The magpies are swooping, the sun is staying out just that little bit longer, and things are beginning to warm up.
With summer just around the corner and bike parks around the country preparing for the green season, it’s time to start thinking about your summer riding trips. Long alpine descents, coastal root balls, and big adventures await! In the past year or so, a boatload of new destinations have come online around the country, and some old favourites are back with new tricks.
Here are all of the places on our summer riding bucket list this year.
Related:
- Best Mountain Bike Trails in Victoria | Top trails in the Garden State
- 10 of our favourite places to ride around New South Wales
- Best Mountain Bike Trails in Tasmania | Where to Ride on the Apple Isle
Mount Buller, VIC primed for summer
Coming off a snow season that left a bit to be desired, the team at Mount Buller has said the trails should start to open on Melbourne Cup Weekend (the first weekend in November for those of us not based in Victoria), with the entire network online and Blue Dirt Shuttles running the first weekend in December.
Even with a lacklustre snow season, it’s still a Herculean task to clear the trail network and have it ready for riders, so the trail crew has a big job ahead, no doubt. When we stopped in earlier this year, before the snow began to fall, the gravity trails were riding better than ever. High Country aficionado Paul van der Ploeg and the Leach family were amazed at how well Copperhead and ABOM were running.
Of course, the huge revamp that Contour Works has done on the XC network is still nice and fresh, and there are a whole host of things to do off the bike around the village, too, like frolf and the via feratta.
Related:
- Onwards And Downwards | Riding the updated gravity trails at Buller
- Mount Buller By The Horns | We ride Buller’s refreshed trail network
- Flow Destination Hub | Mount Buller, VIC
Falls Creek, VIC, back to its former glory
Falls Creek was not immune to the low snowfall year and also shut down its snow operations early, with the lifts stopping on September 13. This comes on the back of a difficult few seasons with travel restrictions and then the landslide on Bogong High Plains road. But that’s all in the past, and it’s full steam ahead into the mountain bike season.
The mountain bike park is set to be up and running in November, with Blue Dirt Shuttles running every weekend from November 13 and seven days a week from Christmas to the end of January. Ignition Mountain Bike Festival is also back for this year with a full schedule and plenty of demos from November 22-24.
The Bogong High Plains Road Landslide in October 2022 really mucked things up for the resort when it launched a trio of new trails — Skyline, Downtown and Heavy Metal. Fortunately, we got to sample them at the end of last year, and they will surely be running strong this summer.
Related:
- Clear For Launch | Falls Creek kicks off the summer season after a harrowing few years
- Flow Destination Hub | Falls Creek, VIC
Lake Mountain Weekender incoming!
The Cascades trail at Lake Mountain Resort could be our favourite ride on the mainland. Starting at the top of the resort, this alpine gem makes its way from the summit, 28km all the way down to Marysville.
Don’t be fooled by the elevation difference from the summit to town. While there is in the order of 1,500m of descending, you’ll still be climbing about 700m. Regardless, it’s an unbelievable adventure touring multiple eco-zones, no less than four different types of dirt and more absolutely spectacular riding than you can shake a crank arm at, with all kinds of surprises along the way. Don’t forget plenty of water, a sandwich and a bag of snakes for good measure.
As of October 19, the lower section will be running with shuttles, and the trail crew is getting to work clearing the top bit of winter debris.
Outside of Cascades and the trail network at the summit, there’s also a new bike-packing route from the resort to Keppel Hut.
Best of all, the end of the trail deposits you more or less on the doorstep of The Duck Inn, where you can enjoy a few frothies and ingest your weight in breaded chicken.
And while you’re in town, you’d be silly not to slam a few runs through the classic Narbathong DH and hit some laps in Buxton too!
Related:
- Keeping Keppel Warm | A Lake Mountain bikepacking adventure
- Riding The Cascades Trail & More | A weekend in Lake Mountain, Victoria
- Flow Destination Hub | Lake Mountain, VIC
New trails and a refresh of our favourites at Thredbo, NSW
Even though it’s on the NSW side of the border, Thredbo was not invulnerable to the truncated winter season. But the Resort has announced the bike park will open on November 16, and the trail crew has been forging ahead with more updates for the 2024/2025 season than we’ve seen in some time.
There’s a new intermediate trail called Revolver, stemming from the Kosciuszko Chairlift, providing an alternative option to the Kosci Flow trail. There’s also a new Rockpools Gravity trail opening from the Gondola Mid station to the Valley Terminal following the old Village XC Loop in reverse.
Some of the existing trails you know and love, like Kosi Flow, All Mountain, and Grass Hopper, have also received quite a glow-up with major realignments for the 2024/2025 season. And speaking of the All Mountain Trail, it has been chopped up into three named trails — Panorama, Pegasus and Dream Catcher — to make figuring out where you are on the mountain a little easier.
