• Distance 2.4km
  • Altitude max 701m
  • Altitude min 646m
  • Duration .75 hours
  • Trail type Loop
Three Stars

Three Stars

Worth Doing

The Australian Hiker Experience Rating is a measure of the overall quality of a walk. It is intended to help you decide whether to walk a trail, not to measure anything objective. Consider this our personal take on the walk.

Grade Three

Grade Three

Suitable for most ages and fitness levels. Some bushwalking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections a rough surface and many steps. Walks up to 20km.

The Australian Grading system is based on the australian standard for measuring trail hikes.

Parking
Toilets
Rubbish Bins
Camping Grounds
Showers

Gossen Hill Circuit ACT (2.4km)

ACT

Nearest Town

The closest suburb to the trailhead is Bruce, ACT

Starting Location

The top of Weatherburn Place, Bruce ACT

Finish Location

The top of Weatherburn Place, Bruce ACT

Best Time of the Year to Walk

Year round

Gossen Hill Circuit Review

This walk takes in the Gossen Hill Nature Reserve located in the suburb of Bruce in northern Canberra. The best way to describe Gossen Hill is as a ‘choose your own adventure’. The walk can be accessed from different locations but the easiest access is from Weatherburn Place, Bruce which is a residential street – you have to park along the road so please be mindful of the residents. Walk up to the end of the cul de sac and there is a laneway that takes you past the houses and into the Gossen Hill Reserve.

This walk is all on management road. While there are ‘street signs’ on all the management roads there aren’t detailed directions. Having said that it’s almost impossible to go off track and it will be very obvious if you start exiting the Reserve. We recommend that as you go up the laneway and past the houses, take the first turn to the right and continue along the management road for around 400-500 metres and then take one of turns to the left that take you up the hill. Continue along the road and then loop towards the left and you will head back to the lower roads to the start point.

I have done part of this walk previously as part of the Canberra Centenary Trail but that was during the summertime and it had a very different feel. Walking this trail in winter with fog around gives it an otherworldly feel. Wildlife-wise this trail surprised me. There was a very lazy mob of kangaroos just off the trail, as well as lots of birdlife of all different types including one particular magpie that was expecting to be fed. The vegetation is open Eucalyptus forest.

We only spent around 45 minutes walking through the Reserve but it would have been so easy to stay longer. One bonus of this walk is that its dog friendly proving they are on a leash.

Heading up the laneway

Into the bush at Gossen Hill

The connecting roads on Gossen Hill are signposted

Trail example

Just chillin’ – kangaroos taking a break

Residential houses visible from the lower trail

Feed me! This magpie was expecting to be fed

Scribbly gum

Video from the trail

Bushland example

Back to the car in Weatherburn Place

Getting There

The main trailhead at the top of Weatherburn Place Bruce, is around 7 km from the Canberra GPO and around a 15 minute drive

Overview map of Gossen Hill. This is a bit of a choose your own adventure!

Things to know

  • Phone: There is reasonable phone signal on this track
  • Water: You need to bring your own water
  • Toilets: There are no toilets on this trail
  • Trail: This walk is on management road
  • Dogs: Dogs are allowed on a leash
  • Other: 
    • This walk is done in a loop

This is a residential street so be courteous of the home owners

Disclaimer

This walk was undertaken by the team from Australian Hiker

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