Ringwood to Belgrave Trail

The Ringwood to Belgrave Rail Trail is a roughly 17km sealed shared trail running from Ringwood through Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and into the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges at Belgrave. The route largely follows the Belgrave railway line, combining suburban cycling with increasingly leafy surroundings as you climb towards the hills. The trail passes through Heathmont, Bayswater, Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey and Tecoma before reaching Belgrave. Surfaces are predominantly asphalt and concrete, making it suitable for mountain bikes, hybrids, touring bikes and recreational riders. The first 10km towards Ferntree Gully is relatively straightforward, while the final 7km becomes hillier as the route climbs into the Dandenong Ranges. One of the most interesting sections begins around Upper Ferntree Gully, where parts of the trail follow the historic route once used by the Puffing Billy Railway before the suburban railway was modernised and extended to Belgrave in 1962. Finish in Belgrave and you’ll be only metres from the present-day Puffing Billy terminus. There are plenty of opportunities to extend the ride, with connections to the Dandenong Creek Trail, Blind Creek Trail, Ferny Creek Trail and Mullum Mullum Creek Trail. Regular railway stations along the route also make this an excellent point-to-point adventure without needing to organise a car shuttle. RTS Tip: Don’t let the “rail trail” name fool you into expecting a completely flat ride. The approach to Belgrave includes a reasonable climb and some steeper sections, along with road crossings, station areas and short roadside sections. A great option is to catch the train to Belgrave and ride back towards Ringwood if you’d prefer to tackle more of the route in the downhill direction.