TourismCycling

Epic bike trial opens in Mount Remarkable National Park in South Australia's Flinders Ranges near Melrose

Epic bike trial opens in Mount Remarkable National Park in South Australia's Flinders Ranges near Melrose
The Epic Mountain Bike Trail through hrough Mount Remarkable National Park, near Melrose in South Australia's southern Flinders Ranges, linked at ground level with Willowie Forest mountain bike trails.
Image courtesy South Australian government environment and water department

The 38-kilometre Epic Mountain Bike Trail, near Melrose, 265 kilometres north of Adelaide in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, opened in 2023.

The trail wound through Mount Remarkable National Park and adjacent private land, traversing the western flank of Mount Remarkable. Riders were treated to spectacular views of Black Range on the western side of the trail, before being looped back toward Melrose beneath the Gibraltar Rock formations. The trail had 1,500 metres of climbing elevation and a near-continuous six-kilometre descent, linking the $1.8 million trail to the ground level of the nearby Willowie Forest mountain bike trails.

The Epic trail was designed by South Australian company TrailScapes, a construction specialist in high-quality trails with minimal impact on the surrounding environment. The detailed alignment of the trail was designed by closely consulting with the Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation to ensure the trail didn’t disturb any sites of cultural significance and to ensure cultural respect.

The Epic Mountain Bike Trail was a major component of the $10 million Remarkable Southern Flinders agreement, funded by the South Australian and Australian governments and supported by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. The Australian government gave $5 million to this agreement.

The agreement also included 20 kilometres of new trails in Mount Remarkable National Park at Willowie, an upgrade of the Mambray Creek campground and day visitor area, and new and improved day visitor amenities at nearby Wirrabara. Other partners in the agreement includes Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid North, District Council of Mount Remarkable, Port Pirie Regional Council, Northern Areas Council and the Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation.

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