Canberra Centenary Trail

The Centenary Trail is a 145-kilometre self-guided, non-motorised loop trail for walkers and touring cyclists. It showcases urban and rural Canberra, as well as iconic sites and hidden treasures.

The trail is designed to be accessible for as many walkers and cyclists as possible. It follows management trails, walking tracks and shared paths. It is designed for low intensity use by all walkers and cyclists of moderate ability, with less than a 10% gradient overall.

Where shared paths are used, keep left and respect the rights of others. Keep a look out for cyclists and give them room to pass.

The Centenary Trail is divided into daily sections. You can join or leave the trail in many locations. The entire trail can be explored as:

a 7-day walk, averaging just over 20 km per day
a 3-day ride, averaging just over 45 km per day

For cyclists

There are short sections that exceed 10% gradient and can be quite steep, however the rest of the trail is relatively flat. Steep areas may require cyclists to dismount for safety, depending on conditions.

Please make sure you:

have the right tyres to ride on dirt as most of the trail is unsealed (gravel or dirt)
announce your presence well in advance by either calling out or ringing your bell when passing walkers
slow down and announce your presence by calling out if you meet horse riders, then move to the side and allow them to pass, or pass carefully with the riders' consent

There are step-through gates in nature reserves and near farmland areas for land management purposes. You will need to lift your bike over these gates.

Cyclist on the Canberra Centenary Trail

Trail sections/What you'll see

Trail sections

Explore these sections of the trail:

What you'll see

Along the Canberra Centenary Trail, you can discover:

Ngunnawal Country
our rural past at Hall
where surveyors marked the northern border in 1910
native forests in Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain, Red Hill and the National Arboretum Canberra
nature reserves and bushland hills with varied flora and fauna

Look out for pictures of the trail's flora and fauna on each of the trail head signs and learn about Canberra's plants and animals. Bring a pencil and your own printed version of the Whose Backyard activity sheet (1.9 MB) to collect a special pencil rubbing for each trail section.

Add a flora or fauna sighting to the NatureMapr or visit the Canberra Birds website for a list and description of birds you may see along the way.

Shorter walks

If you only have a few hours, try one of these shorter walks on the trail.

Kambah Pool to Tuggeranong Town Centre

Duration: 8 km (3 hours one-way)

If walking in a small group, park a car near Athllon Drive, Tuggeranong, near the Aquatic Centre and park another car at Kambah Pool car park and look for your starting point at the trail head sign located uphill from the car park. This scenic walk follows the Murrumbidgee River and takes you to the Red Rocks Gorge Lookout. Towards Tuggeranong Town Centre, you will also pass the Tuggeranong Stone Wall that was built between 1867 and 1875 to mark the boundary between the rural properties of Lanyon and Yarralumla.

One Tree Hill Summit

Duration: 9 km (3 hours return)

Park your car in the village of Hall and walk north along Victoria Street (the village's main street) until you reach Loftus Street where you turn right. Follow this street to Hall Street where you turn left and walk uphill until you see the trail head sign. The trail winds upslope, in and out of tree cover with impressive views along the way. The trail to the summit lookout is for walkers only and 4 of Canberra's 5 city/town centres can be seen on a clear day from the top. Remember to keep to the path and please, no dogs in this area.

The Northern Link (Hall Village to Forde) is closed during Total Fire Bans and inclement weather conditions.

Forde to Northern Border Campground

Duration: 13 km (4.5 hours return)

Park at the Amy Ackman Street car park in Forde, near the entry to Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve. Find the trail head sign near the car park and follow the shared-use path north where trail directional posts will guide the way across Mulligans Flat Road and into Little Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve near the roundabout. You will enjoy views south of Canberra from this section of the trail and will arrive at the campground after 6.5 km. There is a toilet and picnic tables at the campground, however, please take water with you as there is no drinking water.

The Northern Link (Hall Village to Forde) is closed during Total Fire Bans and other inclement weather conditions.

Ngunnawal Country and People

Northern Border Campground 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.

Where to stay

The view of rolling hills from the Northern Border Campground

Campsites along the Canberra Centenary Trail include:

The Australian Institute of Sport is on the Centenary Trail and accommodation is available on the campus.

The Visit Canberra website has information on other accommodation options.

Before you go/How to get there

Before you go

Prepare by:

downloading the EMERGENCY + App on your smart device in case of an emergency (Google play store, Apple app store)
understanding risks and safety when riding or walking
checking alerts
checking the weather forecast

You will need to:

tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return
carry a map or information sheet
take your rubbish with you (bins are not provided)
bring your own drinking water
be aware that mobile phone reception may be unreliable along some sections of trail
make transport arrangements for the start and end points
wear suitable clothing for the conditions
check if dogs are allowed on your intended route
be bushfire alert – on total fire ban days some areas may be closed

Please abide by rules noted on the signs.

How to get there

The starting location of Section 1 – Parliament House to Watson is indicated on the map below. For the starting location of other sections please visit the relevant section specific page (see 'Trail sections' above).

Boundary mapping is indicative only.

Maps and signage

Canberra Centenary Trail signage example

Canberra Centenary Trail maps are available from the Canberra Region Visitor's Centre, Regatta Point, Barrine Drive, Parkes ACT 2600.

Printable maps

GPS maps

These gpx files are for handheld GPS devices which require GPS software. Alternatively, you may view these using Google Earth:

Signage

Trail heads are access points that have trail signage, car parking and public toilets nearby. Each trail head sign has a trail map with information on location and permitted recreation activities in the adjacent area.

Directional marker posts provide limited guidance in each section.

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

Find out about:

things to do

Download:

Whose Backyard activity sheet (1.9 MB)

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