There is provided a control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission which reliably inhibits switching between ranges caused by an erroneous operation of a shift lever and enables a vehicle to continue running normally without interfering with the operation of returning the shift lever to a normal position. When the shift lever is switched to a reverse range in a state in which a flag Flag_D_high indicative of a forward high vehicle speed assumes "1", this operation is determined as being an erroneous operation, and gear shift to a reverse gear position is inhibited from being accomplished. When the shift lever is switched to a forward range in a state in which a flag Flag_R_high indicative of a reverse high vehicle speed assumes "1", this operation is determined as being an erroneous operation, and gear shift to a forward gear position is inhibited from being accomplished.