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Brown Mountain: Bega to Cooma, Monaro and Bega Valley, New South Wales
Photo: Carl Davies, CSIRO · CC BY 3.0

Drives New South Wales, Australia The Illawarra and South Coast

Brown Mountain: Bega to Cooma

Snowy Mountains Highway, B72 · Bega → Cooma

Sweeping64 mi1 hr 25 min6,500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,800 ftOne way
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The drive

The Snowy Mountains Highway climbs 104 km (65 mi) from Bega to Cooma, and its famous stretch is Brown Mountain. From Bega the road runs inland to Bemboka, then climbs the escarpment of the Great Dividing Range through South East Forest National Park on switchbacks in forest, rising to about 1,150 m (3,800 ft).

Past the climb the road runs through Glenbog State Forest and over the ridge onto the open Monaro tablelands. It passes Nimmitabel and ends in Cooma.

Brown Mountain is a key freight and tourist route between the Snowy Mountains and the Far South Coast. Storms in 2022 and 2023 damaged it badly, and nine landslip sites were repaired. Heavy rain in March 2012 closed it to all traffic for more than a month, so the mountain has a long record of weather trouble.

Along the way

  1. Bega (Snowy Mountains Highway)
  2. Bemboka
  3. Nimmitabel
  4. Cooma (Snowy Mountains Highway)
Elevation
6,500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,800 ft
BegaCooma
Curves
Mostly gentle, with one twisty stretch
BegaCooma
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Brown Mountain is steep and winding with trucks sharing the road, so allow extra time and leave room.
  • Heavy rain can close the road, and storms have caused major landslips here before; check before you leave.
  • Allow for winter weather on the highland sections between June and September.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Transport for NSW: Brown Mountain recovery.

Questions about this drive

How long does Brown Mountain take to drive from Bega to Cooma?

Bega to Cooma on the Snowy Mountains Highway over Brown Mountain is 104 km (65 mi) and takes about 1 hr 25 min.

Is the Brown Mountain road open?

The Snowy Mountains Highway over Brown Mountain is a through route that has closed after storms and landslips, including a month-long closure in 2012. Check Transport for NSW or Live Traffic NSW for the current status.

Was Brown Mountain repaired after the 2022 storms?

Yes. Transport for NSW repaired nine landslip sites on the highway after the 2022 and 2023 storms.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

All 25 drives in New South Wales, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Brown Mountain: Bega to Cooma, from Bega to Cooma