Melrose Mountain Bike Trails

Thorough information about local trails and access is available at Over The Edge Sports in the main street of Melrose. It is advised that visitors drop by to grab up to date information before heading out for a ride as seasonal changes can affect trails from time to time.

For information regarding the Mawson trail, contact BIKE SA who have maps on hand.

There are approximately 100km of single track around Melrose and Bartagunyah but many more in the districts of Jamestown, Laura and Wilmington.

Trail Grades

All our MTB trails use colour codes to tell you what to expect. The colours are based on IMBA international standards.

Green Circle

Wide single track (~1m) iIdeal for beginners and riders looking for an easy mountain biking experience.

Blue Square

More challenging rides for intermediate mountain bikers.

Black Diamond

For the experienced riders with the skills and experience to negotiate tough trails.

 

CURRENT TRAILS:

Mt Remarkable Trails

Bike Elysium! Trails right out of the town in the foothills of Mount Remarkable! Riding mountain bikes on Don, Margaret and Sue McCallum’s property is a privilege, so please respect private property.

Silo Loop

Get out on the plains and stretch the legs while gaining some lovely views back towards Mt Remarkable. This loop of 32km will give a wholesome taste of Mawson Trail riding without having to leave town.

Showgrounds Loop

A great family cruise around the periphery of this 100 acre patch of gums and gullies. Follows the old golf course and gives nice views again over to Coomoroo Hill. Great picnic spot. The kids will love spending hours playing in the creek and climbing trees. Lots of laughing kookaburras haunting the dusk air. The ride along the Mount Creek back to Melrose keeps it off the “busy” bitumen road so you can send the kids down there for a ride while you hang out in the coffee shop, pub, bike shop or your accommodation. It just doesn’t get much better than this..

Mad Mouse

A great beginner trail to experience what Melrose has to offer.  Finishes with some great berms and then you can do it all again!!!! Just like the old show ride.

Learning Curve

Just as the name suggests.  It's curvy, perfect for practising cornering and ends at the beginning of the Melrose to Wilmington rail trail or you loop back around to the top of Mad Mouse

Farmers’ freewheelin fun track

This trail is your traditional farmers track for 4WD access and provides the main access to the trail network for cyclists and walkers. As the name suggests it is a very enjoyable, fast trail to ride down, but beware the trail surface is highly variable so check your speed.

Textbook 10%

Textbook 10% is the original mountain bike trail in the network and a great example of environmentally friendly trail design. It is an excellent way to warm up and get a feel for the area before hitting the serious black diamond terrain.

Benchin

A lengthy section of full bench trail riding bliss that will take you from one end to the network to the other. Get on board and ride to your heart’s content.

A bit sheepish

This trail was designed by the local residents, Don McCallums sheep, hence the name. Thus it is a bit steeper than the other blue square trails so it is great on the way down.

Don’s Summit

This trail spirals to the top of one of the prominent hills in the network, which provides great views over Melrose . Rocks a plenty to test your riding abilities.

treat the trail, livestock and environment with respect and care. Watch out for the kangaroos – they are numerous and have been known to hitch a ride..

Please respect their land – they ask for NO DOGS or shuttling on their property.

Weaving camels

A creekside ramble through the Mount Creek past and under Eucalyptus cameldulensis (red gums – the camels). Take a picnic out to the redgum table at the end just before the Mt Remarkable Copper Mine (the other one).

Hellrose

Fast, furious and truly exhilarating. This trail provides a XC ride that will make you feel like a free rider with big jumps and berns to get the adrenalin flowing. It starts with a very technical climb then you can descend into Hellrose.

Out the Back

Some serious XC trail that brings you back out into Hellrose so you can do it all over again if you want to. Get ready for some tight corners and grunting climbs.

Greener Pastures

Hold on for the ride of the day as you drop back towards Melrose in what can only be explained as a blast of downhill riding that only the Southern Flinders Ranges can provide.

The Big Rhua

Gives a sneek peak of Hidden Valley past the bones of a big red macropod that didn’t make it out alive. A bit of tree-whippin’ and stump jumping.

