Ringwood – Belgrave Rail Trail

The Ringwood – Belgrave Rail Trail, also known as the Belgrave Rail Trail or Heathmont to Belgrave Trail, is a roughly 17 km shared cycling and walking route through Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and into the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. The trail runs alongside the active Belgrave railway line, travelling through Ringwood, Heathmont, Bayswater, Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey and Tecoma before reaching Belgrave. Predominantly sealed with asphalt and concrete, it’s suitable for road bikes, gravel bikes, hybrids, e-bikes, families and recreational cyclists. The first 10 km from Ringwood towards Ferntree Gully has a distinctly suburban character, following wide shared paths beside the railway and passing parks, shopping areas and several railway stations. Around Heathmont, the route briefly joins the Dandenong Creek Trail, providing an excellent connection into Melbourne’s extensive eastern shared-path network. Bayswater, Boronia and Ferntree Gully all offer cafés, shops, toilets and train access, making it easy to shorten the ride if needed. Beyond Upper Ferntree Gully, the scenery and riding change considerably as the trail begins climbing into the Dandenong Ranges. The surroundings become increasingly leafy and forested, with the route incorporating sections of the historic alignment once used by the narrow-gauge railway that became Puffing Billy. Riders pass through Upwey and Tecoma, with several roadside shared-path sections and some noticeably steeper climbing before reaching Belgrave. The railway history is one of the highlights. The original Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook narrow-gauge railway opened in 1900, carrying passengers, timber and agricultural produce through the Dandenong Ranges. After closure in the 1950s, preservation efforts eventually created the famous Puffing Billy Railway. When the modern suburban railway was extended and electrified to Belgrave in the early 1960s, parts of the abandoned narrow-gauge alignment became available for what is now the cycling and walking trail. Belgrave makes a great destination, with plenty of cafés and shops and the famous Puffing Billy Railway station only metres from the trail's end. Riders wanting to explore further into the Dandenong Ranges can also investigate the Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail, a separate 15 km route between Clematis and Gembrook that again follows sections of the Puffing Billy corridor. RTS Tip: If climbing isn't your thing, take advantage of the railway running alongside the trail: catch a Belgrave Line train uphill to Belgrave and ride predominantly downhill back towards Ringwood. If riding Ringwood to Belgrave, save some energy for the final section — the climb becomes more noticeable after Upper Ferntree Gully and there’s a particularly steep pinch approaching Belgrave. Navigation can also be tricky around station car parks and road crossings, so download the route before setting out. For more kilometres, connect with the Dandenong Creek Trail or EastLink Trail around the Ringwood/Heathmont end.