Reserve. Together these 2 reserves protect a large, contiguous area of wooded country overlooking the city of Canberra from its north-east.

Walk, cycle or drive up Mount Ainslie (842 m above sea level) to enjoy an impressive vista from the summit. You'll look out towards the bush capital, Lake Burley Griffin and the mountains of Namadgi National Park beyond.

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve is also close to Mount Pleasant Nature Reserve and the suburbs of Ainslie, Campbell and Hackett.

Many mature, hollow-bearing Eucalyptus trees survive in Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve. This is because its forests – unlike those of Black Mountain and Mount Majura – were never substantially cleared. Tree hollows are crucial refuge and breeding sites for a range of birds and mammals.

Cycling and mountain bike riding are permitted only on sealed roads, management trails and the Centenary Trail.

Horse riding is permitted only on marked equestrian trails. These include Ainslie Link Trail, Socks Trail, Campbell Link Trail, Telecom Trail, Hancocks Road and West 132kVA Track.

Rockclimbing and associated activities such as abseiling are not permitted in the Mt Ainslie quarry.

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

Natural values

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve protects:

a large area of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland
important breeding habitat for threatened or declining woodland birds and raptors
stands of Drooping She-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata), an important foraging resource for the vulnerable Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami)
important habitat for the critically endangered Canberra Spider Orchid (Arachnorchis actensis) and endangered Hoary Sunray (Leucochrysum albicans)
habitat for 10 rare plant species
breeding habitat for the rare Rosenberg's Goanna (Varanus rosenbergi)

Mount Ainslie Weeders has undertaken environmental activities in Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve since the early 1990s. Canberra Ornithologists Group has monitored birds in the reserve since 2000.

Mount Ainslie 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 Ainslie Summit Walk (Kokoda Track)

Distance: 4.5 km return, 250-metre ascent

A sealed, moderate-difficulty walking track to the top of Mount Ainslie. Fantastic views of the city and local mountains including the Tidbinbilla Range and Namadgi National Park. Start at the car park on Treloar Crescent at the back (north-east) of the Australian War Memorial. The track includes steep sections, steps and uneven ground.

Other Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve walking tracks include:

View from Mount Ainslie over Anzac Parade and Parliament House.

Things to do

Activities

Features

Dogs on-leash
Heritage sites
Lookout
NO BINS – take your rubbish with you
Shelter - picnic
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

Dogs are permitted on-leash on a track or trail only
Cycling and mountain bike riding are permitted only on sealed roads, management trails and the Centenary Trail
Horse riding is permitted only on marked equestrian trails
Rockclimbing and associated activities such as abseiling are not permitted in the Mt Ainslie quarry

Ngunnawal People and Country

Mount Ainslie 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 is a significant Aboriginal women's cultural place, and a key landmark in the northern ACT for Aboriginal groups travelling south into the mountains.

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve protects more than 30 known Aboriginal heritage sites listed on the ACT Heritage Register, including surface stone artefact scatters and culturally modified trees, reflecting past Aboriginal occupation and land use, from ancient to more recent times. 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

European settlers arrived in the Canberra region from the 1820s. Robert Campbell was granted land to farm sheep, and built the 'Duntroon' homestead on the lower slopes of Mount Pleasant. 'Duntroon' station extended between the present-day districts of Duntroon and Glebe Park. Mount Ainslie was named after James Ainslie, Campbell's overseer, who brought 700 sheep to the Limestone Plains in 1826.

A quarry operated in what is now Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve from 1932 until 1939, with remnant tram tracks and machinery evident. The crushed rock was mainly used for road making.

Stone from the Mount Ainslie Volcanics was used as a durable building material by the early settlers and was used to build Saint John's Church in Reid.

Stock grazing and other settlement activities reduced vegetation cover in some areas.

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve's eastern aspects were used for military manoeuvres and live-firing activities from World War II until the early 1960s. Some unexploded ordnance (e.g. military shells) has been removed from this area, but more may still remain, so please stay on the tracks.

Records indicate that Charles Weston planted the lower city-side slopes of Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain, where 40 years later his mixed Eucalyptus stands served as convenient study plots for forestry students.

You may also see old fencelines, yards, dams and tree stumps within the reserve – signs of the area's former usage.

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 Ainslie Nature Reserve can be accessed:

from Fairbairn Avenue near the suburb of Campbell, along Mount Ainslie Drive, which ascends to the summit of Mount Ainslie
from the suburbs of Ainslie, Campbell, Hackett and Reid
along Treloar Crescent behind the Australian War Memorial
from Northcott Drive near the Campbell Park Offices
from Canberra's central business district via Ainslie and Limestone Avenues to either Treloar Crescent or Fairbairn Avenue then Mount Ainslie Drive

There is a car park at the lookout on the summit of Mount Ainslie.

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

1800 022 222

13 25 00