Narooma MTB Review: 85 km of South Coast Singletrack
Drop into Goodbye Gravity on a clear October morning — coastal eucalypts filtering the light, loose granite underfoot — and the argument for making the drive to Narooma makes itself. The Narooma mountain bike trails run 85 km across 54 named trails in Bodalla State Forest, about 10 minutes north of Narooma township on the NSW South Coast: three zones, free entry, and a paid shuttle for the gravity descents.
The network came out of the 2019–20 Black Summer fires. NSW committed ~$4.1 million from its Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund to more than double the existing ~30 km volunteer network, contracting Dirt Art — the same builder behind Blue Derby, Maydena and Mogo — to add 58 km of new trail. It opened in late 2023. In its first year it drew 63,000+ riders and an estimated $69.5 million in visitor spending into the Eurobodalla region.
Quick picks
- Signature descent: Goodbye Gravity — A-Line-style flow, the Gravity Zone showpiece
- Best rock feature: The Tunnel — hand-built rock-and-flow sequence, Gravity Zone
- Wildest progression trail: Devils Ballzac — the Playground's extreme feature line
- Best intro to gravity: Whale Tail (Gravity) or Shredtopia (Playground)
- XC day out: Walbunja Whipbird or Snordle — Wilderness Zone singletrack on original hand-cut lines
- Shuttle: Southbound Escapes, daily 9 am from the main trailhead, Gravity Zone only. Paid booking required.
- Drive time: ~4 hr 30 min from Sydney, ~2 hr 30 min from Canberra
- Entry: Free, dawn to dusk
How are the Narooma mountain bike trails laid out?
A single trailhead at Mitchells Ridge Road (off the Princes Highway near Dalmeny) serves the whole network. Everything radiates from here. The trails sit on Walbunja Country — part of the Yuin Nation — and several trail names carry that connection.
The three zones are structured by riding style, not geography:
| Zone | Trails | Style | Shuttle? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Playground | 15 | Skills / progression / beginner-flow | No (self-shuttle permitted) |
| The Gravity Zone | 20 | Gravity / descending-only | Yes — Southbound Escapes (paid) |
| The Wilderness Zone | 21 | XC / natural singletrack | No |
A two-person crew with different ability levels can spend a full day here without driving between spots — all three zones launch from the same carpark.
The three zones: what to expect
The Playground
Fifteen trails purpose-built for progression. The zone starts with gentle berms and green-flow lanes and escalates through jump progressions to Devils Ballzac — the extreme feature line at the top of the scale. Shredtopia and Thrill Hill are the natural entry points for riders still finding their feet; Thunder Birds are Go is where you'll work out whether jump-line riding is actually your thing before committing to the Gravity Zone.
The Playground is the only part of the network where self-shuttling (driving your car between loops) is officially permitted. The flatter terrain also makes it the most straightforward zone for e-MTBs.
The Gravity Zone
Twenty descending trails, accessed primarily by Southbound Escapes' paid shuttle. The signature line is Goodbye Gravity — an A-Line-style descent that's become the park's calling card and the thing most interstate visitors come specifically for. I Love Steve runs nearby with slightly more tech. The Tunnel is the most impressive single piece of construction in the network: a hand-built sequence of rock slabs and flow features that earns Dirt Art's credit in a way that photos don't fully communicate.
Colonel Senders is the intermediate sweet spot on the shuttle circuit. Chilli & Lime brings in tech jumps for the committed. Whale Tail is the zone's easiest way down — the right starting point if you're arriving fresh and haven't calibrated to the terrain yet.
This is descending-only terrain. Self-shuttling is not permitted here; the commercial shuttle is standard access.
The Wilderness Zone
Twenty-one cross-country trails running largely on the original ~30 km volunteer network with Dirt Art additions woven through. Looser and more natural than the other two zones — forested gullies, creek crossings, granite ridgelines, proper rock gardens. Walbunja Whipbird is the intermediate mainstay; Fairyland climbs through dense forest before connecting back to the trailhead; Snordle flows back down on smoother loam than the terrain suggests.
