Best Mountain Bike Trails in Tasmania | Where to Ride on the Apple Isle

Dramatic and stunning in every sense, the tiny island state of Tasmania has earned a global reputation as an adventure-lover’s playground. It’s home to some of the country’s — if not the World’s — most remarkable mountain biking destinations. 

Don’t let the small matter of the Bass Strait scare you away either. Just over an hour’s flight from Melbourne, and less than two hours from Sydney, you’ll be touching down in Hobart or Launceston and just a short drive to any one of Tassie’s dreamworthy trail networks. Or if you’ve got the time to spare and you’d prefer to cruise in the comfort of your own adventure-mobile, then approximately 10 hours aboard the Spirit of Tasmania, departing from Geelong, will have you alighting in the northern-Tassie town of Devonport.

With so much on offer, how does one choose where to ride? This summary provides a snapshot of what awaits you and your tyres on our picks of the best mountain bike trails in Tasmania.

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• 10 of our favourite places to ride around New South Wales

Best Mountain Bike Trails in Tasmania

George Town | Experience the epic dual network

So, you’ve opted to begin your journey in the northern end of the state, on the banks of the Tamar River, following in the footsteps of William Collins.  The anticipation for what awaits you is peaking, and you might just burst if your tyres don’t touch dirt immediately. Lucky for you, the trails of George Town are a callin’, and reachable in about 45 minutes if you’ve touched down in Launceston.

The trails of George Town are divided into two distinct areas — Mount George, and the more recently realised Tippogoree Hills.

The Mount George hub offers 16km split across 10 gravity-fed trails. These span from fun, flowy green trails, to incrementally more challenging blues, with one black diamond trail patiently awaiting a throw-down with the bold. The trails here are short, sharp, and aimed at progression, a great introduction for riders wanting to dip their toes in slightly deeper waters. Alongside expertly crafted berms and rollers, you’ll find long rock gardens to puzzle out and optional off-camber high lines to enduro-fy your run. Although small, there are trails at Mount George for riders of every level.

With trails that you’ll want to ride time and time again, it’s a good thing that your ride up is also covered. Local operator Up Down Around vow to get you back to the top and on the trails in as little as 5 minutes! Laps, anyone?

If you’re hungry for more, George Town has you covered. Just scoot on over the road to the brand-new trail network at the Tippogoree Hills and keep the good times rolling.

The Tipp Hills trail network is now fully complete with 57km of purpose-built fun with three different shuttle drop-off points. Whilst the initial trails have been open since 2022, the final piece of this trail network marks the completion of the George Town Mountain Bike Development. You’ll find a beautiful mixture of airflow trails, gnarly rock slabs & jump trails to keep you entertained. 

One of the hallmark trails in this network is the zero-chill double black, Devil’s Elbow. It’s got big boulders, janky stones, and every other size rock in between. And lucky you gets to ride over the lot of them. With an ever-expanding map to cover, there is also plenty more orange dirt waiting to be railed by you and your crew. Although the shuttle service also extends to Tipp Hills, we recommend you place your bets and square up at least once with the 1.1km black diamond climb, Knightshift. You can take a read through our recent trip to George Town’s dual networks to find out about what’s in store for you at Tippogoree Hills.

Being one of the oldest settlements in Australia, George Town is a special place to spend time off the bike, too. Delve into the town’s rich maritime history, catch a wave or two, or take some inspiration from the local fur seal colony and soak up some rays. Do you find being earthbound a bit dull? Explore the wonders of life below the surface, or take the best seat in the house by launching yourself from a plane and descending into town from above. 

To learn more, head on over to the George Town destination page. 

Blue Derby | The Bar-Setter

“You’re from Australia? No way! Have you ridden Blue Derby?! What is it like?? I HAVE TO ride there” – Anonymous French gravity fiend met in Verbier, Switzerland.

We here at Flow believe that this opening quote says it all. The ex-tin mining town in northeast Tassie, once on the verge of extinction, underwent a rebranding of sorts in 2015, rocketing itself onto the bucket lists of mountain bikers all over the globe — including the pros. This doesn’t happen by mistake.

Blue Derby awaits 1.5 hours east of Launceston, 2.5 hours east of Devonport, or 3.5 hours drive north from Hobart, home to over 125km of playground for you to explore, crafted by the visionaries at World Trail. 

