For an introduction to the Australian bush without the risk, the National Arboretum Canberra is a great spot to learn about the flora of the land down under on foot. It’s not a spot for a lengthy run, but there are two decent 2k circuits that make for a nice quick tour of the trees. The Dairy Farmers Hill circuit starts at the main car park and traverses nine different forests. The Himalayan Cedar Trail also includes a sculpture park, and is particularly nice in autumn when the Persian Ironwoods change color. For a longer run, the dirt Boundary Road which encircles the Arboretum border can be tacked on. (It also leads to some longer trails in the Molongo area).
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Features:
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Essentials
- 2k with longer options
- Hilly
- Main Entrance off Lady Derman Drive
- The 81 Bus runs to the Arboretum Car Park
Current Weather & Forecast
Canberra, AU
5:59 pm,
Jun 3, 2026
light rain
8°C
L: 7°
H: 9°
Daily ForecastHourly Forecast
Tomorrow
7:00 am
7° / 9°°C
1 mm
100%
12 mph
87 %
1010 mb
0 mm/h
Friday
7:00 am
15° / 19°°C
1 mm
100%
14 mph
94 %
1007 mb
0 mm/h
Saturday
7:00 am
10° / 17°°C
0.53 mm
53%
9 mph
92 %
1017 mb
0 mm/h
Sunday
7:00 am
10° / 23°°C
0.34 mm
34%
13 mph
93 %
1017 mb
0 mm/h
Monday
7:00 am
12° / 24°°C
0.11 mm
11%
10 mph
75 %
1023 mb
0 mm/h
Today
7:00 pm
14° / 15°°C
0.96 mm
96%
10 mph
82 %
1010 mb
0 mm/h
Today
10:00 pm
17° / 20°°C
0.93 mm
93%
12 mph
74 %
1010 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
1:00 am
19° / 21°°C
0 mm
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11 mph
58 %
1009 mb
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Tomorrow
4:00 am
18° / 18°°C
0 mm
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9 mph
61 %
1007 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
7:00 am
18° / 18°°C
1 mm
100%
11 mph
87 %
1006 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
10:00 am
17° / 17°°C
1 mm
100%
9 mph
87 %
1005 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
1:00 pm
16° / 16°°C
0 mm
0%
8 mph
80 %
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0 mm/h
Other Routes in Canberra, Australia
A 16k 'runseeing' tour features the highlights of this compact, planned city: National University, Botanical Gardens, National Museum, Library, National Rose Garden, Magna Carta Place, Parliament House, High Court Anzac Park, War Memorial.
Without a doubt, the highlight of all running in Canberra is this route around Lake Burley Griffin, which hugs the coast through Commonwealth Park and traverses over the water via two bridges.
If too much pavement pounding is jostling your joints, take your run to the Stromlo Forest Park in western Canberra, where the maintenance team has turfed a specialized 2.5k running loop with cushy Santa Ana Couch grass.
Mount Ainslie is an 843 meter hill which serves as the focal point for the Canberra Nature Park in the northeastern corner of the city. While it’s possible to run the drive up to the lookout for a hill training run, a popular 12k route is the loop around the base of the hill.
The Runners Club at the Canberra YMCA is particularly fond of the park’s Canberra Centenary Trail, which can form the base of either a 5k or 12k route.
Canberra is not only a running-friendly city, it caters to bike enthusiasts as well. Luckily, cyclists don’t mind sharing the miles upon miles of paved paths in Canberra’s southern suburbs.
For a panoramic view of the city of Canberra, it doesn’t get any better than Mount Taylor, an easy climb conveniently located just outside the suburbs of Torrens (Woden) and Kambah (Tuggeranong).
Canberra hosts a free weekly 5k at Lake Tuggeranong. The entire lake has a loop around it that makes a nice longer run, but an out and back on the bike path in southern section of the lake is the designated 5000 meter course.
There are plenty of running trails between the Black Mountain Reserve and neighboring Aranda Bushland Nature Reserve, but the nicest way up is via the Australian National Botanic Gardens (sometimes known as the “Flower to Tower” route).
Looking for some fun and friendly competition? Canberra hosts a selection of Parkruns throughout the city.
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