There’s also a new jumps trail going into the Cruiser Chair section of the resort. Details are pretty light; all we know is that it’s pegged for 2025.
Cannonball is always a highlight of the Thredbo season, check out our escapades from last year’s festival.
Related:
- A Decade of Celebrating Our Gravity Community | Tom and Mick do the 10th Thredbo Cannonball Festival
- Flow Destination Hub | Thredbo, NSW
In the Maydena, Tas Wilderness
After a long, cold winter, Maydena Bike Park opened back up for the season in September. The weather was particularly wild ahead of opening day, including some late-season snow, and some of the network had a bit of a delayed opening while the trail crew battled Mother Nature.
With a packed event calendar kicking off with Enduro Jam at the end of November and culminating in Red Bull Hardline and Gravity Fest in February, more than 85 trails are scrawled into the 820m of vert on Abbotts Peak. Gravity Fest will also be a stop of the AusCycling National Downhill MTB Series.
Among that, there is everything from cruisy family-friendly greens to full-on proline trails. Regardless of the trail rating, you’re riding through some of the most spectacular wilderness western Tassie has to offer. The trail crew here is always working to improve the network and keep things running smoothly, and every time we go back, it looks a little different. The party squad is currently working hard on revamping the Hardline course to make it even bigger and better than last year.
New for this year is a refreshed range of Giant and Santa Cruz demo bikes and you can even demo a Pademelon steering damper if that tips your fancy.
Related:
- Flow Destination Hub | Maydena, TAS
- Big air, big crowds and big scenery | Red Bull Hardline Maydena through the lens of Kristina Vackova
Dual trail networks and erratic gravity in George Town, TAS
At the start of this year, World Trail finished off the last of the Tippogoree Hills trail network, giving George Town over 100 km of trails across two trail networks. Both offer shuttles, oodles of descending and trails catering to an extensive range of rides and abilities. Oh, and did we mention it’s only 40 min from Launceston?
The Tipp Hills is a tiered trail network, and now there are three shuttle drop-offs — The Saddle, The Cul-De-Sac and The Summit. Although everything is accessible via a shuttle, it’s almost all interconnected with climbing trails, except for The Summit. Fully enclosed under the canopy, there are quark knuckles galore on the range of airflow trails, but there are also rough and tumble descents which can only be described as erratic gravity. The rock-strewn trails keep you busy, and there are so many corners there is not a second where you’re not engaged.
Mount George is a bit closer to town and is what we’d describe as a pocket park. With seven descending trails and three climbs across 120m of vertical, laps are the name of the game here. The shuttle turnaround is fast enough that your heart rate barely has time to creep back down before you’re back up at the top.
Related:
- Two Times The Trails, Two Times The Fun | Ride George Town’s dual networks, Mount George and Tippogoree Hills
- Flow Destination Hub | George Town, TAS
In town, there is a new MTB hub at the ANZAC Drive RSLA that has food, drinks, showers and bike wash facilities, and there is a massive pump track to boot.
Let’s go-go to Mogo, NSW
With 70km of fresh trail two hours from Canberra and three and a half hours from Sydney, Mogo is the newest destination on the NSW South Coast. With three trailheads spanning from Batemans Bay to Mogo, you can ride from your beach accommodation in Batehaven or head through the cute little village of Mogo.
The trails are a masterpiece carefully shaped by Next Level Mountain Bike that we’d say is best described as quirky with a side of tech flow.
In this first section of trails, there is only a squidge over 100m of elevation, but boy-howdy have Next Level made the most of it, with a multitude of lines descending off of each trail hub.
But of course, it’s not just about the trails themselves; Mogo is directly inland from Malua Bay and not far from Batehaven and Batemans Bay. Bring your togs and surfboard, and plan to spend the afternoon on the beach, or go paddling on the Tomaga River.
Related:
- Get your Mogo boots on! | The last jewel in the crown of the NSW South Coast
- Flow Destination Hub | Mogo, NSW
In the zone in Narooma, NSW
A bit further down the coast was the first of the trio of new trail destinations to open on the NSW South Coast — Narooma. Prior to Dirt Art coming in and building what we see today, there were about 30km of handbuilt trails constructed by a couple of local legends.
Seeing what mountain biking had done for small seasonal tourist towns in the US, they wanted something similar for their coastal home.
Years and many tireless hours later, they cut the ribbon on an 85km trail network, divided into five zones, each hosting trails designed for a different type of rider. With everything from the Playground, pitched at true beginners, to the Gravity Zone with ‘uge manufactured jumps and the Wilderness Zone, with distinctly unmanicured tech, there is a lot on offer here.
Also, being on the South Coast, the beach is nothing short of stunning, and you’d be out of your mind not to build in a bit of time on the sand if you make your way to Narooma.
Related:
Gravity Paradise in Eden, NSW
The southernmost piece of the South Coast pie is, of course, Gravity Eden. As the name suggests, this is a paradise of Newton’s law of universal gravitation, which like Narooma, has its roots in a community-built trail network and a motivated group of locals keen to show mountain bikers the wonders around their town.