Are you after silky smooth ribbons of flow? Derby is the place. Maybe you get your kicks from puzzling out maze-like rock gardens? Derby. All-day epics? Derby. Sessionable airtime? You guessed it. Derby. Believe what you hear. This place is a veritable fun factory. Derby has hosted multiple rounds of the EWS (now Enduro World Cup) in past years, and was part of the Enduro World Cup Tassie double header in 2023, where both Maydena & Derby each hosted a round. We hope to see Derby back on the Enduro World Cup calendar in years to come. 

Related:

• Slabs, Slams, Slop, Stoke and a Bush Doof | The Derby EDR with Kristina Vackova
• Slabs, Slams, Slop, Stoke and a Bush Doof | The Derby EDR through the lens of Mick Ross
• Slabs, Slams, Slop, Sun, Stoke and a Bush Doof | The Derby EDR through the lens of Justin Castles

As much as Blue Derby is for ravenous dirt diners, it is also one of the most family-friendly trail centres we’ve ever visited. Roll around the pump track or take it to the trails and get your whole crew hooked on the sport without having to take huge risks or straying too far from the trailhead. Hazy Days is a grin-inducing green airflow trail that is expertly designed for beginners to earn their wings without the chance of being landed on by the high-flyers out there. It’s also a fantastic introduction to the joys of shuttling.

For those who’ve already earned their wings, Lower Air Ya Garn has been completely redesigned after the 2022 landslide and is running better than ever. 

Much like saying you’ve been to Whistler but only ridden the bike park, it’s just as heinous a crime to visit Derby and skip the Blue Tier. If you haven’t visited Derby yet or even if you’re a frequent flyer then you’re in luck, as World Trail have just completed a full makeover on the Blue Tier trail. It is basically brand new on the same alignment, reinvigorated back to its former glory. Grab the shuttle to the top of the Blue Tier reserve with a pack full of snacks and enjoy the pristine setting as you zoom through to Weldborough on 20km of superb, undulating singletrack.

To get acquainted with some of the other new trail upgrades you can read our latest Blue Derby feature below.

Related:

• From landslides to infinity berms | What’s the latest from Blue Derby?

The facilities in Derby are just as carefully thought out as the trails, with the new trailhead flexing a wash station, showers, EV charging points, and parking spaces to boot. A trailside campsite means that nighttime dreams of rollers and roosts can transition seamlessly into the real thing with the rising of the sun.

So you’ve just had the best day of your life, you’ve now parked the bike, and you want to keep the good times coming? There is no shortage of places to eat, drink and be merry while in Derby. Experience post-ride recovery the Scandinavian way by sweating it out in the floating sauna on Lake Derby, then refill the tank with some of that famous Tassie produce at any one of the fine establishments in town. 

I know what you’re thinking. “That all sounds great, but where can we wet our damn whistles?” You ask, Derby delivers. While pints at the Dorset Hotel have always (and will always) be a staple, a new kid on the block is here in the form of a brewery/distillery, Lot 40. Let the brews ensue. 

Word to the wise? Don’t rush it. Derby really does hold up to the hype, and a solid 3-5 days in the area will give you the time to appreciate the expanse of trails on offer, while allowing you the time to session the favourites, rest a little, and enjoy the area. But what do you ride? With so many top-tier trails on offer, planning out your visit can be a somewhat daunting exercise. Make your first port of call the Derby destination page and go from there. 

St Helens | Bush to Beach

The north-eastern coastal town of St Helens is reachable from any of the state’s major entry points within roughly 2-3 hours, and sets the tone for your stay from the moment you arrive. The air is fresh, the sea is inviting, and the mountains are just waiting to be ridden. 

The Bay of Fires trail is one truly epic ride, launching into a 14km descent right from the get-go. Journeying through densely ferned forests, to ribbons of perfect flow between gargantuan boulders, the adventure wraps up at the white sands and lapping waves of Swimcart Beach. While you’re in for some incredible descending, there’s no avoiding the pedally stretches in between that you’ll be required to spin out if you’re hoping to make it to the beach. Those with e-Bikes will be thankful for the assistance, but they’re not a must. To pedal the Bay of Fires under your own steam deserves an extra tall beverage at the other end.

If you’d rather opt for short and sharp over the all-day epic, St Helens delivers on that front, too.

Offering a stacked menu from which to choose, pedal out from the Flagstaff trailhead or catch a shuttle up to Liola Tier to bomb back down in style. Trails span from green and blue runs for those getting the feel for the sport, through to a collection of those hold-on-tight-and-don’t-crash kind of gems. You know those man-made surf pools that deliver wave after perfect wave? Well, black diamond trail, Send Helens, is like that, only dirt. Providing you maintain your speed and commit, you’ll feel like you’re racking up super-speed boost power-ups like you would in Downhill Domination on PS2 the whole way down.

