The view from the top of Booroomba Rocks is gorgeous, with layers of mountains and sheer boulder strewn cliffs. You can even see the city far off in the distance. Although it does involve an uphill climb, it’s one of the shorter walks in the area that still offers a great view.
It’s a beautiful spot at any time of day, but particularly lovely at sunrise or sunset, and the easy trail makes walking up in the dark or down in the twilight, straightforward.
If you want to turn it into a longer adventure you can start the trail at Honeysuckle Campground instead, which is a 10.5km walk - we haven’t done it yet, but it’s on our list.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Booroomba Rocks via the shortest route.
The Booroomba Rocks Walk
The stats
Distance: 2.6km return
Elevation gain: 185m
Difficulty: Easy but not flat
Time taken: 25 minutes each way
Starting the trail
From the car park you’ll head straight into the bush on a narrow dirt track. The first 180m are completely flat and take you through a stretch of pretty forest.
Sadly it was burnt badly in the 2020 bushfires, so although there is plenty of regrowth, you’ll also pass charred remains.
After the initial section of flat track you’ll begin the climb. It’s all on well maintained steps and the track holds up really well even after heavy rain.
We visited after a period of torrential rain and didn’t encounter more than a few steps of mud, which was a big surprise.
After climbing for just under 300m, the track heads very briefly downhill and then begins to flatten.
Although there are some steep parts to the walk, it’s all well maintained, so it’s fairly easy and you definitely don’t need to be a regular hiker.
Climbing to the top
As the track continues you’ll begin to pass large boulders which are a mark of what’s to come as you reach the top.
After a period of flat track you’ll finish the last of the climbing, before reaching another flat path through the forest. At this point you are just 150m from the end of the maintained track.
Once you reach the end of track signpost you have to walk up the rocky slope, which is nice and grippy when dry, and then you’ll be at the top of the huge granite cliffs.
From here you are free to explore, there’s no railed viewpoint, but that means you have the freedom to take it all in from any angle.
The top of Booroomba Rocks
The views out to the distant city and vast Brindabella Ranges are stunning.
Exploring the top does require a fair amount of boulder hopping, but it’s a lot of fun - just watch out for the ones which move!
There are a couple of flat patches to sit and take it all in amongst the boulders, with the first and easiest to access point being just 50m from the end of trail sign.
If you want to explore further, you can make your way higher up the ridge towards the northern summit with careful rock hopping.
We headed up for sunset and whilst it happens to the left of the main view, it casts a beautiful light over the whole area.
Even on an overcast day we still got some lovely golden light and it would be even more glorious if it was a little less cloudy.
We’ve heard it’s also amazing at sunrise, but as we tend more towards being night owls, we haven’t seen it with our own eyes!
Heading down
Once you’re ready to head down, it’s an easy descent. There are a few uneven rocky steps, but for the most part it’s a very good path.
We found it a straightforward descent even in the dark and as it only takes 20 minutes, it’s the perfect sunset adventure. If you enjoy the Booroomba Rocks track, you should definitely check out the fabulous Square Rock walk next, which is also amazing for sunset.
Getting to Booroomba Rocks
Booroomba Rocks is located in Namadgi National Park and is just under an hour’s drive from Canberra. The car park is marked as Booroomba Rocks car park on Google Maps if you are taking the shorter route. The longer route begins at Honeysuckle Campground, where another of our favourite trails, to Legoland, begins.
The last 3km of the road to the car park is gravel. It was in good condition when we visited, there are a few potholes and stony sections, but nothing that requires any special clearance.
There is one steep part of the road, but that little section is paved. If you’re driving a hire car or worried about the current condition of the road if you have a very small car, it’s a good idea to give the Namadgi Visitor Centre a call before you go to.
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