Bayview Conservation Area

Note on naming: the DB record uses "Bayview Conservation Park" but the official Redland City Council name is "Bayview Conservation Area". Local club (RATS CC), Bicycle Queensland and Trailforks all use both forms interchangeably. The reserve is in Redland Bay, QLD — the Bayview Conservation Park in South Australia is a different, smaller coastal reserve south of Adelaide. The QLD location is confirmed by the German Church Road address, lat/lon (-27.6070, 153.1540), and the managing body (Redland City Council).

Overview

Bayview Conservation Area is an almost-1,000-hectare outdoor recreation reserve between the suburbs of Redland Bay and Mount Cotton in Redland City, south-east QLD. It is one of the largest dedicated multi-use trail networks in the Brisbane metro area, with ~60 km of shared/walking/MTB tracks and a substantial network of wider fire roads used by horse riders.

The MTB trail network is XC-focused with green and blue grade singletrack — well-suited to beginners and intermediates, with "B-lines" around most features. Highlights include the machine-built Sorceress descent and Wolf Peach climbing trail, plus older bush trails like Whispering Woods, The Maze, Shark's Tail and the Stone Hut Track. The park is home of the RATS Cycling Club (Racing, Advocacy, Trail Care, Social) and hosts the annual Bayview Blast XC race.

In 2017–2018 the reserve received a $1.3 million Redland City Council upgrade that delivered a sealed day-use area at German Church Road with covered BBQ, picnic tables, toilets, drinking water, outdoor shower, a bike wash-down station, horse hitching stations and water troughs, plus several new shared-use trails (Pick-Up Sticks, Whispering Woods extension, an all-abilities trail near the dam).

Location & Access

• Primary address: 487–503 German Church Road, Redland Bay QLD 4165
• Coordinates: -27.6070, 153.1540
• Region: Redland City (Redlands Coast), south-east Queensland — ~35 km / 45 min south-east of Brisbane CBD, ~40 min north of the Gold Coast (Helensvale).
• Public transport: None convenient; the reserve is on a rural fringe road. Drive or shuttle.
• Entrances:
• German Church Road (main day-use area) — sealed parking, toilets, BBQ, water, bike wash. Internal gate open 6 am – dusk. Vehicles must be outside the gate before dusk.
• Days Road (informal staging) — flatter terrain, popular start for gentler rides and horse riders. No formal facilities.
• Other access points mentioned in walking guides include Native Dog Road and Kidd Street (informal); the Days Road–Teviot Road fire-road corridor is widely used by horse riders.

Best Season & Conditions

• Year-round riding. Open 4 am – 10 pm daily (gate to internal carpark 6 am – dusk).
• Wet weather: Trails close briefly after heavy rain to protect the surface. Council historically delayed the 2018 reopening "in an effort to minimise damage to day use area and trails during wet weather." Check RATS CC and Redlands Coast social channels before riding after storms.
• Summer (Nov–Mar): Hot and humid; expect early-morning starts. Mosquito and tick pressure in the Melaleuca wetland sections.
• Bushfire: As a conservation reserve, the area can be closed during very high / catastrophic fire danger days.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager / day-use facility owner: Redland City Council.
• Trail builders / maintainers: RATS Cycling Club (Racing, Advocacy, Trail Care, Social) under a formal trail-care partnership with Redland City Council. The club has been active in Brisbane's southside since 1993 and is one of the larger MTB clubs in Australia (~500 members across Bayview, Daisy Hill, etc.).
• Council contact: (07) 3829 8999 (Redland City Council customer service, 8.30 am–4.30 pm Mon–Fri).

History & Background

• Originally a multi-use bushland reserve with informal walking/horse/MTB use over older fire roads.
• 2017–2018: $1.3 million Redland City Council upgrade — sealed day-use area at German Church Road; new shared-use trails (Pick-Up Sticks 2.7 km, Whispering Woods 3.5 km, Shark Tail–IO connector, Banksia Walking Trail); facility build (BBQ, toilets, shower, bike wash, horse station).
• April 2018: Day-use area officially opened; opening event delayed once to protect trails after wet weather.
• 2020: Bayview Conservation Area and the adjacent Redland Track Park reopened after a COVID-19 closure period (Redlands Coast Today, Feb 2020).
• Ongoing: RATS CC runs the Bayview Blast and weekend social rides; new trail and reroute work continues under the Bayview Conservation Area Trails Facility Concept and Development Plan.

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

No major new openings surfaced for May 2025 – May 2026 in available sources. RATS CC continues to run regular trail-care days and weekly Saturday social rides from German Church Road. Day-use facility remains operational on the schedule above. (Recheck the RATS CC site and Bayview Conservation Area Facebook page for the next Bayview Blast date.)

Items needing user sign-off

• State field is correct — DB has QLD which matches all evidence. No change.
• Park name is "Bayview Conservation Park" but the council uses "Bayview Conservation Area". Not changed — both forms are common in MTB usage. Flag only.
• features default expansion follows the Lysterfield-style pattern; if you prefer a tighter list (e.g. drop "Dog-friendly" given conservation-area dog rules vary by trail), say so and I'll trim.