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The Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail is a scenic 15km shared trail from Clematis to Gembrook, winding through the hills and forests of Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges. The route links Clematis, Emerald, Cockatoo and Gembrook, passing through Emerald Lake Park and Wright Forest and running alongside sections of the famous Puffing Billy Railway. Expect beautiful eucalypt forest, fern-filled gullies, farmland and plenty of opportunities to stop in the small towns along the way. Unlike a traditional flat rail trail, the route moves away from the old railway alignment in places and includes some steeper climbs and undulating terrain, making it better suited to mountain bikes, gravel bikes and confident recreational riders. The combination of bushland, railway history and village stops makes this a great trail to explore as a full ride or in shorter sections. RTS Tip: The Emerald to Cockatoo section is a great option if you don’t want to tackle the entire trail, taking you through Emerald Lake Park and Wright Forest. For the full experience, allow time for a coffee or food stop in Emerald, Cockatoo or Gembrook — and keep an eye out for Puffing Billy as the trail runs alongside the railway in several sections.

The Ringwood – Belgrave Rail Trail, also known as the Belgrave Rail Trail or Heathmont to Belgrave Trail, is a roughly 17 km shared cycling and walking route through Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and into the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. The trail runs alongside the active Belgrave railway line, travelling through Ringwood, Heathmont, Bayswater, Boronia, Ferntree Gully, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey and Tecoma before reaching Belgrave. Predominantly sealed with asphalt and concrete, it’s suitable for road bikes, gravel bikes, hybrids, e-bikes, families and recreational cyclists. The first 10 km from Ringwood towards Ferntree Gully has a distinctly suburban character, following wide shared paths beside the railway and passing parks, shopping areas and several railway stations. Around Heathmont, the route briefly joins the Dandenong Creek Trail, providing an excellent connection into Melbourne’s extensive eastern shared-path network. Bayswater, Boronia and Ferntree Gully all offer cafés, shops, toilets and train access, making it easy to shorten the ride if needed. Beyond Upper Ferntree Gully, the scenery and riding change considerably as the trail begins climbing into the Dandenong Ranges. The surroundings become increasingly leafy and forested, with the route incorporating sections of the historic alignment once used by the narrow-gauge railway that became Puffing Billy. Riders pass through Upwey and Tecoma, with several roadside shared-path sections and some noticeably steeper climbing before reaching Belgrave. The railway history is one of the highlights. The original Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook narrow-gauge railway opened in 1900, carrying passengers, timber and agricultural produce through the Dandenong Ranges. After closure in the 1950s, preservation efforts eventually created the famous Puffing Billy Railway. When the modern suburban railway was extended and electrified to Belgrave in the early 1960s, parts of the abandoned narrow-gauge alignment became available for what is now the cycling and walking trail. Belgrave makes a great destination, with plenty of cafés and shops and the famous Puffing Billy Railway station only metres from the trail's end. Riders wanting to explore further into the Dandenong Ranges can also investigate the Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail, a separate 15 km route between Clematis and Gembrook that again follows sections of the Puffing Billy corridor. RTS Tip: If climbing isn't your thing, take advantage of the railway running alongside the trail: catch a Belgrave Line train uphill to Belgrave and ride predominantly downhill back towards Ringwood. If riding Ringwood to Belgrave, save some energy for the final section — the climb becomes more noticeable after Upper Ferntree Gully and there’s a particularly steep pinch approaching Belgrave. Navigation can also be tricky around station car parks and road crossings, so download the route before setting out. For more kilometres, connect with the Dandenong Creek Trail or EastLink Trail around the Ringwood/Heathmont end.

The Silvan MTB Trails, in the Silvan area of Dandenong Ranges National Park east of Melbourne, offer around 13 km of formally designated mountain bike singletrack, backed by an extensive network of management vehicle tracks that can be used to create much longer rides. Set beneath the Dandenong Ranges’ tall forest canopy, Silvan has a distinctly natural, hand-built character, with hard-packed clay, roots, logs, ruts, short punchy climbs and fast flowing descents. The official network provides beginner and intermediate opportunities, although much of the singletrack is best enjoyed by confident intermediate riders. Silvan isn’t a manicured bike park; much of its appeal comes from exploring interconnected forest trails. Popular trails include Magpie, Twisted Sister, Bakers Dozen, Yarbung, Temple of Zoom, Downhill and Huds. Magpie mixes pinchy climbing with roots, logs and flowing XC sections, while Temple of Zoom delivers 1.6 km of descending with speed, berms, ruts, steep corners and a few short climbs. The aptly named Downhill is a 700 m one-way descent with small jumps, ruts, steeper lines and log features, providing plenty of fun for trail and enduro bikes without being a full-on downhill race track. Huds sits farther south-east near the Silvan Reservoir boundary and RJ Hamer Arboretum. This 1 km one-way descent is smoother and faster, winding through the forest with large-radius corners before emerging near Silvan Road. Another standout is Tchan’s / Avec Plaisir, around 2.1 km of twisting singletrack featuring numerous corners, wide berms, fast straights and a large log rollover. For a longer outing, local riders have created several loops linking the singletrack with forest roads. A popular Hills and Valleys blue loop is around 16 km with roughly 500 m of climbing, combining trails including Magpie, Twisted Sister, Bakers Dozen and Burnt Out Climb. This gives a good indication of Silvan’s character: distances might not look huge, but the repeated climbing can make for a substantial workout. The easiest starting point is Silvan Reservoir Picnic Area, where there is parking, toilets, picnic tables, barbecues and drinking water. From here, ride around 500 m along Stonyford Road to Track 13, which leads into the Forest Flow network. Another option is RJ Hamer Arboretum, providing access towards Huds. The trails are managed by Parks Victoria with support from Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers, who assist with ongoing maintenance. RTS Tip: Silvan is one of those networks where having a map makes a big difference. The singletrack is scattered through a much larger maze of forest management tracks, so download the current Parks Victoria map or Trailforks before setting off. For a first visit, start from Silvan Reservoir Picnic Area and build a loop around the central trails before venturing farther towards Huds or Tchan’s. The hard-packed clay, roots and steep sections can become much trickier after rain, and temporary closures can occur following storms or during trail works, so check current Parks Victoria conditions before riding.

Colchester Road is a useful cycling connection in Melbourne’s outer east, linking the Dandenong Creek Trail area around Bayswater and Kilsyth with routes heading towards The Basin and the Dandenong Ranges. It’s particularly handy for riders using Melbourne’s shared-path network as the starting point for a longer road, gravel or mixed-surface adventure. For cyclists heading towards the Dandenongs, Colchester Road provides a connection from the Dandenong Creek Trail towards Mountain Highway, opening up options to continue towards The Basin and some of the region’s well-known climbing routes. Local riders also note that sections beyond the Colchester Road area transition onto gravel, giving riders opportunities to mix sealed paths and unsealed riding. This is not a dedicated MTB park or standalone recreational trail, but rather a useful piece of the wider eastern Melbourne cycling network. It works best when incorporated into a longer route using nearby shared paths, quiet roads and gravel connections. For riders searching for Colchester Road cycling, Bayswater cycling, Kilsyth bike routes, Dandenong Creek Trail connections or cycling to the Dandenong Ranges, it’s a handy route to know when piecing together a bigger ride. RTS Tip: 🚲 Think connection rather than destination with this one. Colchester Road is most useful for linking the Dandenong Creek Trail and surrounding paths with rides towards The Basin and Dandenong Ranges. Some sections involve riding on-road and negotiating intersections, so plan your route beforehand and take extra care around traffic.

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.