Rail Trails and Cycling Trails in NSW

Do you like the idea of cycling into small country towns and exploring rural communities that welcome cyclists and offer great country hospitality?

Just across the border from us in Queensland, and extending further down into central and southern NSW, there are three excellent multi-day cycling trail networks. And, with the recent announcement that Byron Shire has voted yes, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail could be added to the list in time too (read more on this below). 

This article covers four epic trail destinations for multi-day cycling adventures plus we also include some beautiful, not-to-be missed shorter rail trail and day rides. 

Featured Trails

Our featured multi-day destinations are:

• Orange 360, Orange Villages Trail where our EBB Owners Club is headed in April
• Central West Cycle Trail, near Dubbo. 
• Bicentennial National Trail, covering the length of NSW 
• Northern Rivers Rail Trail, sections still under construction but included as it is still a great cycling destination 

Also included are these rail trail and day rides: 

• Some local suggestions for the Northern Rivers 
• Riverina Highlands Rail Trail
• Wolgan Valley Rail Trail

Orange 360 - Orange Villages Bike Trail

The Orange Villages Bike Trail is a picturesque cycling route that offers a 360km circuit around Mount Conobolas in the Central Tablelands region. It starts and finishes in the town of Orange, passing through the smaller towns and villages of the area, keeping Orange central as you ride. 

The route was developed for bikepackers and cycle tourists and shows off the natural beauty of the region, encouraging visitors to enjoy the food and wine that the region has become known for along the way. 

The trail utilises secondary rural bitumen roads and gravel tracks to avoid heavy traffic, and there are some sections that have quite a bit of climbing. Great for ebikes!

Ride some of it. Ride the whole circuit. The options are there for you to create a memorable and enjoyable cycling trip.

Want more information?

Visit the Orange 360 website for a section by section breakdown to help you plan your route. 

Also see Andrew's Trip Overview for a personal account of the trip that Andrew, one of our customers, completed in Autumn a few years ago. 

Central West Cycle Trail

Launched in July 2020, the Central West Cycle Trail takes cyclists on 400km circuit of the central west region visiting numerous small towns and taking in some beautiful, outback countryside in the Wiradjuri nation.

The trail has been mapped to avoid busy roads and encourage visitors to enjoy some great country hospitality and culture along the way, with farm morning tea and lunch stops one of the highlights. 

Trail Sections

There are ten trail sections and a host of food, accommodation and off-bike things visitors can do. For example, spend a couple of days in the town of Dubbo and see the impressive Dubbo Zoo.

If you choose to ride through the whole 400km circuit, you’ll be riding through the backroads of Mudgee, Gulgong, Dunedoo, Mendooran, Ballimore, Dubbo, Geurie, Wellington, Goolma, finishing back at Gulgong and Mudgee. 

You can also choose to just ride stages of it too. 

Want more information?

Download the full and sectional maps and Ride with GPS coordinates here: Maps – Central West Cycle Trail

Image credit: Destination NSW

Visit the Central West Cycle Trail information page for more details on accommodation, tours and transport options.

The visitor information centres are very helpful with route planning and things to do too and we list the main ones along the trail here: 

Bicentennial National Trail

This is an epic ride indeed! The Bicentennial trail actually starts in Cooktown, Queensland, and finishes at Healesville, Victoria. So, it covers the entire length of NSW.

You will ride through some stunning countryside, and there is plenty of adventure with this trail as much of it is not on sealed or groomed tracks.

The trail exits Queensland through the town of Killarney and enters NSW through the village of Ebor. From there, bikers will follow the river through the Guy Fawkes National Park, to Barrington Tops and through Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.

In a nutshell it follows the Great Dividing Range from Barrington Tops through to Jenolan Caves in the Blue Mountains and from there you make your way to Mount Kosciuszko. Keep going to Omeo and you cross the border into Victoria along the way. 

This trail is not recommended for beginners and the faint-hearted - recent riders have taken 9 months to complete it end-to-end!

However if you are looking for an epic adventure this is one to put on your list or just pick a section of it that appeals.

The best place for further information including trail maps is the Bicentennial Trail website. 

Northern Rivers Rail Trail 

Coming soon! We say 'coming soon' meaning one day we hope to have a Rail Trail that will span 132km from Murwillumbah to Casino, passing through Mullumbimby, Byron Bay and Lismore. 

Two sections of this are open now and both are proving to be excellent day (or more) trips. 

Once fully open, this trail will traverse through a World Heritage region, renowned for its beauty, food, music and arts, and the wonderful laid-back vibe of the northern NSW towns. 

What's Ready to Ride

Two sections, at the northern and southern end, are completed:

Northern end: Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek. Also known as the Tweed Valley Rail Trail is a 24km beautifully constructed trail that has surpassed everyone's expectations with how popular it would be! Riding through the stunning Tweed Valley you enjoy some adventure with the long tunnel (with glow worms!) and some interesting heritage and great cafes and pubs along the way. 

Southern end: The Casino to Lismore Rail Trail, another beautifully constructed and well maintained trail of almost 30km. Very scenic it passes Naughtons Gap Tunnel and crosses numerous creeks and historic railway bridges. Only recently opened it, too, is proving to be a top destination to ride. 

What's To Come 

The bit in the middle! This has been quite controversial. Byron Shire, until now, has preferred to reinstate the train service.