Crates MTB Jumps

Overview

Croydon Hills Dirt Jumps — colloquially "Crates" or "Crate Jumps" to the local riding scene — is a small, free, council-built dirt-jump facility at Yarrunga Reserve in Croydon Hills, eastern Melbourne. It opened in April 2022 after a two-stage community consultation (Stage 1 in 2020/21, Stage 2 in late 2021) and replaced an earlier set of informal jumps that the council had assessed as too close to housing and damaging to the surrounding bushland. The Maroondah City Council Asset Management team designed and built the facility as part of a wider Yarrunga Reserve upgrade that also included tennis-court renewal, bridge renewal, and de-silting works.

The track is built for progression rather than gravity. There are multiple parallel jump lines (commonly described as A, B and C lines, or "four lines of gravel jumps") with table-top features ranging from 3 to 6 metres long and 0.8 to 1.5 metres tall — the smaller end suitable for kids and beginners, the larger end for experienced jumpers. A 1.8-metre berm anchors the north end and the outside loop of the track is roughly 160 metres. A separate mini pump track sits alongside for very young riders learning to roll their first features.

It's not a destination park — there are no XC trails, no shuttle, no climbing. It's a neighbourhood-scale skills facility tucked behind Yarrunga Community Centre, co-located with a large playground, BBQ shelter, drinking fountain, outdoor gym and tennis courts. Ride-ability and approachability are its strengths: the surface is consistent, sightlines are open, the lines are visibly graded, and the surrounding park amenities mean parents and kids can spend a half-day on-site. Note that "Crate Jumps Croydon South" appears in some YouTube titles as a separate spot — for the Yarrunga Reserve facility, "Croydon Hills Dirt Jumps" is the unambiguous name.

Location & Access

• Address: 6 Barwon Court, Croydon Hills VIC 3136 (jumps sit behind the Yarrunga Community Centre; reserve street frontage is also along Croydon Hills Drive)
• Region: Eastern Melbourne (Maroondah / Outer East) — local-government area is Maroondah City Council
• Drive times: ~40 min from Melbourne CBD (off-peak), ~15 min from Ringwood, ~10 min from Croydon
• Public transport: Closest station is Croydon (Lilydale line); from there a short bus or 3 km bike ride to the reserve. No PT directly to the reserve.
• Parking: Free off-street car parking at Yarrunga Reserve, accessed off Croydon Hills Drive / Barwon Court
• Coords: -37.7614123, 145.2723322 (existing DB row, sits at the dirt-jump area within the reserve)

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Year-round; outer-east Melbourne climate. Best surface in dry, mild weather (Mar–May, Sep–Nov).
• Wet-weather impact: Like all dirt-jump tracks, the surface degrades in heavy rain — riders typically self-regulate and avoid riding wet. No formal council closures observed.
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Suburban park; not subject to Code Red bushland closures.
• Snow / alpine season: N/A.
• School-holiday surge: Busy on weekends and school holidays — popular with local families and the eastern-suburbs jumping scene.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Maroondah City Council
• Trail builder / maintainer: Maroondah City Council (Asset Management). Designed in-house with track designers/consultants and community input via the Your Say Maroondah engagement process.
• Volunteer / dig days: Not formally advertised — this is a council-managed asset rather than a club-built trail network.
• Donations / membership: N/A — free public council facility.
• Council contact: 1300 88 22 33 / maroondah@maroondah.vic.gov.au (Asset Management coordinator named in earlier consultation: Anton Peiris, 9298 4598).

History & Background

• Yarrunga Reserve sits in Croydon Hills (eastern Melbourne, Maroondah City). The reserve name "Yarrunga" is reported to mean "beneath tall trees" (per mammaknowseast.com.au) and the precinct is a leafy, family-oriented suburban park with a lake, walking trails, fitness equipment, tennis court / basketball ring, community centre and playground.
• An earlier set of informal dirt jumps existed at the reserve before 2021. A council assessment found the previous jumps were "constructed too close to residential properties, are impacting local vegetation and bushland areas or are in a state of disrepair." The pre-existing jumps were removed and bushland restoration scheduled in conjunction with the new build.
• The new purpose-built facility was developed via a two-stage community consultation through Your Say Maroondah:
• Stage 1 (2020/21): scoping, concept generation, location confirmation
• Stage 2 (late 2021): draft concept plan released for community submissions; on-site discussions held
• Construction: early 2022, alongside other Yarrunga Reserve renewal works (bridge renewal, de-silting, tennis-court renewal, all anticipated late March / early April 2022).
• Opening: April 2022. Community feedback after opening has been characterised as "very positive" by sources covering the project.
• The facility is one of the outcomes of a wider Maroondah Council strategic review of bike-jump sites across the municipality, aimed at "establishing bike jump facilities in Maroondah that are respectful to our local environment and can be managed and maintained by Council in the interests of public safety."

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2025-05-22 — Maroondah City Council released a wider municipal bike network vision identifying 96 cycling-infrastructure projects across Ringwood, Croydon and surrounding suburbs. The Yarrunga / Croydon Hills jump facility is not specifically called out, but the strategy points to ongoing council investment in cycling infrastructure across the LGA. (Bicycle Network)
• (none other found) — no major changes, expansions, complaints or closures specific to Croydon Hills Dirt Jumps surfaced in the last 12 months. The facility is operating normally.