About the Walking Route

A small park in the hills is popular for walking the dog off-leash. The park is part pine forest and part open land. A great place to take the kids to explore the pine forest, the creek and Sturt River. Older kids will enjoy riding mountain bikes through the forest trails.

The park was established as an experimental orchard in 1908. By the 1940s soil fertility had declined, and plants more suitable for the local climate were planted. The forest was planted in 1952, and the orchard operations closed in 1968. The one-roomed orchard manager’s office, built in 1909, remains. After several attempts to sell the land for housing subdivision, the Blackwood Forest Recreation Park was declared in 2001.