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Must ride: Canberra’s best mountain bike trails
Appropriately known as the “Bush Capital”, Canberra’s array of national parks, reserves and stunning rural settings means mountain bike riders need not travel far to reach some impressive outdoor trails. It’s no secret that ACT boasts some of the best and well-maintained riding terrain in Australia, so grab your mountain bike and enjoy all that the territory has to offer.
STROMLO FOREST PARK
Stromlo Forest Park is a multi-use recreational sporting facility with some of the most picturesque mountain bike trails in the country. Located in the heart of the Molonglo Valley, this 1200-hectare site was home to the 2008 UCI World Cup and the 2009 UCI World Mountain Bike Championships and offers over 50km of quality trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. There’s also a purpose-built event pavilion, 1.2km criterium cycling circuit, 2.5km grass cross country running track, equestrian trails, pump track, café, bar, bike hire facility and a shuttle bus to the top of the mountain.
TUGGERANONG PINES
Tuggeranong Pines is located in Canberra’s south just off the Monaro Highway. Here, mountain bike riders will find 5km of wellbuilt trails that start at the top of the mountain and wind through pine forests and past impressive rock gardens. While there’s something here for all experience levels, the trails are for the more adventurous rider who enjoys an enduro or fast downhill route with lots of sharp bends, rocky terrain and jumps along the way.
Photography by Adrien Vajas
BRUCE RIDGE NATURE PARK
Bruce Ridge Nature Park in Belconnen is a94-hectare area bordered by the O’ConnorRidge Nature Reserve, Belconnen Way andGungahlin Drive. Mountain bike riders can lookforward to 14kms worth of climbs, bends anddescents across a range of hardpack and loosegravel trails through luscious bushland featuringRed Stringy Bark, Scribbly Gum, Yellow Box andBlakely’s Red Gum trees. Riders can access thearea through the main trailhead on GungahlinDrive and follow over 100 signposts and trailmaps located across the reserve.
MAJURA PINES RECREATION AREA
The Majura Pines Recreation Area boasts over 20km of single-track mountain bike trails for all abilities, as well as a pump track and dirt jumps. Winding through the stunning tall pine trees, the mapped and signposted multi-use trails are some of the oldest and best in Canberra. The area is not only popular with riders, but also used for walking, dog walking, trail running, orienteering and horse riding.
Photography by Eerik Sandstrom
CENTENARY TRAIL
Canberra’s Centenary Trail is an ACT Government funded 145km loop spanning parks, bushland, lakes, rivers and urban areas from the capital’s northern border all the way to Tuggeranong in the south. The multi-use trail opened to the public in 2013 to celebrate the city’s 100th birthday and is a mix of singletrack, doubletrack, fireroad, road and cycle paths that travel through urban and natural areas across the territory. Be sure to check out the historic landmarks and notable places signposted along the way.
NATIONAL ARBORETUM
The National Arboretum in the MolongloValley has over 20km of multi-purpose,family-friendly mountain bike trails acrossits 250-hectare undulating site. Riders ofall ages and experience levels can enjoy avariety of trails that pass by forests, gardens,wildflowers and forest sculptures, with someof the routes forming part of the CanberraCentenary Trail. After exploring the trails,riders can take a break at the cafe or havea picnic on the grounds and enjoy themagnificent views over Lake Burley Griffin,the Brindabella Ranges, Black MountainTower and Scrivener Dam.
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