O'Connor · AU

Canberra Nature Park, O'Connor Ridge

O'Connor Ridge Nature Reserve is a compact, secluded bushland escape tucked between the Canberra suburbs of O'Connor and Bruce, yet only minutes from the city center. This 57-hectare reserve protects a fragment of critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland and the dry forest that once carpeted the hills above the Molonglo River valley. Winding fire trails and narrow walking tracks climb gently through eucalypts and acacias, offering a quiet place to walk, birdwatch, or run without leaving the urban fringe. The reserve is part of Canberra Nature Park, a ring of connected bushland reserves encircling the capital. It adjoins Bruce Ridge to the south and links through Gossan Hill and Black Mountain to a broader ecological corridor extending to the Murrumbidgee River. This connectivity means the ridge feels like a natural corridor rather than an isolated patch of trees — you can walk from here all the way to Lake Burley Griffin's northern shore without ever stepping onto pavement.