Forrest

Destination overview

Forrest was a timber town, and after the sawmills closed their doors, the mountain bikers moved in. The trails here have been around since the mid-2000s, and Forrest has built a reputation as a family-friendly network of primarily green and blue trails, with a handful of blacks sprinkled throughout.

With that said, Forrest has hosted the Otway Oddessy, arguably the biggest mountain bike race in Victoria, for going on two decades— a testament to the quality of riding here.

Riding the forest of Forrest

Forrest has a few years on it now, and the trails are undergoing a revitalisation effort, with a development plan in the works to add as much as 40km of singletrack to the trail map.

There are two trail networks in Forrest. The Yaugher trails are north of town, where you’ll find Vista, Mariners Run and Grass Trees. On the south side of town is the destination’s signature trail, Red Carpet.

At 4.5km in length, Red Carpet is mostly descending, with about 216m of vertical drop. Updates here will see new lines, features, and improvements to sustainability.

Adventure in the Otways

Forrest is in the heart of Otway National Park, and there is no shortage of iconic things to see in the area. The town is only a stone’s throw from the Great Ocean Road, Beauchamp Falls and The Otway Redwoods, a massive forest of California Redwoods that was planted and never harvested.

There are plenty of cabins, guesthouses and B&Bs, both of the ‘Air’ and traditional variety. The town has a brewery, and the old train station used to transport sawed timber has been converted into a pub.