Jerrabomberra Wetlands 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

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve is one of the ACT's most significant wetland habitats. The reserve is an important sanctuary for local birds as well as bird species migrating from the northern hemisphere and from inland Australia.

The ACT Parks and Conservation Service, together with the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust, manage this 174-hectare protected area, located on the Molonglo River floodplain only 4 km from Canberra's city centre.

Take a stroll to discover the ecology of this precious place and its unique array of wetland and woodland habitats. Discover the delights of watching wildlife from several different bird hides.

Visit the Jerrabomberra Wetlands website to find:

an app for a self-guided tour, which includes points of interest along 3 different walks at the wetlands
regular nature-focused tours and events on topics such as birdwatching, waterbug detectives, and nature drawing
details of the Young Rangers Club, which meets monthly

Dogs are not allowed in the reserve

Bicycles are permitted on the sealed, shared trail between Eyre Street and Dairy Road only.

Horses are not allowed.

Natural values

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve is home to more than 200 bird species.

Major priorities in managing Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve are removal of invasive weeds and revegetation with local native plant species. New plantings are intended to create improved habitat for native fauna, enhance the area's visual amenity and provide long-term biodiversity benefits. The work is supported by volunteers in the Friends of Jerrabomberra Wetlands Parkcare group.

Local Canberra community groups monitor birds, frogs and platypus at Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve, including:

Add a sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website.

Things to do

Activities

Features

Bird hide
Drinking water
Heritage sites
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
Horses prohibited
Metal detector use prohibited
Swimming prohibited
Trailbikes prohibited except on public roads

Bicycles are permitted on the sealed, shared trail between Eyre Street and Dairy Road only.

Ngunnawal Country and People

Jerrabomberra Wetlands 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.

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve likely includes 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 filling of Lake Burley Griffin in 1964 raised the water table on the Molonglo River floodplain at the head of the lake. Jerrabomberra Wetlands was the result.

Learn about the reserve's military history on the Trench Trail. During World War I, an intricate trench system was developed to train soldiers from the nearby Royal Military College at Duntroon. This is the only such site remaining in Australia - all interstate training trenches have been built on.

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve was established in September 1990 and is listed on the ACT Heritage Register.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Explore Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve with Google Trekker.

Prepare by:

understanding safety
checking alerts

Respect this place 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
collecting and responsibly disposing of your dog's droppings
riding safely and following trail etiquette as a cyclist
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
be bushfire alert - on total fire ban days some reserves may be closed

How to get there

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve is accessible from Dairy Road, Fyshwick, and from Eyre Street, Kingston.

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:

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