Stockdill Drive to Shepherds Lookout Walk (1.5km)

The Shepherds Lookout Walk provides a scenic and accessible return journey within the Uriarra Crossing Recreation Area. This moderately easy 1.2-kilometre loop is suitable for walkers and hikers of all experience levels. The entire walk takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Shepherds Lookout, named after nearby landowners, offers one of Canberra's best views of the Murrumbidgee River. It is also the ACT's northernmost vantage point overlooking the river. This section of the river has been a vital resource for the Ngunnawal people for millennia, providing water, fish, yabbies, and habitat for waterbirds, platypus, the endangered Macquarie Perch, and Murray Cod. Black Cypress Pines (Callitris endlicheri) with their distinctive winged seeds, a favourite food of Gang-Gang Cockatoos, thrive here in the thin, rocky soil.

The walking tracks to Shepherd's Lookout and Tong's Hole are easily accessible from Stockdill Drive, 3 kilometres southwest of Ginninderry.

The trailhead is located 3 kilometres from the last traffic island on Stockdill Drive in Canberra's suburb of Holt. Designated parking is available along the roadside, so be sure to look out for these upon arrival. There is no large car park at the trailhead itself.

From the parking area, a well-maintained path winds through Woodstock Nature Reserve. The gentle incline gradually leads you towards Shepherds Lookout. As you walk, keep an eye out for the Black Cypress Pines, identifiable by their winged seeds nestled within woody cones. These native trees are a food source for Gang-Gang Cockatoos.

Your efforts will be rewarded upon reaching Shepherds Lookout. Take in the impressive panorama of the Murrumbidgee River stretching out before you. The power lines spanning the river mark the border between the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, approximately 3 kilometres downstream.