Mount Lofty

Mount Lofty, rising above Adelaide in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, offers a fantastic mix of mountain biking, shared-use trails and challenging road cycling within and around Cleland National Park. Rather than being a single MTB park, Mount Lofty forms part of a much larger network of fire tracks and designated cycling trails connecting Crafers, Cleland Wildlife Park, Chambers Gully and Mount Lofty Summit. Riders can expect sustained climbing, fast fire-road descents, natural surfaces, creek crossings, stringybark and blue gum forest and spectacular views across Adelaide and the surrounding Mount Lofty Ranges. Popular MTB options include the Crafers to Mount Lofty Link Trail, Wine Shanty Trail, Chambers Gully to Crafers Link, Measdays Loop and Adventure Loop. The Steub Trail provides a gentler 7 km return route between Cleland Wildlife Park and Mount Lofty Summit, while the 12 km one-way Chambers Gully to Crafers Link can be extended with a 2.6 km spur to the summit. Riders looking for a longer adventure can combine several of these shared-use trails into a substantial loop through Cleland National Park. Mount Lofty is also one of Adelaide’s iconic road cycling climbs. The Old Freeway/Crafers Bikeway provides roughly 9 km of climbing from near the Glen Osmond Tollgate towards Crafers, with riders able to continue to Mount Lofty Summit. The surrounding Adelaide Hills roads then open up numerous longer cycling routes through Stirling, Uraidla, Basket Range and Mount George. RTS Tip: Mount Lofty is a shared-trail riding area, not an unrestricted MTB network. Bikes are permitted on public roads and specifically designated cycling and shared-use tracks within Cleland National Park, while many of the famous walking trails are not open to bikes. Download the current Cleland bike trail map before riding and pay attention to signage. If you’re heading for the summit, be prepared for plenty of climbing — but the views across Adelaide make a pretty good reward.