No shuttle in the Wilderness Zone. You earn your descents.
How does the Southbound Escapes shuttle work?
Pickups run daily at 9 am from the Mitchells Ridge Road trailhead, covering the Gravity Zone only. Paid booking is required — through the Southbound Escapes site. In 2025 alone, Southbound Escapes moved over 9,300 shuttle riders. That's both a measure of how popular the Gravity Zone is and a practical signal: book ahead, especially during NSW school holidays, spring weekends, and October when Sea Otter Australia brings a wave of visitors into the Eurobodalla.
Walk-up availability exists occasionally in shoulder season. Don't plan around it.
For a national comparison, Narooma's shuttle setup is similar to Mogo's (same operator) and Maydena's (dedicated commercial operator, single zone access). The shuttle-served bike parks Australia guide has the full picture.
What are the best trails at Narooma MTB?
On a first visit: spend the morning in the Playground to calibrate to the terrain, then book an afternoon shuttle lap in the Gravity Zone. That sequence works.
If you only ride one trail, ride Goodbye Gravity. It's what the network is known for and it delivers.
If you're on a skills-building trip: Start in the Playground — Shredtopia, then Thrill Hill, then Thunder Birds are Go if the jumps are speaking to you. Get comfortable before moving across to the Gravity Zone.
If you've done the Gravity Zone and want something longer: Walbunja Whipbird and Snordle in the Wilderness Zone give you a completely different read on the network. Natural, forested, earned — satisfying in the way that non-shuttle riding tends to be. Budget a half-day.
One calibration note: Gravity Zone trails are rated against purpose-built machines. A blue here is not equivalent to a blue on a short local flow trail. Ride Whale Tail first to understand the scale before committing to the harder lines.
Is Narooma worth the drive from Sydney?
4 hours 30 minutes on the Princes Highway is a real ask. The answer is yes — but plan for two days minimum.
A single day from Sydney barely justifies the windscreen time. Two days lets you work through each zone without rushing. Three days means multiple Gravity Zone shuttle laps, the full Wilderness circuit, and enough time to test the harder lines you wisely avoided on day one.
From Canberra the maths are better: 2 hours 30 minutes via the Kings Highway connecting to the Princes. Canberra riders have been doing regular Narooma overnighters since the network opened — it works as an early-start day trip or a comfortable overnight.
Post-ride options in Narooma township are worth the mention. Breakwall Brewing, Big Niles Brewery, The Quarterdeck, Honor Bread — all within 10 minutes of the trailhead. The town has leaned into the trail economy since 2024 and it shows.
The Gravity Coast circuit adds another dimension: Mogo Trails is 1 hour north and Eden is 1 hour south. The Mogo Trails review has that network's full breakdown; combining both parks in a long weekend is popular and makes the drive from Sydney worth the effort.
Where does Narooma fit with Sea Otter Australia 2026?
Sea Otter Australia 2026 runs 21–25 October from a Batemans Bay base, with racing at Mogo. Narooma's role is social and shuttle riding rather than the racing hub — but it sits 40 minutes south of Batemans Bay and is firmly in the Sea Otter orbit.
If you're making the trip for Sea Otter, Narooma earns a day before or after the main event. October is historically the park's busiest month, so book accommodation and shuttle spots well ahead if you're planning around the festival window.
The Sea Otter Australia 2026 guide covers the full schedule, accommodation and what to expect at the racing.
When is the best time to ride the Narooma mountain bike trails?
Year-round, with seasonal caveats.
Autumn (March–May) and early spring (September–October) are the locals' pick. Trails hold moisture without greasing up, the days are long enough for full zone circuits, and the coastal hinterland looks its best in those shoulder months.
Summer (November–March) brings fire risk. Bodalla State Forest sits within the 2019–20 Black Summer fire footprint, and Forestry Corporation NSW can close the whole network on Total Fire Ban days. Check both FC NSW alerts and Rural Fire Service advisories before heading out in peak summer — the locals take this seriously.
