Canberra Nature Park: Black Mountain

General Information

Distance:  8.7 kilometers
Total climb:  about 300 meters
Time taken:  about 2 hours
Map:  Canberra 8727-3N, 1:25 000
Guide:  link
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  6 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 89742 94003
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 90795 94553
End point:  same as start

Route

http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

Description

There are a number of possible starting points for walking around Black Mountain, but I used the carpark off William Hovell Drive near Glenloch Interchange. From here I first walked south along the cycle path until I came to a track on the left with a gate. I followed this track to the east and then north, gradually climbing until I came to the track at map grid reference 55H FA 90818 95033 which leads up to the summit of Black Mountain. Reaching the Summit after a hefty climb. I then descended to the ring trail that goes around the Mountain at roughly 750 meters elevation. Following the ring trail I came to the carpark off Black Mountain Drive at map grid reference 55H FA 90848 94130 and from here walked down Black Mountain Drive to a gated track at map grid reference 55H FA 90781 93755. There were some good views towards Lake Burley Griffin and Scrivener Dam from this track.



I followed the track back to the gate off the cycle path and returned to my car.

Black Mountain has a large number of excellent trails and is perfect for just exploring. I found some of the traffic noise on the western side a bit distracting, but the bushland is very pretty.