Ngunnawal Country and Yankee Hat
Namadgi is Ngunnawal Country. How to visit Yankee Hat — the ACT’s only publicly accessible rock-art site — without wrecking the paint.
By Ian Piggott · Farming Domains · Unofficial guide · ~10 min read
Updated · re-check Parks ACT before travel
Best for: First-timers and families who can walk 6.5 km and will stay off the rock
Unofficial guide — always verify track conditions, closures, fees and safety with Parks ACT. Place photos are Wikimedia Commons / CC where credited — not official Parks ACT imagery and not live conditions.
Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park entry (free) and official Parks ACT camping bookings are never affiliated.
Yankee Hat grasslands
Adrian Setterfield · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Parks ACT: Ngunnawal people have maintained cultural, social, environmental, spiritual and economic connection to these lands and waters. This site does not speak for Traditional Owner groups. Prefer official wording on Parks ACT.
Yankee Hat is a living cultural place, not a backdrop. It is the ACT’s only publicly accessible Aboriginal rock-art site in Namadgi. The walk is Grade 3, 6.5 km return / 3 hours official from the Yankee Hat car park on Old Boboyan Road. Status listed Open on re-check 13 Sep 2026.
Talk about not touching the art in the car park, not at the shelter. Touching art is an offence. Stay on the marked track and viewing setup. The site reopened after 2020 fire recovery — still fragile.
What the official notes say
Yankee Hat grasslands
Adrian Setterfield · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Shelter used more than 800 years (carbon dating of deposits). Nearby sites suggest people camping in the area about 3,700 years ago. Easy 6.5 km return / 3 hours from Yankee Hat car park, Old Boboyan Road. Parks ACT publishes a Yankee Hat walking-track page — verify distance and status there, not here.
No art-site ticket. Free park entry. Still not a playground. Dogs are not allowed in Namadgi National Park (limited vehicle-transit exception on Boboyan or Brindabella Roads — VERIFY). Assistance animals follow official policy.
How to walk it without wrecking it
Visitor Centre first for the live road answer. Fuel in Tuggeranong. Hats, water, 3-hour window. Stay on the marked track. Use the viewing setup. Do not scramble the boulder for a photo. Do not add graffiti, water, or “just one touch.”
Print the half-day Tharwa itinerary only if Yankee Hat is the named outdoor block and the centre said the road is kind. Do not stack Settlers Track or Gingera onto the same afternoon.
Fire recovery and why it still matters
The 2020 Orroral Valley fire burnt more than 80% of Namadgi. Yankee Hat needed a rebuilt viewing setup. Treat cultural sites as fragile even when the page says Open. Stay on the line you are given. Do not braid a new path around mud.
This is not a reason to skip the walk. It is a reason to walk it as a guest.
What this is not
It is not Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. It is not a café. It is not a climbing crag. It is not a drone set. If you wanted granite cliffs, print Booroomba or Square Rock — different product, different rules.
If the group cannot do 6.5 km, Cypress Pine Lookout or Woodland Walk from the Visitor Centre is the honest swap. Do not drive to Yankee Hat “just to see” and then invent a scramble.
Before you leave town
Screenshot Parks ACT Yankee Hat and alerts pages. Agree the no-touch rule out loud with kids in the car park. Pack water, hat, shell. Card only at the centre.
If Old Boboyan Road is junk, Woodland Walk still counts. You can come back when the centre says go.
FAQ
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Can I climb the boulder?
No. It is an offence to damage, disturb or destroy Aboriginal heritage places including objects. Stay on the marked viewing setup.
Is it suitable for kids?
If they can do 6.5 km and will stay off the rock. Talk about the rule before you leave the car. Heat and unsealed road still apply.
Are dogs allowed?
No. Dogs are not allowed in Namadgi National Park. Parks ACT notes a limited exception for dogs in vehicles on Boboyan or Brindabella Roads between ACT and NSW — VERIFY. Assistance animals follow official policy.
Is Yankee Hat open?
Listed Open on re-check 13 Sep 2026. Road status is a separate question. Ask at the Visitor Centre. This page is not live.
More articles
Booroomba Rocks Road closed: Plan B from HoneysuckleParks ACT closed Booroomba Rocks Road until further notice (11 May 2026). How to still walk the granite from Honeysuckle — and when to switch to Square Rock instead.
Gingera is not a Canberra afternoon: overnight or skipMount Gingera is 6 hours from Mt Franklin Road or 8–9 hours via Stockyard Spur. Why a same-day CBD return after a late start fails — and what to print instead.
After the 2020 Orroral Valley fireThe Orroral Valley fire burnt more than 80% of Namadgi. What visitors should still expect years later — and which corner Parks ACT says the fire missed.
Honeysuckle Creek and the Apollo-era dishHoneysuckle Campground sits near the former NASA tracking station that relayed Apollo 11. What visitors can still use — camp, walks, interpretation — without treating it as a working station.- Snow gums, sphagnum, and why you stay on the boardwalkNamadgi protects high-altitude sphagnum bogs that feed Canberra’s water and shelter threatened species. Operator notes for ridge days.
Free day-trip checklist
Printable packing, order of stops and official Parks ACT links — free direct download, no email required.
- Before-you-leave packing ticks
- Half-day vs full-day vs overnight decision
- What to skip when a road or booking fails
- Official Parks ACT links to verify conditions
Free direct download — no email required. Also available anytime from Maps & resources · Itineraries · Privacy.