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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.
Forrest has a few years on it now, and the trails have just undergone the first stage of a major revitalisation effort. The network is divided into two: the Yaugher Trails north of town are where you’ll find Vista, Mariners Run and Grass Trees. These are still running in their original form, packed full of natural features and handbuilt goodness.
On the south side of town is where the work has taken place, with classics like Follow the Dog, Third Time Lucky and Roller Coster having a new lease of life, there’s also four brand new, machine-built descending trails and a corresponding climbing trail. Out here is also where you’ll find Forrest’s flagship trail — Red Carpet.
At 4.5km in length, Red Carpet is mostly descending, with about 216m of vertical drop. It’s a mix of fast and straight sections through tight trees, with some A and B lines on offer. You can carry speed to get a little bit of lift off the side hits or keep it pinned between the trees and fly down to the bottom.
Oh, and did we mention there is a MASSIVE new pump track in town that puts a load of far bigger destinations to shame?
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.
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