Alice Springs

Destination overview

An otherworldly moonscape, Alice Springs is like no other riding destination in Australia. Well and truly the desert riding experience, there are well over 200km of trails all within pedalling distance of the centre of town. There is a common misconception that Alice Springs is pancake flat, which could not be further from the truth, and you’ll find everything from big red rocks, crumbling escarpments, sand, shale and quartz on the trails.

Sprawling singletrack close to town

Out to the east is the Telegraph Station trail network. Made up of mostly greens and blues, the trails here are fast, flowy and a bit smoother than their counterparts across town. To the west are the Araluen Trails, here you’ll find rough, rocky and technical riding.

During the summer it can get pretty hot in the outback, and most of the locals wait until the sun has dipped below the horizon to go for a pedal — so pack your lights. Come winter, you can expect a balmy 28-degrees during the day, and blue skies as far as the eye can see.

MTB stage racing paradise

In years past riders from all over the country flock to the Northern Territory in April to race the Easter in the Alice and again in August for The Redback. While the latter has gone on indefinite hiatus, The Redback MTB stage race has evolved into Shimano Gravel Muster, a multi-day gravel race exploring the outback around Alice Springs.

Surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges, and with Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Kings Canyon a stones throw away it would be silly to make your way all the way out to Alice Springs, and not check out these natural wonders.

In town, there are plenty of great places to eat, ranging from an Asian fusion restaurant where you can learn Latin dancing and leather work, to burritos and baked goods. There is also a brewery for post ride rehydration.