Mountain biking is a fun form of off-road cycling that allows you to get out and enjoy nature and explore areas you may not necessarily be able to reach by car or on foot.
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While cycling is not permitted in all parts of our national parks, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service does allow cycling and mountain biking in certain areas, which are clearly signposted, with trails for all levels of riders.
There are also other designated mountain bike tracks in and around the Illawarra to enjoy this weekend, or if you're in town for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
PLEASE NOTE: A number of alerts are in place in national parks in the area due to recent heavy rains, including closures of areas and entire parks in some cases. Please go to the alerts page and search for the park you wish to visit before setting off.
Read more: What to do in the Illawarra
Fitzroy Falls to Kangaroo Valley cycling route
Combining scenic riding with some steep downhill runs, adventurous mountain bikers can get their heart pumping through Fitzroy Falls to Kangaroo Valley cycling route.
The 30-kilometre one-way route will take about eight hours to complete and will allow you to see some of the best scenery in Morton National Park.
You will cycle to the top of Meryla Pass, head down through Yarrunga Creek Valley and finish in one of the most beautiful towns in the Southern Highlands.
Some sections of the route are steep, making it a challenging ride.
There are plenty of scenic spots along the route to stop for a rest, snack or lunch, and you may spot wombats, kangaroos and lyrebirds.
While you are able to complete the route in a day, there is also the option of doing it over two days and spending the night camping at Griffins Farm.
Details: Click here
Budderoo Track
Budderoo Track is a 24-kilometre return trail that can be used for cycling and will take about two hours to complete.
The track follows the scenic highlands on the western ridge of Budderoo National Park, where you will see heathlands and eucalypts.
As you pass through forests of bloodwood, you might see a swamp wallaby grazing in the grassy woodlands, while spring will see the heathlands erupt in vibrant wildflowers.
The flowers in turn attract birds, including the superb fairy wren and tawny crowned honeyeater, making it ideal for birdwatching.
Details: Click here
Bundanoon cycling route
South of Nowra, in Morton National Park, you will find Bundanoon cycling route.
The 14-kilometre return mountain bike track will take about three hours to complete but is classified as easy and is something the whole family can enjoy together.
Boasting amazing views from Southern Highland escarpment lookouts, you will ride along undulating unsealed roads through the open forest.
The trail weaves you past banksias and flowering shrubs until you come to the edge of the escarpment formed by Bundanoon Creek.
Here you will need to jump off and push your bike along the short walking paths to Tooths, Sunrise Point and Grand Canyon lookouts.
Inexperienced riders and children are best to avoid the steep route down Constitution Hill, and instead detour right down Gullies Road.
You may need to walk back up this dirt road on your return trip, but this route makes for a pretty, shaded trek.
There are an assortment of picnic areas along the way so make sure you pack lunch.
Details: Click here
Loftus loop trail
Loftus loop trail is located in the Royal National Park and is a 10-kilometre return trip that will take about 90 minutes to complete.
It consists of an eight-kilometre trail and two kilometres of designated bike track, and you can start or finish from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service office or join at any location on the loop.
While classified as 'easy', it will get your heart rate up due to the terrain, which changes from flat, wide trails to steep, single-track areas that can be a little rocky under your tyres.
There are also some steep sections around Temptation Creek so if you are not an experienced rider it's best to walk this section.
Details: Click here
Lady Carrington Drive
One of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's top picks for cycling adventures is Lady Carrington Drive, in the Royal National Park.
This historic cycling track near Audley follows the Hacking River and offers birdwatching, pretty picnic areas and history to explore.
The 10-kilometres track (each way) is graded 'easy', and will take about one to two hours to complete.
The route will take you across 15 creeks, identified by their Aboriginal names, and you will pass blue gums, turpentines and patches of rainforest.
You can take a short detour at Palona Brook to explore the sandstone cave, and when you get to the end you can take a walk along the Forest path.
Bring your binoculars if you want to do some bird watching along the way and listen for the mimicking call of the lyrebird. You may also see lace monitors and echidnas.
There are three picnic areas along the track so you will have plenty of places to stop for a rest.
Details: Click here
Cringila Hills Mountain Bike Park
Wollongong Council's Cringila Hills Mountain Bike Park offers almost 12-kilometres of trails for riders who range from beginners to advanced.
The tracks have a mix of gradients, surfaces and obstacles to make your ride fun and challenging.
The bike park is located in the hills of Cringila, and offers sweeping views over Wollongong's industrial landscape towards the ocean and Lake Illawarra.
10B cycling trail
The 10B cycling trail in Dharawal National Park is a 15-kilometre one-way cycling track that takes about three hours to complete.
The medium-grade trail starts near the Appin Road entrance of Dharawal National Park and follows an unsealed road through open forest and woodlands along a sandstone ridge.
This section of the ride is great for small groups and families with older children, while the last three kilometres is more challenging, as the trail descends into Stokes Creek Gorge.
The trail ends with a hard slog back up to the park's northern entrance at Wedderburn.
At the creek crossing there's a broad rock platform where you can stop for a break or a picnic and some birdwatching, with yellow-tailed black cockatoos found in the area.
It's a good idea to check the Think Before You Trek website before setting off and pack a topographic map and compass, or GPS.
Details: Click here
Cawleys Road trail
Located in Garawarra State Conservation Area just north of the Illawarra is Cawleys Road trail, a 2.4-kilometre one-way mountain bike track that will take 45 minutes to one hour and 15 minutes to complete.
The trail, which is shared with horse riders and bushwalkers, starts just off the old highway near Helensburgh and heads through low, open forest filled with scribbly gums, banksias and waratahs.
The wide track is generally flat and surfaced with bitumen and gravel, making it suitable for all mountain biking abilities.
You can stop for a breather and have enjoy a packed lunch at Kelly's Falls picnic area, where you will see a beautiful series of waterfalls cascading into a rainforest gully.
Mountain bikers can also explore some of the other trails connecting to Cawleys Road trail, where you might spot swamp wallabies or echidnas.
Honeyeaters and wattlebirds are attracted to the many wildflowers, including Gymea lilies, grevilleas and banksias.
Details: Click here
Eagle Rock Mountain Bike Trail
Eagle Rock Mountain Bike Trail is a 10-kilometre track in the Royal National Park that follows the Curra Moors loop track, which takes you from Sir Bertram Stevens Drive to Eagle Rock.
The track offers scenic views of sandstone cliffs, the coast and even a waterfall as well as great birdwatching.
You will pass through woodlands of scribbly gums and angophoras before opening up to heathland.
You may spot nectar-loving lewin's honeyeater and the eastern spinebill, while in spring, the wildflowers, in particular the hakeas, will come to life.
You can stop for a break at the spectacular Curracurrong waterfall, before taking a short detour north to Eagle Rock.
Keep an eye out for whales as they pass the coast during their annual migration.
Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area
There are numerous mountain biking trails in the Illawarra Escarpment, with planning currently under way to create a network of bike tracks to replace the unofficial trails that have popped up.
The aim is to make the experience safer and protect bushland from illegal mountain biking.
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