The Barrington Coast region offers countless of bike riding trails, particularly on dirt. We’ve got them where you can go crazy up and down fast or nice and slow. Here are our 6 choice picks.
1. Kiwarrak Mountain Bike Park and Talawahl Nature Reserve. (Easy/Medium/Super challenging)
Just outside of Taree sits the Kiwarrak Mountain Bike Park. This network boasts approximately 70km of forested mountain bike (aka MTB) trails. It’s the perfect place for everyone with easy trails for beginners and technical trails and structures for the shredders. Alternatively, if beautiful views are your thing, you can ride to nearby Breakneck Lookout for stunning 360 degree views of the mountains and sea.
2. The Steps Mountain Bike Park and Barrington Tops National Park. (Easy/Medium/Super challenging)
In the Barrington Coast hinterland near Gloucester you’ll find The Steps Barrington Campground. In addition to roomy camp zones, pristine rapids and cool swimming holes, they also have a purpose-built mountain bike park onsite. With a 3.5km loop and a skills section, it’s the perfect location to take the family for some camping and mountain biking therapy. And if you’d like a gravel adventure, the surrounding roads through rolling farmland and Barrington Tops National Park is sure to fit the bill. But beware, there are some big hills out there - bring your low gears!
3. Hawks Nest to Seal Rocks. (Easy/Medium/Challenging/)
If riding flatter terrain is your thing, the Hawks Nest - Seal Rocks ride is a must. At 53km long it’s quite a considerable journey, but the location is spectacular. The road out of Hawks Nest is sealed, the highlight being the ride along the edge of White Tree Bay. From there the roads turn to gravel amongst coastal tree species all the way to Seal Rocks. This ride can be tackled in either direction, but unless you’re planning on a 50km return trip, it’s best done with a support vehicle to pick you up at the other end!
4. Khappinghat National Park. (Easy/Medium/Challenging)
Just west of Old Bar exists a network of dirt roads set amongst eucalypts and ferns through Khappinghat National Park. You can ride from Old Bar via the recently completed cycleway into the forest. From there you can choose your own adventure on the latticework of fire trails. Be sure to stay on the roads though, as this is a wilderness preservation area. Further west you might find the challenging climb of Jack Wards Road, or the hidden tunnel under the freeway that connects the Old Bar side of the cycleway to the Taree section.
5. Coopernook Forest, Lansdowne Forest and Coorabakh National Park. (Easy/Medium/Challenging)
Some people might prefer experiencing these roads from behind the wheel of a 4WD - yep, there are some steep hills out there! However whilst this is a challenging adventure, the rewards are substantial. Waitui Falls and Newbys Cave offer secluded beauty, whilst the triple crown of Flat Rock Lookout, Newbys Lookout and Vincents Lookout provide unparalleled views across the Manning Valley’s farm-studded plain from atop the Lansdowne escarpment. Definitely worth a couple of days exploring, maybe using the Coopernook Forest Headquarters as your basecamp.
6. Yarratt State Forest and Brimbin Nature Reserve. (Easy/Medium/Challenging)
Northwest of Taree lies the Yarratt State Forest. Serviced by Cedar Party Road and with connecting dirt/sealed roads to Upper Lansdowne in the north and Mooral Creek to the west, the choices for adventure are endless. Nearby, Brimbin Nature Reserve is a quick pedal away and makes for a wonderful picnic stop or forest hike off the bike.
Who cares how you like to ride a bike? Whatever your riding pace, ride how you like along our trails, tracks and roads.
Start planning to ride your way through the best of Barrington Coast nature experiences today. Either bring your own bike or ask us about bike hires here.
PS. Mamils are more than welcome too!
