We’re a little late posting the news here, but a while back we were rapt to welcome three more mountain bike destinations into the Ride High Country tent: Lake Mountain, Buxton and Eildon MTB Parks. That raises the official count of sensational mountain bike parks in Victoria’s High Country to 10, truly cementing our place as Australia’s premier cycling destination – nowhere else in Australia can you ride such diversity of mountain biking terrain in such proximity.
Buxton MTB
Buxton MTB (trail map PDF) is the closest High Country mountain bike park to Melbourne, just an hour from the eastern suburbs. It has a network of 20km+ of well-established smooth, fast and flowing singletrack and downhill trails and is still one of the best kept secrets in mountain biking – it’s a top spot for an uncrowded ride.
There are accommodation options and a great country pub in Buxton, and the nearby town of Marysville offers a wide range of accommodation and café opportunities. Try the 13km Acheron Ridge loop for jumps, berms, log drops and loads of exhilarating fast single track.
Eildon MTB
Eildon MTB (trail map PDF) opened to riders late in 2019 and offers a small but ever expanding mix of cross-country trails and a challenging downhill trail. Set just above the township of Eildon next to Lake Eildon it’s a fantastic new trail network to explore! There is an easier beginners loop to explore, two intermediate trails and a dramatic downhill trail from the highest point in the park back into Eildon.
There’s a great mix of riding and great views across the Eildon Pondage and Lake Eildon. The township of Eildon has a range of on and off water accommodation to suit all budgets and cafes to refuel. If you’re lucky enough to know a mate with a boat, combining your MTB trip with a wakeboard/ski session on Lake Eildon is pretty much the perfect weekend away.
Lake Mountain MTB
Lastly, Lake Mountain MTB (trail map PDF) is a short trip up the hill from Marysville (just around the corner from Buxton) and offers over 40km of singletrack winding through snow gums and eucalypts. Suitable for riders of all abilities, most of the Lake Mountain trails start and finish at the resort, and in addition to the marked trails there are over 20km of cross country ski trails ideal for beginners and families to get their first taste of mountain biking.
The highlight though has to be the new Cascades trail, which starts at Lake Mountain and finishes 29km and a lot of vertical metres later down in Marysville, an awesome adventure!
Get planning
Close enough for a day trip from Melbourne, these High Country mountain bike parks are also the perfect way to escape the city for a long weekend to taste that fresh country air. Base yourself in one of the nearby towns like Marysville or Alexandra, ride one park each day and experience the diversity of riding MTB in Victoria’s High Country.
