Canberra Nature Park

One of many grey kangaroos in Canberra's Nature Parks, this one near Mount Majura
View of the Tuggeranong Valley and Brindabella Mountains from Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve

The Canberra Nature Park is a series of 33 separate protected areas in and around Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ranging from bushland hills to lowland native grassland.[1] Many of the areas have previously been cleared for grazing, but many are now being returned to native bushland through revegetation and rehabilitation programs.

Canberra's inner hills Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Mount Majura, Mount Pleasant, Russell Hill, Red Hill, Mount Mugga, O'Connor Ridge, Bruce Ridge, Aranda Bushland, Mount Painter, The Pinnacle, Lyneham Ridge, Oakey Hill, Mount Taylor, Isaacs Ridge, Mount Stromlo, Mount Arawang, Neighbour Hill, Wanniassa Hill, and Narrabundah Hill are protected from development by the National Capital Plan and almost all are now part of the Canberra Nature Park system. These hills provide a scenic backdrop and natural setting for Canberra's urban areas, as originally set out in the Walter Burley Griffin Plan.

Most people in Canberra live within easy walking distance of a Canberra Nature Park area.

The areas are typically enclosed by simple wire fences, or by house fences. Gates are provided for people to walk or run in the parks; motorbikes are excluded. Some parks with mountains have reservoirs, as part of Icon Water's supply network.

Nature park entrance to Red Hill reserve showing typical fencing
Park Vegetation Area (km²) Map (PDF)
Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve Forest 1.06 [1]
Black Mountain Nature Reserve Forest 4.52 [2]
Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve Forest 1.34 [3]
Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve Woodland 1.89 [4]
Crace Grassland Nature Reserve Grassland 1.21 [5]
Dunlop Grassland Nature Reserve Grassland Nature Reserve 1.06 [6]
Farrer Ridge Nature Reserve Woodland 1.78 [7]
Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve Woodland 7.01 [8]
Gossan Hill Nature Reserve Forest 0.48 [9]
Gungaderra Grassland Nature Reserve Grassland 2.70 [10]
Isaacs Ridge Nature Reserve Forest/Woodland 0.34 [11]
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve Wetland 2.08 [12]
McQuoids Hill Nature Reserve Woodland 0.56 [13]
Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve Forest/woodland [14]
Mount Majura Nature Reserve Woodland [15]
Mount Mugga Mugga Nature Reserve Woodland 1.05 [16]
Mount Painter Reserve Nature Reserve Woodland 0.86 [17]
Mount Pleasant Nature Reserve Woodland 0.50 [18]
Mount Taylor Nature Reserve Woodland 2.93 [19]
Mulanggari Grassland Nature Reserve Grassland 1.17 [20]
Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary Woodland 12.53 [21]
O'Connor Ridge Nature Reserve Forest 0.62 [21]
Oakey Hill Nature Reserve Woodland 0.66 [22]
Percival Hill Nature Reserve Forest 0.63 [23]
Red Hill Nature Reserve Woodland 2.87 [24]
Rob Roy Nature Reserve Forest 19.77 [25]
The Pinnacle Nature Reserve Woodland 1.38 [26]
Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve Woodland 3.17 [27]
Urambi Hills Nature Reserve Woodland 2.43 [28]
Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve Woodland 2.27 [29]
  1. ^ "Canberra Nature Park". Environment, Planning & Sustainable Development Directorate. Retrieved 2 November 2019.