Woowookarung Regional Park

Woowookarung Regional Park, on the south-eastern edge of Ballarat, Victoria, offers a large network of shared-use forest roads and trails through more than 640 hectares of native bushland. Rather than a purpose-built MTB park, Woowookarung is best suited to cross-country mountain bikes and gravel bikes, with plenty of opportunities to create your own loops through rolling terrain, open forest and former gold-mining country. The park’s network of gravel roads, management tracks and narrower bush trails provides everything from relaxed family rides to longer, hillier adventures. Expect generally non-technical riding with some loose, rocky and uneven sections, short climbs and fast gravel descents. Routes can be linked in numerous combinations, making Woowookarung particularly good for riders who enjoy exploring rather than following a single marked MTB circuit. One of the park’s highlights is its setting. The trails pass through Messmate, Manna Gum and peppermint forest, with wildflowers particularly impressive during spring. The park also protects significant wildlife habitat and contains reminders of Ballarat’s gold-mining history scattered throughout the landscape. A popular destination within the park is the Woowookarung Lookout, which provides expansive views towards Ballarat and the surrounding countryside. The park also contains the Sensory Trail, a short accessible trail designed around experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the bush. While primarily designed for walkers, it adds to the range of recreational experiences available within the reserve. Woowookarung can also form part of a much bigger Ballarat riding day, with connections through surrounding roads and trails towards other cycling areas around the city. Its location only a few kilometres from central Ballarat makes it an easy option for a quick forest ride without travelling to a dedicated trail centre. RTS Tip: Think of Woowookarung as a gravel and XC exploration area rather than a signed MTB trail network. Download a map before you ride and use the network of forest roads and shared trails to build a loop that suits your distance and ability. Watch for walkers, runners and horse riders, and stick to tracks where cycling is permitted. Spring is a particularly good time to visit, when the wildflowers are out and the forest is at its best.