2024 03 21 Red Hill NR Walk
This was a 8.6Km Medium walk from a parking spot on Red Hill, Canberra then along its eastern edge to Davidson Trig then further south to Hindmarsh Drive then back along its western side.
Featured Image is View of Woden Town Centre from a prominent knoll on the south end of Red Hill NR
Red Hill Nature Reserve is a long thin reserve that sits south of the Parliamentary Triangle and north of Hindmarsh Drive. It has Mugga Way on its eastern flanks with the suburbs of Garran and Deakin and the Federal Golf Club on its western flanks. I did this walk by myself to keep up my exercise regime and to refresh my mind about the area. It was a nice Medium walk with a couple of climbs.
I parked on the top where the circular restaurant used to be as well as a smaller cafe underneath. It was currently closed and undergoing renovations. There was still enough car park available to park heaps of car. Access to all the tracks was still available. Even the old toilets can be accessed on its western side. The Canberra Centennial Trail (CCT) passes along the full length of the main ridge.
I started on the western side of the car park and took a grass track northwards before following a dirt track steeply downhill. I didnt go all the way to Gowrie Drive near the Golf Course but turned left or south at spot J13, and followed it south to a spot where multiple trails meet at a spot between Flinders Way on the east and the Golf Club on the west. I called it spot J40 where around 7 paths met.The path I had walked on from J13 was very walkable and fairly flat to J40. I did see several roos off on its east side. From that junction I joined the trails along the main ridge but this time it was a steep climb up to near Davidson Trig (that’s also the name of the trail). Great 360 degree views were had from this spot which is off the east side from the track.
I then headed downhill to take a turn slightly right or west where some main Powerlines crossed the main route. I went a little west before taking a rough footpad SW to refind what I named several years ago as a Stone Circle. Its still there but the kids (?) who built it haven’t maintained it. Its a bit overgrown with grass etc.
I then went across some heavily grassed ares to rejoin that main trail down the spine where I turned south and stopped at a Knoll that gave me good views down over Hindmarsh Drive. I then continued down the main trail to another trail that goes up and down near Hindmarsh Drive but inside the Nature Reserve. I turned right and went west down to a major trail junction spot where the trail along Hindmarsh Drive passes as well as a road into Garran suburb through a gate goes (there is also a Cavalletti for horses to get through) and another Fire Trail starts, heading north, along the western boundary, The Garran Fire Trail. Looking on Google Maps/Aerial views one can clearly see that the dirt trail alongside Hindmarsh Drive travels a long way down to nearly Woden Town centre. I walked a bit of the track and could see its been well used by push bikes.
Walking back on the Garran Fire Trail took me back to J40 and retook the trail I had come on just to see where it went after J13. I did follow it but the trail deteriorated into a vague foot pad that I could follow right across to the junction of Gowrie and Red Hill Drives. I took a formal path from just across Red Hill Dr up until I was on the tops near a large mobile phone tower and then the forma Redhill Lookout that gives visitors great views over the Parliament, the Lake and up to Mt Anslie.
I then took the road past Dr Who’s Police box and then to my car.
It was a great Medium walk of 8.6km, taking 3hrs 10 mins incl breaks.
Map of walk | Pictures in Google Photos | files including gps located in Google Drive
Notes re Map: GPS Map View provided using Mapsource on an Oztopo base NSW topo map | The area of the walk is covered by the NSW 1:25,000 topo map CANBERRA
