Mount Cotton

Mount Cotton, on Queensland’s Redlands Coast south-east of Brisbane, is home to the Eastern Escarpment Conservation Area, a 186-hectare reserve offering an impressive network of purpose-built mountain bike and shared-use trails. The riding climbs through open eucalypt forest and pockets of dry rainforest on the slopes of Mount Cotton, with everything from easier flowing contour trails through to technical blue and dedicated black-diamond MTB trails featuring more challenging obstacles and features. The broader network includes around 25 km of shared and multi-use trails plus dedicated downhill riding, making Mount Cotton a great destination for trail, enduro and cross-country riders looking for mountain biking close to Brisbane and the Redlands. A major highlight is the variety of terrain. Riders can tackle flowing singletrack, sustained climbing, rocky and technical sections and gravity-focused descents, while the summit area provides expansive views across South East Queensland. The main trailhead on West Mount Cotton Road has parking, toilets, drinking water, shelter and a bike repair station, making it easy to base a few hours of riding from one location. Some trails also provide adaptive mountain bike access. Mount Cotton also sits close to Bayview Conservation Park, which has around 60 km of additional bushwalking and mountain bike trails, making the Redlands Coast an excellent area for riders wanting to explore several MTB networks over a weekend. RTS Tip: Check the latest Eastern Escarpment trail map before riding. The Summit Track and Metamorphic Trail were realigned in 2026 after public access through an adjoining section of private property ended, so older maps and GPS routes may no longer be accurate. Stick to the signed entrances and trails, start within your ability and work up to the black-diamond gravity lines once you know the terrain.