Wet weather closes specific trails, not the whole network — the Gravity Zone's built surfaces are more sensitive than the original Wilderness tracks. Check mountainbikenarooma.com.au before driving after heavy rain.
Planned burns are the other variable. A May 2026 burn at Red Knob Road closed 14 Wilderness trails for four to six weeks. Not a reason to avoid the park, but worth checking before you drive.
School holidays and October are peak crowd periods. Book shuttle spots well ahead.
Getting there and what's on the ground
Trailhead: Mitchells Ridge Road, Bodalla State Forest, near Dalmeny NSW 2546 — signposted off the Princes Highway, roughly 10 minutes north of Narooma township. Free sealed carpark.
Facilities at the trailhead: Drop toilets, a council-installed drinking-water bubbler. A volunteer-run kiosk (BBQ snags, drinks, club merch) operates on weekends and NSW school holidays — welcome when it's there, but not reliable enough to plan lunch around.
Food and coffee: 10 minutes south in Narooma township. Breakwall Brewing, The Quarterdeck, Honor Bread, Big Niles Brewery.
No camping or overnight vehicle parking at the trailhead.
Bike hire: Narooma Bicycles in town offers dual-suspension and e-MTB hire as a club partner.
Entry: Free. Club membership available (~
The trails are managed by Mountain Bike Narooma under a trail-use agreement with Forestry Corporation NSW. Monthly maintenance days are posted on the club site — open to all members.
See the NSW trails map for the full regional picture, or the NSW state trails page for what else is open across the state.
FAQ
How many trails does Narooma MTB have? 54 named trails across 85 km, as confirmed by the operator site and NSW Government — divided between the Playground (15), Gravity Zone (20) and Wilderness Zone (21). The site's database shows 56 trails as curation keeps pace with additions.
Is the shuttle at Narooma MTB free? No. The Southbound Escapes Gravity Zone shuttle is a paid commercial service; booking through their site is required. The Playground and Wilderness zones are completely free and self-serve, dawn to dusk.
Is Narooma MTB suitable for beginners? Yes. The Playground Zone has genuine green-grade flow (Shredtopia is the gentlest start) and is purpose-built for skill progression. Begin there and avoid the Gravity Zone until you're comfortable on purpose-built terrain — the difficulty calibration here is honest, and even the easier Gravity descents assume competence on off-camber and loose surfaces.
What is the $69.5 million visitor spend figure? The NSW Government's measured economic impact for the network's first year of operation (early 2024 to early 2025): 63,000+ riders visited and spent an estimated $69.5 million in the Narooma area, per the government's ministerial announcement. That represented an 89% increase in MTB-attributable visits to the Eurobodalla region.
Are e-bikes allowed at Narooma MTB? E-MTBs are welcomed in the Playground and Wilderness zones. Narooma Bicycles in town hires dual-suspension e-MTBs as a club partner. For specific e-bike access in the Gravity Zone, check with Southbound Escapes before booking — weight limits and shuttle-access provisions can apply.
How does Narooma compare to Mogo Trails? Mogo is 1 hour north and is larger (125 km, 72 trails) with a stronger enduro and gravity focus across two primary trailheads. Narooma is more compact, single-trailhead, with arguably better beginner-to-intermediate progression in the Playground. Both use Southbound Escapes for shuttles. On a South Coast trip they complement rather than overlap — see the Mogo Trails review for that network's breakdown.
Three years out from Black Summer, Narooma is one of the cleaner examples of what well-funded trail investment can do for a regional town — and for riders who bother to make the drive. The Gravity Zone alone is worth the trip from Sydney; the Wilderness trails add a cross-country dimension that purely gravity-focused parks don't offer. If you're planning a NSW South Coast run, Narooma deserves more than a half-day.
See the full NSW mountain bike trails page or browse the top 10 MTB parks in NSW for the wider picture.