If you’ve had a few back-to-back days pedalling the trails and are feeling the burn, there are shuttles available that drop you to the top of the Bay Of Fires Trail so you can pin it down 13km of pristine flow trail.  

We here at Flow love bikes just as much as the next. In a place like Tassie though, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by missing out on everything else there is to do when the bike goes down for a nap. In St Helens, the tide is always high, the fish are always biting, and the surf is always good (these statements may have been exaggerated to make a point). Water sports here are a go-to pastime for locals and visitors alike. Not a particularly buoyant individual? No worries. A cruise on the state’s only glass-bottom boat gives you a glimpse down below without needing to get wet, and there are waterfalls aplenty in the surrounding mountains to marvel at for hours on end. 

Food, drink and accommodation are plentiful in St Helens, and are always well stocked for your recharge. The ocean-sourced food in particular, found all over town, is exquisite.

If St Helens sounds like it would float your boat, check out the destination page for more info.

Wild Mersey | Railin’ Railton

If you opted for the Spirit to ferry you over to Devonport, you’ll be VERY disappointed if you don’t head straight to Wild Mersey for a rip. Just 15 minutes from town, the Wild Mersey trailhead is located at the northern tip of the Warrawee Forest Reserve for your first (or last) tasty bite of the Apple Isle. 

The Wild Mersey network is a collection of trails spanning between Latrobe, Railton, and Sheffield, with works underway to have all three trail centres linked up in the near future. The legends at Trailscapes and Next Level MTB have created over 98 kilometres of singletrack across three interconnected trail networks in Latrobe, Railton and Sheffield. The selection of trails spans from wide, sculpted green trails through to off-camber tech, and sweet, sweet jumps — there’s even a lilypad feature to session with your crew! Although there are a few spicey zingers to be found out here, the network is without a doubt one of the best areas to bring someone new to the sport. There is plenty of flow to be had and countless features that lend themselves towards progressing skills. 

Related:

• What’s new at Wild Mersey | The tri-town trail network is finally complete
• Must Ride | Wild Mersey MTB Trails, Tasmania

Echidna’ Me is a technical blue trail that you’ll want to hit time and time again, with just the right amount of jank and sendy side hits to keep even the most aggressive riders happy. Then balance things out by rolling over to Super Hornet, a twisty treat with an orange coating, featuring the aforementioned lily pad — definitely a must-ride if you’re into airtime!

Regardless of the cut of your jib, there are trails to suit. Short-travel XC bikes will have fun puzzling out the smooth lines, where longer travel trail or enduro rigs will feel right at home charging through the rough stuff. With the number of trails to explore, e-Bikes are a great pairing with this area. While the tight techy nature of some of the trails can make wrangling a heavier bike quite the task, E-Challenge is a trail specifically designed to put those watts to the test, which we guarantee you’ll want to tackle more than once.

With trails this good it would be amiss to not hold an event at Wild Mersey, and that’s exactly what the Quad Crown crew have done. The Quad Crown was established in 2023, with Wild Mersey the venue for The Wild Penguin event.

Whether you’re after a relaxing small-town vibe or prefer the luxury of a city, the Wild Mersey sits nestled between just about everything you’ll need. Stay in Devonport to give yourself a wide array of accommodation, restaurants, bars and cafes to choose from, or opt for a smaller town such as Sheffield — The Town of Murals — in the shadow of the impressive Mount Roland.

The iconic Cradle Mountain is just a stone’s throw away and definitely worth the scramble, and the Warrawee Forest Reserve boasts the title of Platypus Capital of the World, giving you the greatest chance of anywhere to spot one of these elusive little critters in the wild.

Whaddya say? If this snapshot has piqued your interest, head over to the Destination Hub to read more about Wild Mersey.

Queenstown | Tasmania Edition

Look out, New Zealand. There’s another Queenstown in…er…umm…town, adding yet another flourishing feather in the (Frenchman’s) cap of Western-Tasmanian mountain biking.

The impact of human intervention and resource extraction on the natural environment in Queenstown is immediately evident. Widespread logging and mining in years past has led to the disappearance of almost all topsoil, exposing the gravelly layers below. What seems desolate to some, to others can represent a blank canvas on which to paint. And paint they have. Dirt Art has since instilled a new sense of uniquely dramatic beauty,  transforming the bare Mt Owen into a rowdy mountain bike park to call home about.

From day one, Simon French of Dirt Art saw this unique space worthy of something different  — a heading that remained with the team the entire way through the build processes. Standing a lofty 1,146m tall, Mount Owen is rough, rowdy and unlike anything else in Australia. Picture steep, exposed ridgeline descents; tight, techy corners; and loose chutes to boot.

