Mt Stromlo Forest Park

Olympic-legacy mountain bike park in Canberra with 50+ km of trails including World Cup XC and downhill courses, criterium loop and skills areas.

Mount Stromlo Forest Park, on the western edge of Canberra, is one of Australia's most historically significant mountain biking destinations. Originally a pine plantation devastated by the 2003 Canberra bushfires, it was rebuilt with a comprehensive mountain bike network and hosted the 2009 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, the highest-profile MTB event ever held on Australian soil. It remains the country's premier cross-country (XC) and downhill (DH) racing venue, regularly hosting national rounds, World Cup events and Crankworx-style festivals.

The park has over 50 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails arranged in stacked loops on the lower slopes of Mount Stromlo, with the iconic Stromlo Observatory and bushfire memorial at the summit. Trails are graded from green family loops in the dual-track "Skyline" area through to the World Championship XC course (technical, punchy, fast) and three permanent downhill tracks (Luge, Pork Barrel and the World Champs DH track) that are shuttle-accessible by car up the public summit road.

For riders, Stromlo offers an unusual mix of facilities for an Australian MTB venue: a velodrome-style criterium loop, a 4X dual slalom course, two pump tracks, a dirt jumps area, learn-to-ride zone, and the Skills Loop. The Stromlo Forest Park Cafe at the trailhead, dedicated bike-wash, change rooms and large sealed parking area make it one of the most rider-friendly trailheads in the country. There is no on-site bike hire, but Canberra's MTB shops (Mountain Bikes UC, Onya Bike, Trek Canberra) all offer rental and shuttle support.

Stromlo's terrain is dry, fast and rocky — open eucalypt regrowth on volcanic and granitic soils, with hardpack surfaces that ride well even after rain. The trails feature granite armouring, rock gardens, jumps, drops and big sweeping berms. It is highly accessible (15 minutes drive from central Canberra) and has no entry fee.

Best ridden year-round, with autumn and spring optimal — Canberra summers can exceed 35°C and winter mornings drop below freezing. There is no on-site accommodation; riders stay in central Canberra and commute. Stromlo is most often combined with Kowen Forest (across town) and the Majura Pines network for a multi-day Canberra MTB trip.