You Yangs – Kurrajong

The Kurrajong Mountain Bike Area, within You Yangs Regional Park between Melbourne and Geelong, is the easier and more family-friendly half of the You Yangs MTB network. While nearby Stockyards is known for steep, rocky and technical riding, Kurrajong offers around 20 km of flatter, flowing trails through established eucalypt and Sugar Gum plantations. It’s an excellent destination for beginners, families and developing riders, while still providing enough speed and features to entertain experienced XC riders. The core network includes Plantation Track (7.5 km), Lumberjack Track (5 km) and Axeman’s Track (2.5 km). Plantation is the longest, with fast, winding riding through the plantation, while Lumberjack delivers tight and flowing singletrack that’s particularly good for practising cornering and carrying speed. Axeman’s is a shorter twisting trail that provides another approachable introduction to mountain biking. Riders looking for a step up can add Chainsaw Track (3.5 km), which introduces four-cross-style singletrack, larger berms and dirt jumps. Junction Track (4.5 km) connects Kurrajong with the more technical Stockyards network and incorporates rock gardens, dirt jumps, berms and boardwalk sections. Riding it from Kurrajong towards Stockyards also provides a solid climbing challenge. The Eastern Epic (4.5 km) adds another option, linking the park entrances at Toynes Road and Branch Road with Kurrajong. Although officially easy-rated, it still packs in plenty of twists, boardwalks and banked corners and can be incorporated into longer adventures around the park. Kurrajong is part of the wider You Yangs MTB destination, which contains more than 50 km of purpose-built trails across Kurrajong and Stockyards. The two areas can be linked for riders wanting to progress from Kurrajong’s smoother XC terrain into Stockyards’ much rockier and more technical riding. RTS Tip: Kurrajong is the place to start if you’re new to the You Yangs. Try Lumberjack and Axeman’s first, then add Plantation for a longer XC ride. Once you’re comfortable, Chainsaw provides a great progression into jumps and bigger berms before making the move across to Stockyards. The trails can become vulnerable when wet, so avoid riding soft or muddy trails and always check current Parks Victoria conditions before heading out.