Wild Mersey - Sheffield

The Sheffield MTB network is the eastern and most technically challenging part of Tasmania’s Wild Mersey Mountain Bike Trails, an interconnected system of more than 98 km of riding across Sheffield, Railton and Latrobe. Sheffield itself has around 30 km of diverse terrain, starting with flowing trails around the lower slopes before climbing into increasingly steep, rocky and technical country beneath Mount Roland. The network currently includes 14 named trails, with five easy, five moderate and four extreme-rated trails. Easier options include Badgers Run, Zen Garden, Gold Rush, Up Start and Railton Rattler, providing a good introduction before riders venture higher into the hills. Intermediate riders can progress onto Shredwater Creek, Blue Tongue, Bluetopia, Rock N Roland and Jack Jumper. These trails introduce more technical terrain and make greater use of Sheffield’s elevation, with the network becoming noticeably more challenging as you climb away from the trailhead. Experienced riders have several serious options, including Syked Out and Over Quolified, plus the short E-Challenge and Double Trouble extreme trails. Sheffield’s builders specifically describe the upper hills as becoming “super technical”, making this the Wild Mersey location best suited to riders chasing a step up from the predominantly green and blue riding elsewhere in the system. There are also several mapped loops that make exploring easy. The Run Around is approximately 5.5 km and easy-rated, while Little Combo provides an intermediate ride of around 8.7 km. Strong riders can tackle the 20.9 km Large Combo, which links ten trails and incorporates terrain extending towards Railton. A major attraction is the connection with the rest of Wild Mersey. Railton Rattler runs 9.5 km towards Railton, following the former railway corridor, allowing Sheffield and Railton to be incorporated into one substantial ride. From Railton, riders can continue through the wider network towards Latrobe for a genuine multi-town MTB adventure. The main Wild Mersey Sheffield Trailhead is on Badgers Road, around 3.2 km from central Sheffield via Nook Road. The location also puts riders beneath the spectacular Mount Roland and close to Sheffield itself, making it a great base for a multi-day Wild Mersey trip. RTS Tip: Sheffield is the one to choose if you're looking for the more technical side of Wild Mersey. Start with Badgers Run, Zen Garden or Gold Rush, then progress into the blue network before considering the extreme trails higher up. For a bigger day, use Railton Rattler to connect Sheffield and Railton rather than driving between the two. Download the current map and check trail status before setting out, particularly after storms or wet weather.