Each track runs from the Village Centre to a point of interest, including the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park (STEP), the Wide Brown Land sculpture, the Himalayan cedar forest and Dairy Farmers Hill.

Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said they were a beneficial addition to one of Canberra's top attractions.

"The STEP trail is an easy 600 metre track which takes visitors from the Pod Playground to the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park and a small outdoor meeting and picnic space," he said.

"The Himalayan cedar trail takes visitors to the majestic tall trees of the nearly 100-year-old Himalayan cedar forest. The trail also leads to the picnic and barbecue deck nestled within the forest, which offers spectacular views of Black Mountain and Lake Burley-Griffin."

The Circuit Trail around Dairy Farmers Hill leads to a panoramic lookout over Canberra and the sculpture Nest III.

Executive manager at the Arboretum Stephen Alegria said they were the first marked paths to be built through the forests and were stage one of the overall trail program.

"We hope we'll be able to roll out additional trails in the future," he said.

"It will be a new experience for people who already come to the arboretum, they'll be able to wander through in a different way and I think they'll be popular for family groups, mums and bubs walking, older people ... basically anybody who comes to the arboretum can have that new experience that you can only really have if you get out of your car."

The low maintenance, family-friendly tracks were built by local trail builders Makin Trax.