Discover Canberra's outdoor spring adventures

The family friendly guide to spectacular spring activities across our parks and reserves.

With nature right at our doorstep, the best way to celebrate is to get outdoors and explore the natural wonders. To inspire you, we’ve put together our top spring experiences in parks across the ACT.

Embark on the blossom trail around Canberra

Canberra is known for its incredible blooms. They paint the city with vibrant colours every spring. There’s no better way to embrace the warmer weather than to gather family and friends and explore the Canberra blossom trail. Kickstart your adventure with the interactive spring blossom map. It will help you find all the best blossom hotspots across the capital.

A patch of native daisies.

An echidna trundling through grass with touches of new spring growth.

Come alive with our wild residents

As the winter melody of the lyrebird gradually fades, other bird species are beginning to emerge. Beautiful robins and lively kookaburras are busily building nests and tending to their young, and the magnificent satin bowerbird constructs his intricate bower, arranging his blue treasures to attract a mate.

It's not only birds that are more active; the reptiles are also waking from their winter slumber. Look out for long-necked turtles basking on rocks and logs in rivers and dams. You can also spot striking eastern blue-tongued lizards soaking in the morning sun.

Springtime is the best time to spot wildlife in our parks and reserves. It's also a wonderful time to get a national-geographic worthy picture of them in their natural habitat. Many animals have their young during the springtime, so you may even spot a baby or two! When spotting animals, please remember to give them lots of space and never feed them.

Go wild for wildflowers at our parks and reserves

There’s no shortage of spots across Canberra to discover a wide variety of wildflowers. Mount Painter, Wanniassa Hills and Crace Grasslands are some of our favourite locations. You can also go on a Wildflower Scavenger Hunt with the little ones by using NatureMapr to identify each variety of wildflower.

Top tip from Ranger Jess:

"There are also great opportunities to see Alpine wildflowers in late Spring (around November) up around Mt Franklin Heritage and Mt Aggie walking tracks."

A rock lily flower with a carpet of wildflowers behind it and views to the mountains in the background.

BBQ facilities and supplies

Grab the picnic blankets

With the warmer weather approaching, what better way to enjoy a spring day then by gathering around a barbie? Most of Canberra’s parks and reserves offer great barbecue and picnic facilities. The ACT Government maintains approximately 125 barbecues across Canberra and cleans them twice a week between September and April. They are free to use, no booking required and are conveniently located near seats, tables, bins and a tap.

Find the ideal location for your sausage sizzle by checking out the Find a Park tool.

Walking trails for every explorer

With the mild weather during spring, it’s a wonderful time to tackle some hikes around ACT parks and reserves. Whether you want to get your heart pumping or are after a leisurely stroll, the ACT has a wide range of hikes for all ages and fitness levels. Check out the walking and running section of our website to find your next wilderness adventure.

Sherwood Homestead site [PDF 1.4 MB] is an amazing heritage site in the Blue Range Recreation Area. The daffodils flower every spring, and although they aren’t natives it’s a sight to see.

Bright daffodils blooming under bare trees on the Sherwood Homestead site at the beginning of Spring.

Photograph taken with a drone above the Tidbinbilla Open Day.

Tidbinbilla Open Day – 29 September

Tidbinbilla Open Day is back on Sunday 29 September! Enjoy local food vendors, informative stalls and live music and immerse yourself in the natural and cultural wonders of the iconic Tidbinbilla valley. You can enjoy activities like face painting and live animal demonstrations. Our Rangers and Threatened Species team will be there to answer all your questions.

This event is a great opportunity to learn about our beautiful bushland and animals. Register your interest through the Facebook event to stay up to date.

Rediscover one of our upgraded playgrounds

There are more than 500 play spaces across Canberra just waiting to be explored.

The ACT Government is upgrading playgrounds across the capital to ensure children of all ages can continue to enjoy creative and engaging play experiences. Visit one of the recently upgraded playgrounds in Chisholm, Tuggeranong Foreshore, Ngunnawal and Aranda.

Our spaces cater for children of all ages and various physical and mental abilities. We take pride in our playgrounds and hope to encourage safe, healthy and active living.

A woman helping a young child to climb on playground equipment.

Remember that safety is key when visiting any of our parks and reserves.

Keep up to date on the latest safety messaging and check for alerts before you head out.