14 December 2013

Best walks around the city

| BimboGeek
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There have been plenty of great discussions about the best bushwalks but where do you walk if you aren’t able to (or choose not to) get out of town?

Popular choices include:

  • Black Mountain
  • Mount Ainslie
  • Mount Taylor
  • Red Hill
  • Lake Burley Griffin bridge loop

I used to laugh at people driving places to go for a walk but it really does help to have a clear goal even if you’re not training for any fitness target or event. Our brains are just wired that way.

So what other spots can you recommend for a nice walk?

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Holden Caulfield10:46 am 16 Dec 13

Also, the view from Mount Pleasant is one of the best in Canberra I think, so finding your way there from the city might be worth investigating.

Holden Caulfield10:44 am 16 Dec 13

Walking around ANU would be interesting I think. There’s a nice spirit-level inspired sculpture near Lennox Crossing, in between Old Canberra House and the Museum. I imagine the ANU would be full of nice little surprises like that.

pink little birdie10:39 am 16 Dec 13

Mt Painter is quite nice only 20 mins to the top.
Mt mugga is also a pleasant walk.

If you are after a pleasant but challenging day walk along the murrumidgee is nice. Point hut crossing, Pine Island, Kambah pool, Casurina sands. Kambah pool to Casurina sands was my fave when I was 12-13.

You should go get the walking and cycing map of Canberra from Canberra Connect.
Most suburbs have pleasant paths running through them a mix of streets and nature reserves.

Growling Ferret10:01 am 16 Dec 13

Use the Canberra Centenary trail for a guide of some of the walks

http://www.tams.act.gov.au/parks-recreation/recreational_activities/centenary-trail

Black Mountain and Little Black Mountain loops give a different perspective of Canberra. Walking up the arboretum (especially around sunrise) is spectacular.

Even the loops around the Lakes – Lake Ginninderra, Yerrabi, Gungahlin Pond etc, offer some nice views amongst the hot concrete shadeless bits next to the main roads!

These are all great suggestions everyone! Personally I’m looking for places close to home where I can enjoy an energetic hike but dash back to my car quickly if my family need me, hence the “what if you can’t leave town” angle, but I imagine there are other good reasons, eg some people need to take a bus to anywhere they hike and others may simply wish to explore some area in their own backyard but be unsure where to start.

depends what you mean by ‘walk’. there are some lovely strolls to be had about the suburbs, esp (imho) around the inner north – from the base of black mt to the base of mt ainslie and anywhere betwixt – up haig park, along the fire trails round mt ainslie, across campbell, through ainslie…

for a lomger trek, it’s about ten kays round the base of mt ainslie on the fire trail; see roos, echidna, etc. lovely.

or start with a pint at edgars, then stroll via braddon’s establishments into the city and the phoenix and wind up at the wig and pen – bet you’re needing a cab back to ainslie shops for your car tomorrow…

poetix said :

dpm said :

poetix said :

My favourite is a loop from Braddon to New Acton and back; observing the local wildlife.

I
Are we talking hipsters here?

The thin bearded blackleg
The ‘Oh, I can’t be a day over twenty-five as I still use my skateboard’ wobbling plump bum
The casual retro mane-flicker, who spent two hours getting ready
The earnest paper scribbler. Some of that species are lovely…

🙂

dpm said :

poetix said :

My favourite is a loop from Braddon to New Acton and back; observing the local wildlife.

I
Are we talking hipsters here?

The thin bearded blackleg
The ‘Oh, I can’t be a day over twenty-five as I still use my skateboard’ wobbling plump bum
The casual retro mane-flicker, who spent two hours getting ready
The earnest paper scribbler. Some of that species are lovely…

poetix said :

My favourite is a loop from Braddon to New Acton and back; observing the local wildlife.

Are we talking hipsters here?

My favourite is a loop from Braddon to New Acton and back; observing the local wildlife.

Isaacs ridge is beautiful, in winter the fog over the valley is beautiful and the kangaroos near omalley side of the ridge. In summer, the pine forest gives cool shade while the view of the valley over to mount Taylor is lovely, and a picnic basket if you go to the top of the ridge is worth doing with a bottle of champagne! Some of the trails are more challenging, but there is a good gravelled loop that is fine to take if you have a toddler and would be fine of those jogging prams if you have someone younger with you. Isaacs ridge is easy to get to as well by bus -just catch the isaacs loop bus from Woden interchange. If you don’t want to take a picnic basket, there is a nice little pizza shop in isaacs shops, archies pizza, that also make lunchtime bagels. Have fun!

I rather like “The Pinnacle” nature reserve. 🙂

Mount Mugga Mugga’s nice for few people and bush

There are plenty of walks around the lake edge. For example North side: http://goo.gl/maps/XOGQl or even going all the way around to Scrivener Dam http://goo.gl/maps/eWRe2

(There is a track all the way back from Scrivener Dam to Canberra Avenue, i’m just unsure of it’s exact route. So take the google maps with a grain of salt. I’ve run it a plenty of times)

Lake Burley Griffen east or west basins are also good walks if a little longer

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