Mountain Biking

Tasmania right now is a cyclists wet dream with enough flow trail to keep any strava junky busy for months on end. With new trail networks opening up regularly from the stunning Blue Derby to the new Maydena train network Tasmania is now the best mountain biking destination any where in the southern hemisphere.

While some destinations claim to have mountain biking be warned, Tasmania is a serious destination for serious riders. If you spend your working week dreaming of riding trails then Tasmania has to be on the top of your list of places to ride.

Blue Derby

Derby in North East Tasmania is the epicentre of Mountain Biking in Tasmania. The town is surrounded by over 80km of what has been described by pro riders as some of the best single track any where in the world.

The Blue Derby Trials are sign posted top to bottom with a variety of trails to cater to all levels of riding with plenty of Blue and Green Trails to warm up on and some of the gnarliest Black Diamond runs you will find anywhere south of the equator.

If riding uphill isn't your style then make sure to check out one of the shuttle services running to the top of major trails including the Atlas Descent and Blue Tier Descent above the small town of Weldborough.

Hobart Mountain Biking

Hobart is home to some awesome trails with Mount Wellington, Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park, Clarence Mountain Bike Park and the Meehan Range all providing trail options just a quick 15 minute drive from the Hobart CBD.

On Mt Wellington you will find the classic North South Track which offers a dual direction trail running from the Springs along the mountain and into Glenorchy MTB Park.

On the Eastern Shore Clarence MTB Park gives you a number of loops including the 25km Meehan Monster course taking in the full range of trails on offer in the Park.

Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington is home to some of Hobart's best riding with trails such as North South and Big Bend offering a variety of challenges and plenty of descending.

The North South trail is the main trail on the mountain covering 14km between the Springs and Glenorchy MTB Park. This trail can be ridden in both directions giving riders the option of a 28km ride with around 600m of descent and climb.

Big bend is all about speed on fast and wide open fire trail. Make sure you have a lot of suspension and body armour for this one.

Eastern Shore Trails

On the eastern side of the river make sure to check out Clarence Mountain Bike park and the Meehan Range trails. These networks interlink giving you a good 25+ KM of amazing single track to ride. Keep an eye out for the Meehan Monster markers if you want a route to follow and be rewarded with stunning views out over Hobart, the Derwent River and Mount Wellington from the clifftops section, before dropping back in via some massive berms to the park.

Launceston Trails

Launceston like Derby has seen a boom in trails recently with plenty of new trails to ride at Hollybank and the Kate Reed and Trevallyn trail networks.

Hollybank MTB Trails

Hollybank Forest is a 15 minute drive from Launceston and is well worth spending a morning out there exploring the new trails. Built into a working forest plantation there are plenty of XC tracks to explore as well as the massive 10km Juggernaut down hill trail which includes a number of option Black Diamond features for more skilled riders. Once you are done on the trails you can test your skills in the bike park below with jumps, ladder drops and a wall ride to practice on.

Northwest Tasmania and the West Coast

If you are over groomed single track and are looking for a true wilderness experience then make sure to head out west. Tasmania's West Coast has some stunning rainforest and alpine plains to explore providing some of the best views in Tasmania.

Montezuma Falls

Montezuma falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Tasmania dropping 104 metres through the rainforest canopy. The ride starts at Williamsford and travels along old fire trail through the rainforest. The ride can be done a number of ways and is usually wet and muddy offering different challenges along the way so underestimate at your own peril.

Once at the falls you get a stunning view from the suspension bridge before heading back to Williamsford or continuing on to Zeehan through the button grass plains.

Check out Tassie Trails for more info on this ride.

Stirling Valley Track

The Stirling Valley Track is another classic West Coast ride descending from Mt Muchrison down into Rosebery. The ride has a 9km loop option or a full 21km loop which starts south of Tullah and takes you on a journey through Temperate rainforest. This track was a major section of the Wildside MTB race taking in the West and North West of Tasmania.

The riding here is steep, technical and remote so it's best to bring a mate or at least tell someone where you are going. Like most remote wilderness activities don't expect there to be any mobile signal so take care and if possible bring an EPIRB.

Check out Tassie Trails for more info on this ride.

Mt Donaldson Track

Mt Donaldson near Corina on the edge of the Tarkine recently was hit by a major bush fire and after some rehabilitation now has one of the best button grass and high planes rides you will find anywhere. The ride ascends through rainforest before coming out onto the plains and making its way to the top of Mt Donaldson.

Be wary on this track as it is shared use so it's possible you may come across walkers during your ride.