If you’ve ridden in the backcountry in the Canadian Rockies or the European Alps, then you’ll have some idea of what’s in store on the upper section of Mount Owen. Tyre pressures are key here — you want them low enough to give you the grip, but inflated enough to give your rims a fighting chance. Waterfall is a great, long and well-balanced descent, with loads of hefty, optional side hits for the pinners out there.

It also must be mentioned that the infamous West Coast weather, paired with the lack of coverage on Mount Owen can make this location pretty wild if the forecast turns. Check ahead, plan your ride and ensure you carry appropriate gear.

It’s not all double black, brake-burning gnar on Mount Owen. The lower part of the hill features a range of green, blue, and in-between runs that still deliver that signature Mount Owen flavour, without taking you as high or as far. Shuttles are available from Queenstown for the upper trails, but a fun 10km of singletrack can still be sessioned on the lower mountain without the need for an uplift. 

The west of Tasmania is known for its dramatic peaks and its rugged remoteness. If you’re in Queenstown and are taking a day or two off the bike, there is absolutely no shortage of alternative adventures to be had, from summits to seas. Frenchman’s Cap is a prominent multi-day hike among non-wheeled communities, and is an absolute must for those that have scheduled in a few days to drop the average speed while still remaining active.

The café and restaurant scene in Queenstown knows exactly what it takes to feed a horde of hungry mountain bikers, and delivers convincingly on that front. For instance, Tracks Café makes one mean cheeseburger. Trust us. 

Prospecting for more? Dig yourself up a few more nuggets of wisdom at the Queenstown destination page.

Zeehan | Silver City Shreds

With the sheer amount of mind-blowing mountain biking there is in the east of Tassie, things were beginning to feel a little lopsided. The West has since answered and done so in fine style. Introducing Zeehan and the Trails of Silver City (how is this not a Marvel title?).

A very scenic 2.5 hour drive from Devonport will have you pulling into the township of Zeehan, at which point you will be itching to kit up and head out into the spectacular Heemskirk Ranges.

Zeehan was once a booming mining town, but is now home to fewer than 1,000 people, and an altogether different kind of treasure. It was actually home to the first purpose-built mountain bike trail in Tassie’s west (Oonah Hill), which has now been integrated into the Silver City network. 

What do pancakes, cash and the Heemskirk Ranges trail network have in common? The more you stack, the happier you’ll be. Three loops await those setting off here, with each one increasing in difficulty, distance and remoteness.

A stacked loop of sorts, upon intersecting with the next trail, riders are posed with the option of levelling up their ride, or continuing on to close the back half of the loop that you began. This stacked system allows riders the option to ride up to 35km on a single outing, making for one epic adventure ride across some of the most jaw-dropping scenery we’ve encountered.

While not everyone likes to ride loaded up, we highly recommend wearing a pack for this one. You’ll definitely want to pack plenty of water, snacks, first-aid and megapixels — we’re serious. You’ll be pulling over for photos more than once. The unique, open landscape stretches out in every direction, offering epic views of the trail both in front of and behind you. 

With the remote nature in mind, we also recommend not playing things too risky, instead deriving your jollies from this trail’s epic sense of adventure over those adrenaline-fueled near misses we all love to recall over a pint. The exposure out there can be real at points, and help may require a wait if things do take a turn for the worse. Be safe, take your time and soak up this ride of a lifetime. 

You’ll find beds for sleeping, food for eating and drinks for drinking in Zeehan, and the slightly larger Queenstown is just half an hour away to enable the fulfillment of your post-ride needs, whatever they may be.

How can I take my West Coast adventure to the next level, you ask? Relive our EPIC heli-biking adventure below, where we rip down these epic Silver City descents and take in the stunning landscapes.

Watch Flow’s Heli-Biking Adventure

Maydena | The Rowdy One

Maydena. A name in itself that seems to echo when spoken, and even just one top-to-bottom lap will have that day running through your mind forever more, like an iPod stuck on replay. Approximately an hour and a half west of Hobart, we recommend beginning this drive fully kitted up — helmet and all. You’re not going to want to waste any time from the moment you pull up.

Sculpted into the slopes of Abbotts Peak, Maydena masterfully utilises every one of the 820m on offer, currently serving up over 80 gravity-fed trails for riders of every level, and we mean every level. The top riders from all over the world can regularly be seen here testing the upper limits of their skills — and occasionally the latest bits of unreleased tech.

