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Bantry Bay (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Bruce Ridge (Canberra)
Bungarra Alpine Centre (Snowy Mountains)
Currumbin Border Track (NSW/QLD Border)
Daisy Hill (South Brisbane)
East Kowen (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
Forest Pipeline (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Fred Caterson Reserve (Castle Hill)
Golden Jubilee Field MTB Park (North Shore, Sydney)
Hassans Walls (Lithgow)
Hinze Dam (Gold Coast)
Jackson (Jackson)
Jindabyne (Snowy Mountains)
Kiwarrak State Forest (Tarree)
Majura Pines (Majura, Canberra)
Manly Dam (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Mt Joyce (Gold Coast Hinterland)
Mt Kosciuszko (Snowy Mountains)
Nerang State Forest (Gold Coast)
Newnes (Lithgow)
Old Man's Valley (Hornsby, Sydney)
Ourimbah (Central Coast)
Oxford Falls (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Pilot Wilderness (Snowy Mountains)
Red Hill (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
Rotorua Redwoods (New Zealand)
Silver Mountain (Kellogg)
Singleton (Hunter Valley)
Sparrow Hill (Kowen Pine Forest, Canberra)
St Ives and Belrose (North Shore, Sydney)
Stromlo Forest Park (Canberra)
Terrey Hills (Northern Beaches, Sydney)
The Oaks (Blue Mountains)
Thredbo Resort (Snowy Mountains)
Thredbo Valley Trail (Snowy Mountains)
Whistler Bike Park (Whistler)
Wingello (Southern Highlands)
Wylde MTB Trail (Cecil Park - Western Sydney)
#ThursdaysTrail - Lake Crackenback and Thredbo River
The Video:
The Why:
If you've gone through my trail list you will notice that I'm a big fan of mountain biking in the NSW Snowy Mountains. This 4.5km (one way) trail is a great beginners run that can be ridden at any time of the year - however it can get boggy in winter - see my video of the Lake Crackenback Loop taken during a snow storm.
The trail is a fun winding XC single trail with some awesome views of the Thredbo Valley. It's a great ride to chill out on.
(the silent bits in the video are when I'm telling the boy off for riding to slow ... or too fast.)
Who For:
This trail is suitable for any level of rider and a great trail for first time single track riders.
About the Trail Centre:
The Thredbo River area is a green trail zone. While the official maps have some blue trails (including the lower section of this video) they are still very much beginner trails just a bit narrower, more undulating and contain some in-trail rocks and roots.
#ThursdaysTrail:
My #ThursdaysTrail starts from the top of the Lake Crackenback Resort. Turn off the Alpine Way into the resort grounds and about 50m on the left is a lay-away with a trail sign. This is the start of the trail. Parking at the resort centre about 100m down the road to the right.
In the video I have come from the other side of the road, which is where the Skills, Flow and Pump track area is - Definitely worth a ride!
From the trail sign the track shoots off across the open grasslands and into the trees for a fun section containing a few flowy corners with some small banks to help you around. The trail descends into the valley and turns back up hill for a little way before descending to the bottom (western) end of the resort grounds. The trail exits the trees and runs parallel to the road through some open grass areas before crossing a picturesque cobblestone bridge.
The trail then follows the creek down to the Thredbo river. This section has both blue and green trail options with the blue section (as seen in this #ThursdaysTrail video) containing some simple technicals that will test beginners. Dips, turns on short steep climbs, in-trail rocks and even some ladder bridges make this section a great play area, even the more experienced will have fun trying to pump their way through this section.
When the trail meets the Thredbo River it turns right and follows the river for a further 1.9kms. There are both Blue and Green trail options, the blue trail (as seen in this #ThursdaysTrail video) contains a few technical challenges but it's generally quite cruisey, not to mention picturesque! Click here to watch the Thredbo River Ride green trail we rode on the way back.
This trail is a great ride for all the family through the amazing alpine bush. There is a VERY good chance you will run into Kangaroos and possibly even Emus.
You can hire hard tail mountain bikes from the Lake Crackenback Resort centre but now that you know, bring your bike down with you regardless of the season!!
Also worth looking at:
- Lake Crackenback Resort loop - Do the loop as a standalone ride or do the back side of the loop on the way back. Its well worth the ride
- Play around in the Lake Crackenback Skills, Flow and Pump track. I spent hours out there with the boy practicing my cornering.
- Thredbo Diggings - Take the road left to Bullocks flat (8:34 on the video, just before I tell my son to go "ah left, left, left, left") and then follow the single track over the hill to Thredbo Diggings (this is currently being extended and will eventually meet up with the trail coming down from Thredbo Resort.
Trail Centres and Trails featured in this blog