Bruce Ridge trail information

Trail features (October 2011)

Trail type: XC

Summary: Hardpack and loose (gravely) singletrack in a small area with flowing sections and minor technical challenges (mainly logs).

Novice score: 9/10 (some loose surfaces, some climbing).

Climbs:  Pretty much all shallow switchback climbs on hardpack with a few steeper sections and a bit of loose stuff.  You can stay away from climbing the hill by sticking to the 'outside' tracks.  

Descents:  Mainly shallow grade sections with flowing turns and wide switchbacks.  Some tighter, steeper turns on one or two sections.  The odd corner is loose due to pea gravel or small stones.  

Tricky bits: Negligible or avoidable - occasional log to roll over and loose corner to negotiate.

There are no facilities at Bruce Ridge but local shops are only 10 minutes ride away at O'Connor (plug Sargood Street into your GPS or A to Z).  You can park at the shops and ride up to the Dryandra St entrance to the Ridge (see below).  Not a bad idea - All Bar Nun is a great pub to come back to.  

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Bruce Ridge is close enough to Canberra's business district that you can sneak up there for a lap at lunchtime.  Until recently it has been illegal to ride on the singletrack there (most of which has been built illegally by mountain bikers).  However in early 2011 the A.C.T. government (through Parks, Conservation & Lands, or PCL) made moves to turn it into a formalised, shared, trail network, and the first official trail maintenance day happened on 10 May 2011.

Bruce Ridge is the showcase for a co-operation between mountain bikers and PCL and a successful outcome of the trail management program here may well replicate itself at other currently illegal trail networks around Canberra.  As such it is important that no further unsanctioned trail building occurs here that might jeopardise the current excellent support and efforts of PCL staff.

So to the tracks!  Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve is situated on the other side of Belconnen Way to Black Mountain Reserve (which has no legal singletrack in it but you can ride on the fire trails).  The area is bound by Belconnen Way (south), Gungahlin Drive (west & north), and the bike path that runs from Dryandra Street to Gungahlin Drive (east).  There are a number of entrance points into the reserve.  A hill with two water tanks on top serves as the centre of the reserve and is a handy reference point if you get lost - keep the hill on one side and you'll eventually get back to where you started from.

The trail network is pretty much a mish mash of interconnected and dissecting tracks, with no marked trails, but it is possible to string together a good 15-18km loop on singletrack; it doesn't matter if you have to repeat the odd bit as the whole trail network is fun.  Getting lost is common for riders who haven't been here before or for a while, but that is in terms of not knowing which track you're on rather than not knowing how to get home.  It is, of course, much easier if you go with someone who knows the area (look out for any rides posted on The Berm!)

Can I ride Bruce Ridge today?

Bruce Ridge is not a dedicated race venue, but some events may pass through the reserve.  Bruce Ridge drains very well and is likely to be drier than any of Canberra's other trail networks after rain.  However weather can even affect the rideability of some of Bruce Ridge's tracks throughout the year. So before you pack the car to head out to Bruce Ridge, check out the following links:

• Rider trail status updates.
• Check The Berm Events page  to see if any big events will affect your day at Bruce Ridge.
• Whatever track building work we're told that's happening at Bruce Ridge will appear either here or in the Trail Advocacy group.

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How do I get there?
The way you enter Bruce Ridge will determine how you get there, as there are several routes in.  The recommended parking spots are:

• Canberra Stadium car park, Masterman Street, if there are no events on there (park close to the end of Masterman Street and ride in through the Gungahlin Drive underpass - there is a gate ahead and slightly right of the underpass exit, or go left to a gap in the fence about 30 metres down the bike path).

• Dryandra Street, park 200 metres or so south of the roundabout at Belconnen Way/Fairfax St (there's a reasonable dirt area on the side of the road).  Ride north, across the roundabout and onto the bikepath; follow this about 200 metres to a gate on the left.

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