Since their highly anticipated grand opening in 2018, Maydena Bike Park and the crew at Dirt Art have continued to outdo themselves, with a trail network so extensive yet intertwined, every single run down can be linked together in different ways, depending on the style of riding you’re after. ​​You can ride a rainbow of trail ratings on each top-to-bottom run, linking up fast with flow, steep n’ slow, BIG jumps, loam and wide open, sessionable party trails to blast down with your mates. 

Over time, the park has matured from a place best avoided by beginners, to a top-shelf destination for those rad families we all wish we grew up a part of. The lower part of the hill is dedicated to the early-days shredders, where you’ll find a range of beginner-intermediate trails aimed at progressing the skills and confidence in a fun and controlled way. Coaching sessions are also available if you think you’d benefit from some professional guidance. There is even an uplift service in this lower area, so you can reserve more of your energy for pinning it all day! 

For the tried and tested Han Solos out there, head to the summit and prepare to enter hyperspace, Chewie. The sheer quality, number and diversity of these trails has made this a favourite for the vertically inclined, from weekend senders to career athletes. Maydena has hosted multiple Downhill National Championships, Enduro Jams, a 24-hour Gravity Challenge, and a round of the 2023 Enduro World Cup.

The latest addition to a stacked event calendar is the iconic Red Bull Hardline, which invites riders from across the globe to come and race what is widely considered the toughest downhill track in the world. Maydena has been fortunate enough to land the first event outside of its birthplace in North Wales, which is a huge deal! The first Hardline Maydena took place in February 2024 and it was a spectacle. We’re super pumped to be able watch this event at Maydena for 2025 and 2026 as well.

Maydena’s major shortcoming is that, outside of the bike park, there is very little else. We’re talking no shops, pubs, fuel, or accommodation that’s not Airbnb. Fear not, however there is a plan in the works to address this lack of infrastructure and the bike park has released a detailed roadmap. In the meantime, the bike park base has got you sorted for the core necessities, such as pizza, beer and pump track laps.

We could (and probably will) spend forever raving about Maydena to anyone that will listen, but we think you should probably just cancel all of your plans and head there immediately to experience it yourself. Check out the Maydena destination page to dive into the planning phase!

kunanyi/Mt Wellington | Capital Cruising

While this fun-sized state hosts your wildest dreams within just a few hours in every direction, you can’t quite beat having a set of rowdy trails on the doorstep of the capital city. Whether you’re entering or leaving, or stopping through to acquire a little culture before getting back to rolling around in the dirt, Hobart is a must-stop destination for every visitor. And with kunanyi/Mt Wellington standing guard over this vibrant city, you bet your barplugs that there is some top-notch riding patiently awaiting your arrival.

The mountain is frequented by mountain bikers, dog walkers, hikers, trail runners, birding enthusiasts, citizen scientists and more. The City of Hobart recognises the importance of enabling a safe space for people to practice their sports and the potential economic benefits in doing so, and are hard at work implementing their ongoing Ride the Mountain initiative. What does that mean for mountain bikers, you ask? More trails.

For the time being, there are beginner-friendly green trails, through to enduro-worthy blues with optional black features — the equivalent of adding a dollop of cousin Nick’s homemade hot sauce to your nachos. For $50 with a bike, jump on the kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus and check out the highly acclaimed North-South descent for an 11km rumble through the jungle, coming out not far from ye olde Cascade Brewery, where the Cascade Pale Ale — Australia’s longest continuously brewed beer — flows like water.

With the river flowing through and mountains above, it’s hard not to fall in love with Hobart at first sight, and being a capital city, you will be hard-pressed to sample everything it has to offer in just one visit. As for what we recommend, no trip to Hobart is complete without a peruse around the halls of the internationally renowned MONA, then continue this cultural immersion at any one of the restaurants serving up the freshest local grub you can find. 

Whew. So there you have it. Tassie by bike, in short form. From all-day epic adventures, through to steep, fast and loose descents, and everything in between, Tasmania punches far above its square kilometrage. With dramatic mountains, pristine beaches, ancient old-growth forests, and glistening lakes, Tasmania well and truly has it all. Believe us when we say that what was written here is just the very tip of the iceberg. What is more, this is only a snapshot of the best mountain bike trails in Tasmania on offer right now. With its wild, diverse terrain, and the visionaries responsible for realising the scale of its potential, the future is bright. 

While Tassie makes a convincing case in the battle of the states, the mainland is no pushover. Check out the Destination Hub for the lowdown on what’s what on wheels ‘round the rest of Australia, and start planning out the next adventure. In the meantime though, we’ll see you in Tassie, folks!