Bear Pit

The pit is real and is similar to that found in the city of Bern in Switzerland. The story is that Bern was originally founded by a German Duke in 1191. When it came to finding a name for it, however, he was at somewhat of a loss. According to the legends of the city, he decided then to leave it to chance. He organized a hunting party and decreed that the first animal they killed would lend its name to this new city he had founded. That animal was a bear (Bern). Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (or Bärengraben). The pits here in Melrose were used for sawing logs and this is where the term ‘underdog’ comes from – that was the guy at the bottom of the 2-person cross cut saw eating sawdust… Not sure what any of this has to do with bears..

Hidden Valley

Now this place is special. You enter from the Picadilly Circus junction, cross the road and wind your way up over the old burnt log, working pretty hard and then you are on top of the world and heading down the hill past the jack rabbit hole and blasting through the scree, over the big log, over the ball bearings, around the big red gum, down the sketchy face back in the valley and past the big red’s bones. The finale is under a massive red camel looking out over the Willochra Plains before it intersects with the big Rhua again. This one is tough, with fine lines but it is very special. Stop for a picnic near the scree with some quondong leather, chocolate and red wine.

Edge Loop

The EDGE LOOP is in capital letters because it is EDGY and traverses a few rock garden edges at the native hibiscus outcrop. There are some pointy narguns and a few drops and it gets a wee biit slippy when we see moisture (rare these days). It starts and finishes at Picadilly Circus. Short but sweet and tends to go past bemused wallaroos, or euros to the locals. Can decide to opt out at the bottom and head back via The Big Rhua or Bear Pit to Weaving Camels. Alternatively, head into the Hidden Valley or grunt up Blazing Saddles and down Throwing Copper for a big adrenaline finish catching the cool air at the bottom of FFFT.

Blazing Saddles

Takes in the speccy lookout on bald hill (Maol Ban) with great views of the Willochra Plains, Mt Remarkable, Cathedral Rock and The Creagach. If you don’t know what the Creagach is you’ll have to head up there for a look – (hint: it is south of Cathedral Rock). Goes over a big dead gum which looks sketchy but it not as bad as it looks. runs past the mines, rock gardens, rabbit warrens and back up the road to Throwing Copper. This one is all natural and full of fibre, solar powered and just good for the soul – hurts a bit though, at times.

Throwing Copper

You can hum Lightning Crashes or even The Dam at Otter Creek if you like but hang on for some rapid fine lines and a lightning weaving finish through the mounded corrie below the copper mine. You will do this one faster and faster over time. Continue on down FFFT jump at the bottom and blast through the creek before coffee or beer or just do it all again or head North to Dodging Bullets.

Dodging Bullets

This baby starts just through the monument gate and turn right and then you are off through the hops and quandongs and christmas bushes, past a neolithic cave with a scary drop (stay on line here or die), out of the brush and over the creek and down a run that has some interesting features. Between trees, down logs and then over the fence and you are into a WWII rifle range with signs of yesteryear around. Enjoy the view from the top at the big sawpit and then thrash down the wooded gully and then down another gully (air to be had). Then it is the finale smashing down and weaving the final gully, up and jumping the dry dam bank and through the ruin then sweet melrose single track all the way back to the Monument.

Gnarly rock chutes, fast jumps, dirty half pipes action with a wall ride exit followed by some old school creek riding over rocks and logs. The final obstacle is a real killer so be confident. It’s not as hard as it looks.

We’re pretty well known for our world class single tracks here in Melrose but that’s not all we’ve got to offer!

Gravel Grind Loops

Come and check out our gravel grind loops – there’s various lengths to choose from but the most popular is the Silo Loop which sits at approximately 35km in length. If you’re not ready commit to a ride that long or on the other hand, if you’re up for a little bit more, there are plenty of picturesque options to choose from.

Road Riding

If the bitumen is calling your name then you’ve come to the right place! Melrose is a fantastic base point for venturing out on an epic road ride in either direction. You can head towards Murraytown, loop over to Wirrabarra, through Port Germaine Gorge and back to Melrose or why not go the other way – you can cycle over to Wilmington and then come on back for a recovery bite to eat! If you’re really after a challenge though, head out to Alligator Gorge for a ride that will push you to the limits but reward you with fantastic scenery. 3

Regular road rides run from Over The Edge with the Bike Melrose Reptiles. We hit the road on Saturday mornings somewhere between 6am – 7.30am (yes, it can vary!) and we ride for at least a couple of hours. These rides are posted on the Bike Melrose Reptiles Facebook page, with weekly updates shared on either Thursday or Friday – join the group if you’re keen to tag along!