Anglesea Bike Park

Overview

Anglesea Bike Park is a free, council-managed riding facility on the Surf Coast, built in September 2006 as Victoria's first professionally designed Mountain Cross (4X) track. The 400 m circuit was designed by Glen Jacobs of World Trail and combines a 4X downhill loop, a dirt jump area and a skills course with log rides, set in a pine grove on Camp Road on the edge of Anglesea township. The land is owned by Alcoa and leased to Surf Coast Shire — a 2017 community petition with more than 5,000 signatures helped preserve public access after the Anglesea coal mine closed.

The bike park sits within a much larger Anglesea-area riding network. A short ride or drive away, the Eumeralla Visitor Area in Great Otway National Park offers ~30 km of formalised, signed singletrack across 16 numbered trails (Echidna, Pobblebonk, Letterbox, Grasstrees, Baby Heads, Grumpy Hippie, Sundew, Flying Scotsman, Great Escape, Dragonfly, Orchid, Eagle, Chute, Bandicoot, Yabby) with IMBA grading from Easy (green) to More Difficult (blue), all shared two-way bicycle/walking tracks managed by Parks Victoria. Beyond the formalised network, riders also use unsanctioned "Area 9" gravity trails and an 11 km Currawong Falls loop near Aireys Inlet.

A draft Anglesea Mountain Bike Trail Network Concept Plan endorsed in recent years would expand the formalised network from ~30 km to 107 km of signed trail by formalising existing illegal trails — much of it gravity-oriented (jumps, drops, rock features) — once vegetation, cultural heritage and traditional-owner assessments complete. Surf Coast Shire has applied for a $120,000 detailed design package ($80k state Investment Fast Track + $40k council) to progress the work.

Location & Access

Address: 80 Camp Road, Anglesea VIC 3230
Region: Great Ocean Road / Surf Coast
Drive times: ~1 hr 40 min from Melbourne; ~35 min from Geelong
Public transport: Limited — V/Line coach Geelong–Apollo Bay stops in Anglesea township (~1 km walk to Camp Rd); car is strongly preferred
Parking: Free on-site sealed/gravel car park at the bike park; separate Eumeralla trailhead car parks at Cnr Great Ocean Rd & Hurst Rd and at the Forest Rd / Elkington Rd corner
Coords: -38.396317, 144.209353 (verified against existing DB row)

Best Season & Conditions

Peak riding season: Year-round; cooler months (Mar–Nov) most comfortable
Wet-weather impact: Anglesea Bike Park (4X track) closes when it's raining or when heavy rain is forecast, reopens once track is dry; Eumeralla trails are more rain-tolerant but ride sensibly after sustained wet weather
Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Standard Great Otway National Park rules — closures on Code Red days
Snow / alpine season: N/A (coastal, sea-level)
School-holiday surge: Busy on weekends and Victorian school holidays given proximity to the Great Ocean Road tourist strip

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Land manager (Anglesea Bike Park): Alcoa (landowner) leased to Surf Coast Shire Council; managed by the volunteer Anglesea Bike Park Committee
Land manager (Eumeralla): Parks Victoria — Great Otway National Park
Trail builder / maintainer: World Trail (original 2006 4X build by Glen Jacobs); ongoing maintenance and Eumeralla trail work by Surf Coast Mountain Bike Club with monthly working bees, "usually the last weekend of the month"
Volunteer / dig days: Surf Coast MTB Club working bees, last weekend of each month — see club Facebook for current dates
Donations / membership: Surf Coast MTB Club annual membership $40 adult / $20 junior; trail donations via club "Trail Kitty" fund

History & Background

2006 (September): Anglesea Bike Park 4X track built — first professionally designed Mountain Cross track in Victoria. Designed by Glen Jacobs of World Trail under a partnership of Surf Coast Shire, Alcoa and the local community.
Pre-2017: Eumeralla XC trails formalised by Parks Victoria as part of Great Otway National Park trail planning; Avenza-compatible visitor map published December 2021 (16 numbered trails, IMBA-rated).
2017: Community petition with 5,000+ signatures sought preservation of the bike park facility after the adjacent Alcoa coal mine ceased operations.
2021–2024: Anglesea Mountain Bike Trail Network Concept Plan developed; Project Control Group endorsement secured. Plan proposes expansion from ~30 km to 107 km of signed trail by formalising existing informal routes.
2023+: Surf Coast Shire pursues $120,000 detailed assessment funding ($80k state + $40k council) to progress the expansion through cultural heritage and vegetation review with Traditional Owners and DELWP.