Heritage Park

Heritage Park in Gungahlin is a 1.42-hectare park centred on a large, shaded playground. Set beneath established trees, the play area includes swings, slides and climbing frames, making it a practical choice for families looking for outdoor activity in Canberra. A covered picnic area, picnic tables, toilets, drinking fountains and electric barbecues support longer visits, whether you are meeting other families or taking a break during a day outdoors.

The park also caters well to visitors who want more than playground time. Shared paths run around a pond and connect with a five-kilometre circuit through nearby Forde and Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve. The park’s walking and cycling routes include outdoor fitness equipment along the way, offering options for a casual walk, a run, a bike ride or an individual workout. The combination of play equipment, open paths and shaded facilities gives groups plenty of ways to use the space at their own pace.

Dogs are welcome on-leash in the park, with specific restrictions around public play spaces, fireplaces and barbecues in use. There is also a fenced off-leash dog park on Amy Ackman Drive, so the area can suit dog owners as well as families and recreational walkers. Free parking is available off Francis Forde Boulevard, providing straightforward access to the park and its facilities.

The park’s name reflects the area’s European history. Forde was developed in 2008 and named after Frank Forde, who served briefly as Prime Minister in 1945. The surrounding area was also home to significant 19th-century homesteads, including East View Homestead, Burton Homestead and Forest View House. Heritage Park is located on Ngunnawal Country, recognising the longstanding cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connections Ngunnawal people maintain with these lands and waters. With a Google rating of 4.4 from 134 reviews, it is a well-regarded local option for play, picnics, walking and cycling.