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Mount Ainslie Lookout

Viewpoints ·Canberra ·Open now
4.78K
#1Viewpoints in Australia
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About

Mount Ainslie Lookout is a summit viewpoint in Canberra Nature Park, in Canberra’s northeastern suburbs.

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Mount Ainslie Lookout — Wide daylight view over Canberra toward the distant ranges

Mount Ainslie Lookout — Wide daylight view over Canberra toward the distant rangesMount Ainslie Lookout — Canberra spread below the lookout beneath a dramatic skyMount Ainslie Lookout — Panoramic view across Canberra and surrounding wooded hillsMount Ainslie Lookout — Aircraft beacon above the lookout steps and rocky hillsideMount Ainslie Lookout — Closer view down the parliamentary axis across Lake Burley GriffinMount Ainslie Lookout — Canberra Airport and farmland seen from the lookoutMount Ainslie Lookout — Southern panorama over Canberra and Lake Burley GriffinMount Ainslie Lookout — Open fields and distant suburbs viewed from Mount AinslieMount Ainslie Lookout — Canberra lights and hills beneath the sunset sky

Why go

  • Walter Burley Griffin’s planned land axis through Canberra ends at the summit.
  • Trail plaques commemorate World War II battles on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.
  • An air beacon at the summit guides air traffic towards Canberra Airport.

Opening hours

Today00:00 – 23:59Show all
Monday00:00 – 23:59
Tuesday00:00 – 23:59
Wednesday00:00 – 23:59
Thursday00:00 – 23:59
Friday00:00 – 23:59
Saturday00:00 – 23:59
Sunday00:00 – 23:59

What you see

  • The 360-degree panorama takes in Canberra, rural ACT and much of New South Wales, with Red Hill to the south and Black Mountain to the west.
  • The planned land axis runs through North and South Canberra, linking the Australian War Memorial and the old and new Parliament Houses.

Best time to visit

  • The views are especially striking towards sunset.

Photo spots

  • Summit lookoutA summit vantage point for photographs of Canberra.At the summit, on Mount Ainslie Drive

Facilities

  • Water tap At the summit.
  • Ice cream and souvenir vendor Sometimes visits by vehicle.

Shorts

History

Ngunnawal and Ngambri people consider the hill sacred, primarily for women's business. They refer to Mount Ainslie and adjacent Galambary as women's breasts.

  1. Silurian periodMount Ainslie formed as an extinct volcano about 425 million years ago.
  2. 19th centuryThe hill was named after James Ainslie, a settler who managed the Duntroon estate.

How to get there

  • CarMount Ainslie Drive, Canberra ACT; vehicle access is via Fairbairn Avenue.
  • On footThe paved summit trail starts behind the Australian War Memorial and has rest stops and steps.

Accessibility

  • Summit walking trail The paved trail includes steps.

Sources: Mount Ainslie - Wikipedia · Canberra - Wikivoyage (see) · Mount Ainslie - Wikipedia · Mont Ainslie - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
Mount Ainslie Drive, Canberra Australian Capital Territory

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

When is Mount Ainslie Lookout open?

The lookout is open 24 hours every day.

Which suburbs are near Mount Ainslie Lookout?

Campbell, Ainslie and Hackett.

Were changes proposed for the Mount Ainslie summit?

A 2016 design competition proposed parking, signs, picnic areas, lawns and plantings.

Is James Ainslie buried at the base of the hill?

He is not buried in an unmarked grave there.

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