Bikepacking Through Canberra’s Namadgi National Park on the Boboyan Divide

Does riding by up to seven historic huts in Namadgi National Park in one giant day, or as a leisurely overnight bikepacking adventure near Canberra sound like your ideal weekened? The Boboyan Divide bikepacking route might be for you!

We acknowledge that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Ngunnawal people, who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Quick Overview

The Boboyan Divide is a 45km bikepacking route in Namadgi National Park, about 45 minutes south of Canberra, ACT. You could complete the route in one day, but it’s much more fun to camp out in the middle and turn it into a two-day ride.

Boboyan Divide Quick Facts

Distance: 45km
Duration: 1-2 days
Elevation gain: 880m
Closest town: Tharwa

About The Boboyan Divide

The Boboyan Divide is a range of hills at the far southern border of the ACT where it meets NSW.

History of the Area

The Boboyan Divide route passes through Namadgi National Park, located on Ngunnawal Country. Some areas of the national park are still closed for bushfire recovery, including the Yankee Hat rock art site.

European settlers arrived in the area in the 1830s and there are several historic huts and homesteads to be found along the Boboyan Divide route; these huts are restored and maintained by the Kosciuszko Huts Association.

How to Get to the Boboyan Divide

You can reach the trailhead for the Boboyan Divide by driving south of Canberra, through Tharwa, along Naas Road, which turns into Boboyan Road.

Shortly after Rendezvous Creek, there’s a right-hand turn onto the Old Boboyan Road where you can park your car by an occasionally locked gate. If the gate is open, you can continue driving to the Yankee Hat walking trail car park – however, I recommend cycling this first section as it’s quite beautiful.

There’s no public transport available in this area.

Boboyan Divide Route Maps

These are the GPS route files for the ride, feel free to download them to follow for your journey. Just make sure you have backups for your mapping or navigation setup.

Day 1 – Boboyan Divide route with every hut detour
Day 2 – Boboyan Divide route day two with hut detours

The Boboyan Divide Route

The route mostly follows the Old Boboyan Road, which is a management trail through the area. Depending on recent weather and use the dirt track can be fairly smooth or quite rocky.

After heavy rain there can often be pitted sections of trail, so take care. While 90% of the route is inaccessible to cars, there’s a small section of riding along the Boboyan Road where you may encounter vehicles.

Skill Level

Beginner – Intermediate

The Boboyan Divide route is a great option for beginner bikepackers, as it’s fairly short and doesn’t involve any particularly technical riding.

However, it’s important to note that much of the route is out of phone service, so you’ll need a communication device and some level of self-sufficiency. There are no shops, hotels, or houses along the route. You can hire a PLB from the nearby Namadgi Visitors Centre.

Essential Gear

• Off-road bicycle
• Bike tools and spares
• First aid kit (including snake bandage)
• Camping gear
• Food and cooking equipment
• PLB or other communication device (I use a Garmin InReach Mini)
• Water filter (or other water treating method)
• Water bottles – 2 litres minimum
• Rubbish bag

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

What it’s Like Bikepacking the Boboyan Divide

The Boboyan Divide is always the first bikepacking route that I recommend to friends visiting Canberra. It’s a perfect beginner’s route, but it’s also a lot of fun for experienced riders.

This time around, I was cycling with two friends; Stuart and I had ridden the route a previous and very cold winter, and Jon was embarking on his first bikepacking adventure on a new bike (his third trip ever).

Driving to the start, after the obligatory sausage roll stop in Tharwa, we arrived at the trailhead in good spirits, with thankfully mild summer weather.

Bikes loaded, we began our ride and, like most trips, we found ourselves stopping less than a kilometre down the trail to adjust a couple of bags – no matter how dialled you think your setup is, a bumpy trail will always let you know if something isn’t tight enough!

If you ask me, the first 3km are among the most stunning of the entire ride, with smooth trails and beautiful mountain views across the valley.

From there, you dive into the bush and can enjoy three hut detours within the next 5km (with the toughest hill of the route thrown in the middle). Around 10km into the ride you re-emerge into another valley and cross the Naas Creek, another highlight and a good opportunity to refill water bottles.

Camping at Westermans Hut

From Naas Creek you continue climbing up to the top of the Boboyan Divide, right on the ACT/NSW border. Here you pass Waterhole Hut before completing the final stretch to camp beside Westermans Hut.

From all the huts to choose from, and there are seven on the route, this is my top choice for camping bu. Not only is there plenty of flat ground and long-reaching views but there’s also an excellent toilet.

We were treated to a beautiful still evening, with changing skies developing over the distant hills. Clear skies continued all night which caught Jon and Stuart out with some colder than expected overnight temperatures.

Thankfully, the morning sun came around quickly enough and coupled with a hot coffee, warmth returned.

The great part about riding mostly uphill on day one is that the second day trends downwards – especially good if, like Jon, your riding legs are a little out of practice. We spent the morning cruising down the divide, visiting another hut and some ruins, all the way back to the cars.

Boboyan Divide FAQs

Where is the Boboyan Divide located?

This popular bikepacking route is located in Namadgi National Park, at the southern end of the ACT; approximately one hour from Canberra and four hours from Sydney.

When is the Boboyan Divide open?

The trail is open year round but it’s worth checking the Parks ACT website as there’ll be occasional closures in the area. It’s best to avoid the southernmost section of the route after long periods of heavy rain as it can get very boggy and cycling may damage the trails.

Is the Boboyan Divide a good bikepacking route for beginners?

Yes, this Canberra-based ride is a great option for beginner bikepackers.

How long does it take to ride the Boboyan Divide?

You could complete the route in one day, but it’s best enjoyed over two days of around 20km per day.

How long is the Boboyan Divide?

It’s approximately 45km – a little more if you visit every hut along the route.