The best road cycling routes in Cuumbeun Nature Reserve

Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve covers 637 hectares of native bushland on Canberra's northeast edge, adjacent to Mount Majura Nature Reserve. There is a network of shared trails that wind through eucalypt forest, leading to beautiful views of Lake Burley Griffin and the city from the summit. Aside from the popular trails, the reserve also protects critically endangered grassy woodlands and diverse habitats that support threatened birds, rare plants, and native wildlife.

This large waterfront park has a lot to see. From the large car park there is a restaurants, like the Water's Edge Canberra and Portrait Cafe, and a huge mowed lawn and public restrooms. There is history to read up on like the Women's Reconciliation Place Artwork, and Commonwealth Place. There is a waterfront jetty and paved path and so much more!

On the north shore of Kings Park sits the Australian Merchant Navy Memorial, honouring the Australian Merchant Navy's deployment in World War I and World War II. The monument was created by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn.

The Commonwealth Bridge is the major road crossing over Lake Burley Griffin, carrying six lanes of traffic plus a shared foot and cycle path between Canberra’s city centre and the Parliamentary Zone. It is an integral element of the lake’s heritage landscape, with beautiful views across the Molonglo River. The river runs roughly 115 kilometres from the Great Dividing Range through New South Wales into the Australian Capital Territory, where the Scrivener Dam impounds its waters to form Lake Burley Griffin. Historically rich in native fish and culturally important to local Aboriginal peoples, the river continues beyond Canberra to join the Murrumbidgee River as part of the larger Murray–Darling basin.

Canberra Peace Park is a beautiful memorial garden along Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle, near the National Library of Australia. The park was created during the United Nations International Year of Peace in 1986 and formally dedicated in 1990 as a place for reflection and commitment to peace. Its central monument features the word “Peace” inscribed in the official languages of the United Nations and the Ngunnawal language, set within formal gardens overlooking the lake formed by the Molonglo River.

In 1964, the Molonglo River was dammed, creating this wetland. Today, these 260 hectares of land, forest, and waterways are protected. Within this park are the Kells Swamp Loop, Woodland Walk, and Billabong Walk. Keep your eyes peeled for platypuses, rakali, and micro-bats, and from the bird blind, you may see a few of the 200 bird species that visit this wetland every year.

Built in honour of all Australians who have died as a result of war, this museum, memorial, and archive consists of five buildings and a sculpture garden. The museum is open every day aside from Christmas and the site hosts commemoration services on ANZAC and Remembrance Days.

The National Arboretum in Canberra has beautiful cycling tracks that run across the whole place. It’s perfect for mountain or gravel bikes. The natural scenery combined with the zen of flowing tracks and change in elevation means you could simply ride forever.