Five years in the making, Contour Works has created a progression-friendly park designed to help riders build their confidence and skill set through the network.
While the focus is descending here, it’s best accessed using shuttles, though they are not necessary to enjoy yourself in Nullica State Forest. Eden has even hosted the Quad Crown XC Stage race twice already.
The network is divided into three zones, Gravity, Flow and Adventure, which are defined by the style of the trail and the landscapes they traverse.
Related:
So sweet we had to stay for an extra day | Finch Hatton, QLD
For those seeking climes a bit more tropical, Finch Hatton is your newest equatorial mountain biking getaway.
Located about an hour from Mackay, only the first stage of the Finch Hatton trail network is open so far. But even though there are only about 16 airflow trails at this time, our team was having so much fun that they changed their flights home to stay an extra day.
Set in a quaint town built on the sugar industry, lower down there is everything from sessionable jump lines set in old cane fields to unadulterated highspeed bermy goodness. As you move up the hill, the landscape begins to change, and there is a sprinkling of boulders and rocks — a taste of what is still to come in the subsequent stages.
The town folk are warm and friendly, and there are some surprising culinary gems for a town of 500 people. Set in a beautiful valley, there is also no shortage of side adventures, from the swimming holes in Finch Hatton Gorge to the platypus spotting and walks in Eungella. We even went wakeboarding back in Mackay.
Related:
- Trails Of The Tropics | Exploring brand new trails in Finch Hatton, QLD
- Flow Destination Hub | Finch Hatton, QLD
Shredding Sam Hill in Omeo, VIC
Still a work in progress, Omeo is set to be one of the most extensive trail networks on the mainland, with well over 100km of singletrack that stems from more or less the centre of town.
At the time of writing, there are only about 22km of singletrack open to the public, but the Council is going to cut the ribbon and open a significant portion of the network just in time for summer.
Common Ground has been meticulously shaping singletrack on Sam Hill — yes, that is the actual name of the 600m rise that gives this trail network its special sauce. As the network has been built, Jordon Virgl from Common Ground tells us it’s evolved into more of an enduro-style trail network, but because of its sheer size and scale, there are still big climbs and adventures to be had. Among the trails about to come online is a 6km blue-rated airflow descent called Flomeo, and a pair of spicy black-rated tech descents called Grim (3.4km) and Crank Dog (4km).
Omeo Mountain Bike Coordinator Ben Reeves also tells us they will progressively be opening more gravity trails throughout the summer, so there will be good reason to plan return trips.
We had a bit of a sneak peek of what is to come and were astonished at how much vert there was and the breadth of what the network had to offer. We’re headed back to Omeo before the end of the year to give it a proper tour, but in the meantime, check out our construction update from back in May.
Related:
A Hidden Gem on the Mid-North Coast | Kempsey, NSW
Flying the flag for the NSW mid-north coast road trip is Kempsey. More than just the home of Aussie country music icon Slim Dusty, East Coast Mountain Trails has assembled a suite of five new gravity trails in Kalateenee State Forest.
Coming out of a unique arrangement that saw the Council stumping to fund a project run by a community group for infrastructure on land managed by a third party, the result has been a wildly popular set of descents.
From the substantial jumps on Yetti and staccato features on Snakebite, we were blown away by this gem hiding in the bush on the Macleay Valley Coast. Don’t sleep on the trails in Kempsey because you’re missing out. And being situated just in from Crescent Head, one of the best surf breaks in the country is right there waiting for you to paddle out.
Related:
Mount Remarkable Epic and Melrose, SA
There is no place in Australia quite like Melrose, and after years of fighting tooth and claw for an adventure ride on Mount Remarkable, the classic mountain bike destination has a much-needed infusion of new trail.
The Mount Remarkable Epic is the only trail of its kind (that we know of) that starts and finishes in the same place. The 38km adventure ride starts and finishes at the Melrose Town Trails but can also be accessed from Willowie Forest trail a few km north.
This is a true backcountry adventure, crossing rugged scree fields, open grasslands and eucalypt forest flanked by an abundance of grass trees and vibrant wildflowers. With that, it’s also a big effort, even on an e-MTB, so come prepared for an all-day escapade with plenty of food and water. Not to worry, the Jaka Brothers Brewery will have a cold drink waiting for you when you’re roll back into town.
Related:
Editorial Guidelines
At Flow Mountain Bike, we’re committed to delivering engaging and trustworthy content, from product reviews to destination showcases, news, interviews, and features. While many of the brands and destinations we cover may advertise with us, our editorial team operates independently, ensuring our content is guided by expertise and passion—not commercial influence. Sponsored content is always clearly disclosed, and we remain dedicated to providing honest and unbiased coverage across everything we publish. For more details, see our Transparency Report.