Samford Conservation Park / Ironbark Gully

Ironbark Gully / Samford Conservation Park MTB Trails, around 20 km north-west of Brisbane, is a popular South East Queensland mountain biking destination offering a mix of dedicated MTB singletrack and longer shared-use forest trails. The riding winds through open eucalypt forest and gullies, with a character that ranges from flowing contour trails to rocky technical sections, berms and fast descents. The official network is predominantly intermediate, with several difficult trails for experienced riders, making Samford particularly good for riders wanting to progress beyond beginner-level MTB. The current Queensland Parks network includes 12 designated MTB trails, plus a purpose-built warm-up area at Lomandra MTB. Intermediate options include Pipeline, Water Tank, Fitness Trail, Lorikeet, Bergin Creek, Bandicoot, Kombi, Mopoke, Green Tree Snake and Sunrise, while Sunset and Whipsnake are graded difficult. Pipeline and Water Tank offer relatively flat contour riding, while Fitness Trail introduces more climbing and undulating terrain. For riders chasing descending, Kombi is a roughly 2.7 km one-way intermediate trail running downhill towards the Lomandra trailhead, while Bandicoot delivers around 2.46 km of contouring singletrack including a natural rock garden before linking directly into Sunset. Sunset steps things up with a difficult, one-way descent featuring natural trail features and berms. Whipsnake, at around 2.3 km, provides another difficult downhill option for experienced riders. The Lomandra trailhead is the best starting point for exploring the network. Queensland Parks recommends using Green Tree Snake to access the shared trail network before climbing gently towards Three Ways Road. From there, riders can choose several suggested loops, including returning via Kombi, combining Bandicoot and Sunset, or taking Lorikeet, a fast and rocky intermediate descent. Samford also works brilliantly as part of a bigger Brisbane MTB adventure. Nearby Bunyaville Conservation Park has another dedicated mountain bike network, and the two parks can be linked by bike or reached with a short drive. Riders looking for longer and more demanding backcountry-style riding can also explore permitted MTB routes within nearby D’Aguilar National Park. RTS Tip: Start at Lomandra and use the warm-up area before heading onto Green Tree Snake and climbing towards Three Ways Road. For a solid intermediate loop, work your way towards Kombi or Lorikeet; confident riders can combine Bandicoot into Sunset for a more technical finish. Shared trails are also used by walkers and horse riders, with cyclists required to give way. Avoid riding after heavy rain or when trails are soft and muddy, and check current park alerts before heading out.