Putting the Mountain back into Mountain Biking
Known as Australia’s mountain biking capital, Tasmania is threaded with purpose-built, award-winning tracks through spectacular landscapes – from sky to sea, rainforest to beach, granite to buttongrass plains.
The West Coast Mountain Bike Trails provide an experience like no other in the Southern Hemisphere, with dramatic rocky slopes, stunning views and an elevation range exceeding 800m. The trails span across three locations: Mt Owen Queenstown, Silver City in Zeehan and the greater West Coast.
Stage one launched in 2021 and encompasses 35km of trail on upper Mt Owen in Queenstown, plus 1.7km of green trails on the lower mountain. Stage two launched in December 2022 and encompasses two large, looped trails of 34.5km on the Heemskirk Range, just outside of Zeehan.
Checkout a sneak peak of the trails below – full trail details including maps, difficulty levels & shuttle information, can be found on the dedicated West Coast Tas MTB website:
Located on the outskirts of Zeehan and incorporating the popular Oonah Hill trail, the Silver City trail network in the Heemskirk Reserve is all about adventure.
With over 85 kms of trails, the network takes riders through a surprisingly diverse landscape – trails journey through cool temperate rainforest, landscapes that echo its mining history and rolling buttongrass plains and alpine plateaus. A free-for-all adventure with a trail for everyone.
Upper Mt Owen trails may only be accessed via shuttle and are only suitable for experienced and confident riders. These trails are physically demanding back-country style trails featuring loose surfaces, steep gradients and rocky terrain. The trails are well known for the incredible, 360-degree views from the shuttle drop off point and various scenic outlooks along the trails.
Mt Owen’s Lower Mountain trails may be accessed via the Queenstown trailhead in Tramway Street and do not require a shuttle uplift. featuring some more gentle green (beginner) trails and shorter distance riding opportunities – great for newer riders to progress their fitness and skill levels. Riders can also access some longer, harder intermediate trails featuring (more) amazing views.
In addition to the many riders on these trails, we remind everyone that the trails are also an active work site. The Mt Owen access road is maintained and serviced by West Coast Council employees.
Therefore, priority and respect shall be given to the infrastructure representatives. All access enquiries, including filming, must be made to West Coast Council by emailing wcc@www.westcoast.tas.gov.au or call 6471 4700.
Pedal Ocean Beach, the longest in Tassie, or ride suspended over a river on the way to Montezuma, Tassie’s highest waterfall.
From green to intermediate, The Rest of the West Coast Tas MTB trails should also be on your bucket list.
As the MTB scene grows, statewide, nationally and internationally, the MTB networks on the West Coast have already been praised as some of the best in world.
Both Silver City and Mt Owen networks have been tried and tested, having hosted Tas Gravity Enduro Series, Trans Tas Enduro and both have capacity for heli-biking.
Please contact our Growth & Change team to discuss hosting your MTB event on the West Coast!