Tassie Trails

This ride follows a 4WD track over the back of the Saw Back Range to the old mining town of Adamsfield and then back out again along Clear View Road.

It combines some fun, technical riding (and yes, a bit of pushing) as you climb up and descend along saw back track to Adamsfield, then you can enjoy a bit of fossicking before a much easier return route via Clear Hill Road.

The Clarence Mountain bike park is less than 10 minutes by car out of Hobart, and the 7km cross country trail provides a superb challenge for fit-intermediate riders and above.  For the rest of us mere mortals this park contains brutal sets of switchbacks that are sharp, steep, often rutted, and completely unforgiving.  If you're not sure of your skills I'd recommend the Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park over Clarence, but if you're up for the challenge … well here it is.

This route follows a circuit around the 4WD trails and firebreaks of Coningham Reserve. The riding is a bit of fun, but this ride is more for the locals looking for a short spin, or those just looking for somewhere new to go, this route is great when the wildflowers are out, but at anytime of year it provides some lovely views towards Mt Wellington and over the Derwent River.

The Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park is only 15 minutes from the centre of Hobart and contains cross country, downhill and jumps courses.   The Park has the added advantage of being connected to the wider network of trails across Mt Wellington.  The route described here is a 5km cross country course, but this is only one of a growing network of trails that can be ridden in the park.

Connecting together some of the most accessible off-road riding trails around Kingston, this loop is a great way to discover some trails close to Hobart and plant the seed for further exploration.
There are plenty of great views, beautiful, quiet trails, with a bit of technical fun, and even a bit of history all thrown in. Cap this off with a great downhill run at the end to take you home.  This is one of my favourite rides close to Hobart.

The Lime Bay Nature Reserve is seldom visited, but contains a surprisingly large network of  trails linking together some beautiful beaches and lagoons with some great convict history thrown in to boot.  These trails provides excellent riding options for both the family through to the hardcore cyclist looking for a hard workout along some tough sandy trails.  The route described here  tries to get you around to most of the best spots in the park, but the reserve is compact enough that you can just go out  there, point your wheel down a trail and go and explore.

The North-South Track is a shared use track for mountain bikers and bushwalkers on the flanks of Mt Wellington, and if you're only able to ride one track on Mt Wellington, this would be a good option.

The actual North South track goes roughly downhill from the Springs, and has a combination of twisting turns, great lines, good challenges and it's all set to a surprisingly scenic backgrop. One minute you can be looking down over most of Hobart, the next you can feel a world away.

The route described here also includes connecting sections to get you onto the track from the Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park and a bit of a loop down Radfords Track, which is a fun descent.

This little ride will definitely introduce you to some of Hobart’s best riding.

The ride out to the top of Pelverata Falls is a fun ride, with lots of big puddles and rocky sections to navigate through.

It is probably more for local riders looking for a short bit of technical riding with some nice views at the end.  However it can also make a great day out for less experienced riders (just so long as you are willing to walk your bike a bit) and there are plenty of options to extend this ride for those looking for more hours in the saddle.

I last rode this ride during a bit of a snow dump and it was absolutely magical fun.

The Peter Murrell Reserve, on the southern edge of Kingston, contains a network of tracks which are available to mountain bikers.  This route basically takes you on a circuit around the park and would be a good ride option for families looking for a day out with the kids with its easy to moderate riding and with dams, bush and wildlife to explore.

This has to be one of the easiest and best mountain bike trails near Hobart for those just wanting to go for a social cruise or family ride.
It follows the water pipe from Fern Tree out to near its start at the Wellington Fall weir 12kms away.  The ride itself is very scenic including some lovely bush sections and ending with increasingly great views out to Cathedral Rock on your left, and has plenty of places to explore along the way including silver and Wellington falls.
The route imperceptibly gains about 200 metres in height on its way out towards the weir, making the return ride particularly pleasurable and easy.