Tin Hut Dam Walk – Googong Foreshore

At around 1.5 kilometres (or just over two kilometres if take a short side trip for a look at the Queanbeyan River and the lower reaches of the Googong Reservoir as I did) the walk around Tin Hut Dam is one of the shortest and easiest walks in the Googong Foreshore reserve. While there is no defined path along the western side of the dam, rather you walk through open reserve close to the bank of the dam, you cannot get lost.

The walk starts at the Tin Hut car park (about 40 kilometres of 45 minutes from the centre of Canberra) in the southern part of Googong Foreshore reserve and can be completed in about 40 minutes or an hour if you detour to the river.

That said, many people who visit the small dam do so to admire the bird-life. There are three hides specifically for this purpose. While there were a few ducks and other birds when I visited I was a little late in the morning and lacking in binoculars and a camera capable capturing decent images – so, sorry no bird pictures! Unfortunately the gates to the reserve do not open until 8am and close before dusk so that somewhat limits the opportunities for serious twitchers.

Leaving the car park and heading east (for an anti-clockwise walk), first up I headed across for a look at the Queanbeyan River aka the southern part of the main Googong Reservoir which was higher than it has been in a number of years due to recent, very welcome, rain.

Having had a look at the river I returned to continue my walk around the Tin Hut Dam.

In addition to being a pleasant walk for visitors, the Tin Hut Dam has a more utilitarian purpose. By slowing the water from the in-flowing Tin Hut Creek down it allows soil and other particles to settle on the dam floor prior to much cleaner water flowing into the Googong Reservoir, one of Canberra and Queanbeyen’s main water sources.

In addition to bird-life on and around the water, wombats and kangaroos/ wallabies can regularly be seen along this walk. If you are very lucky you may spot a tortoise in the dam or creek. Alas, to-day apart from birds the only wildlife I saw was a tortoise and that was dead so I won’t trouble you with a picture. The pictures below are from the last time I did this walk, back in 2016.

Overall this is a pleasant walk, even if you are not into bird watching, and it can be nicely combined with a barbaque or picnic lunch at the car park rest area which has a couple of free barbeques, some tables/seating and toilets.

[The Tin Hut car park also serves as the start or finish point for the  19.7 kilometres return Western Foreshores Walk/Ride which links with the Foreshores car park in the northern section of the reserve].  

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My next Queanbeyan review– HERE

Return to the beginning of my Queanbeyan reviews – HERE

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