Brindabella Road

The road

Brindabella Road is the ACT's proper mountain pass - a 34-kilometre sealed crossing of the Brindabella Range on the ACT-NSW border. The road starts at Piccadilly Circus (genuinely its name) and climbs through sub-alpine country to a high pass above 1,400 metres before descending toward the Tumut Valley on the NSW side. The upper sections have open views across the Brindabella Range that are striking for a road this close to a national capital. The descent toward Tumut has fast open sweepers through snow gum and alpine ash. The Goodradigbee River valley on the far side has its own character - the Brindabella station ruins and the old farming community give the road historical weight that goes beyond the driving. The ACT side is all national park. The NSW descent enters Kosciuszko National Park and approaches the Snowy Mountains water catchment. Traffic is almost zero. The road is open year-round but black ice makes the mountain sections genuinely dangerous from June to September.

The region

Brindabella Road crosses the Brindabella Range on the ACT-NSW border, dropping into the Goodradigbee River valley on the far side. The Brindabella station ruins and the old farming community give this road historical weight. The ACT side is all national park; the NSW descent enters Kosciuszko National Park and approaches the Tumut water catchment.

Before you go

Fuel in Canberra before departure - nothing on the road. Sealed throughout but the mountain sections can carry frost and black ice in winter. Check road conditions before travelling June to September. Very light traffic. The road is open year-round but requires care in cold weather.

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