If you really want the best MTB, BMX and Pumping trails in Australia, you want mountain biking Tasmania. Tassie is Australia’s undisputed mountain-biking capital, with purpose-built tracks through rare landscapes. Around the Sheffield area (just down the road from Glencoe Country Guesthouse), there is a network of world-class mountain bike trails – the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trail and Ewoks Mountain Bike Trail. The network is being constructed in three stages and currently stage three is being completed.
Stage One: Warrawee, 15km is open – fifteen kilometres of trails at the northern end of the network in the Warrawee Reserve at Latrobe, providing a first glimpse of Wild Mersey with predominantly green and blue tracks and one black as a taster of things to come.
Stage Two: Railton, 16km is open – setting free another four green trails over 16 kilometres, with a loop through the forest hills above Railton’s Goliath Park and a scenic 10-kilometre dual cycling-walking link to or from Latrobe’s Warrawee trails.
Stage Three: Sheffield, 15km is open – 15 kilometres of trails are now open in Sheffield. In a preview of what is to come in the later stages, the trails are fast, flowing and introduce more technical features. The link between Sheffield and Railton is now available to ride creating a great cross-country experience. Construction will head into the Badgers Range to unleash more technical and adventurous riding with breathtaking 360-degree views around the Kimberley’s Lookout area. With over 50kms of additional trails to be built in Stage 3…once completed, the Wild Mersey network will extend over 90kms making it a multi-day adventure to ride them all.
Railton Pump Track: as part of the Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails project, a pump track has been constructed at the Railton Trail Head located at Goliath Park in Railton. A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden by ‘pumping’ – creating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedalling. Pump tracks are perfect for BMX and MTB (mountain bike) riders alike and can even be used by skateboard and scooter riders. Pump tracks cater to a wide variety of rider skill levels and ages.
Ewoks: this course takes you from the end of the Woodhooker trail and climbs through the ferny Douglas fir and beech forest plantations and up onto the Railton Rattler. So named, as it looks like the scene from Star Wars.
All of these trails are within 15 – 20 mins from Glencoe. Just a little further on, around 30 – 40 mins from here are more tracks.
Penguin Mountain Bike Track Park: 5 – 15kms with a new skills park above the racetrack and some impressive jumps inside the old speedway. There is something for the beginner through to the advanced rider. There are some quite technical sections in this park, and you can ride the park in several ways. A trail map can be found at the park or on their website. The trails are still being expanded up to Mt Montgomery.
Stubbs Road (Turners Beach): 10-25kms – this route ties together some very easy cycling along the Ulverstone to Turners Beach cycleway and nearby backroads with the chance to go and play on some pretty good singletrack in a mountain bike park, located on private land off Stubbs Road. Some may wish to just do one or the other, but combined they make an enjoyable ride allowing you to stretch both your legs and enhance your skills.
North West Safaris: located nearby in Sheffield, they specialise in electric mountain bike hire, giving you the chance to shred more and sweat less. They also provide a shuttle bus service to and from tracks in Sheffield, Latrobe and Railton. They are an authorised retailer of Trek Bikes and stock MTB parts, accessories and riding gear.
Why not come and stay with us at Glencoe Country B&B…it’ll give any mountain biker a convenient place to stay and return to in the evenings to relax after a full day of riding. We can also take you into Sheffield to the shuttle bus if you require. We have plenty of room for you to work on your bikes and a safe place to secure them if needed. So, all the mountain bikers out there, come and experience what the North West of Tasmania has to offer and the amazing trails of mountain biking Tasmania.
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