Eden MTB Park main trailhead

Overview

Gravity Eden Mountain Bike Park is one of NSW's newest large-scale gravity-focused networks, sitting in Nullica State Forest on the Sapphire Coast just south of Eden. The headline figure is 58 km of machine-built singletrack across 20+ named trails with 300 m of vertical, descending "summit-to-sea" from coastal forest peaks down toward Twofold Bay. It is one of the very few NSW networks with a dedicated commercial shuttle operator (Eden Shuttles), making the long Gravity Zone descents accessible without a car shuffle.

The trail layout is deliberately progression-oriented: three colour-coded zones — Adventure (green, beginner), Flow (blue, intermediate) and Gravity (black, advanced) — let riders graduate through the network without leaving its terrain. Standout trails include Power Up (a 10 km blue climb-and-descend traverse), After Burner (a near-3 km black gravity run), Old Tom and Prana (technical black descents), and Round the Outside (a long green-rated cross-country loop). At the trailhead riders also get an illuminated asphalt pump track and a progression dirt jump park.

The network was designed and built by Contour Works and funded primarily through the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF) — a joint Australian/NSW Government program supporting communities affected by the 2019–2020 bushfires. It opened to the public in late 2023 (community open day 25 November 2023). The Eden Mountain Bike Club (a volunteer association on Forestry Corporation NSW land) maintains the trails and is steering a staged expansion toward an eventual 142 km network.

Location & Access

• Address: Storey Avenue, Eden NSW 2551 (off Princes Highway, in Nullica State Forest)
• Region: Sapphire Coast / Far South Coast (NSW)
• Drive times: ~3.25 hr from Canberra (265 km); ~6.5 hr from Sydney (473 km); ~7 hr from Melbourne (554 km)
• Public transport: Premier Motor Service (Sydney–Eden daily coach, 134 410); V/Line Sapphire Coast Link (Melbourne daily train/coach, 1800 800 007); NSW TrainLink (Sydney via Canberra daily, 131 500). Nearest airport: Merimbula (~20 min drive).
• Parking: Free all-day parking at the main trailhead carpark on Storey Avenue. Secondary drop-offs at Nethercote Road (Flow Zone) and Bimmil Fire Trail / Broadwater Road (Gravity Zone, 4WD only and unsuitable in wet).
• Coords: -37.0463, 149.8855 (existing DB value verified against Google Maps for Storey Ave trailhead)

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Year-round; coastal climate keeps it rideable in winter unlike alpine NSW. Autumn (Mar–May) and spring (Sep–Nov) regarded as ideal — cooler temps, drier trails.
• Wet-weather impact: Trails can be sensitive after heavy rain; Bimmil Fire Trail access becomes 4WD-impassable in wet. Some trails were initially held back from opening pending rainfall to consolidate dirt. Check Gravity Eden trail updates page, club Facebook, or Trailforks for current status.
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Located in active state forest — closures possible during Total Fire Ban days or NSW fire-danger alerts. The 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires devastated this region; trails were built as part of recovery funding.
• Snow / alpine season: Not applicable — coastal lowland to 300 m elevation.
• School-holiday surge: Summer holidays (Dec–Jan) and Easter see strong domestic-tourism traffic from Canberra/Sydney; book Eden Shuttles in advance for these periods.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Forestry Corporation NSW (Nullica State Forest)
• Trail operator / maintainer: Eden Mountain Bike Club Inc. (volunteer, edenmtb2551@gmail.com) — community partnership with Forestry Corp
• Original trail builder: Contour Works (machine-built professional contractor)
• Funding source: Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF), co-funded Australian Government + NSW Government
• Volunteer / dig days: Coordinated via Eden MTB Club Facebook page
• Donations / membership: Voluntary donation via QR code at trailhead; club membership / sponsorship inquiries via email above
• Commercial shuttle operator: Eden Shuttles (independent of club; 0428 967 158)

History & Background

The Eden region's coastal forests had a small DIY MTB scene predating the formal park, but the modern network is a direct outcome of the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires that devastated the Eden community and the Sapphire Coast tourism economy. In 2021 the Eden Mountain Bike Club secured multi-million-dollar funding from the BLERF — a joint Commonwealth/State recovery package — to build a professional gravity-focused destination on Forestry Corporation land in Nullica State Forest.

Contour Works was contracted to design and machine-build the network. The trails were completed across 2022–2023, and a community open day on Saturday 25 November 2023 marked the official launch, with Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain among the dignitaries. At launch, 16 of 20 trails were rideable; the remaining four were held back pending sufficient rainfall to consolidate the surface. The full 58 km is now ridable.

The Eden MTB Club's stated long-term vision is a staged expansion to approximately 142 km of trails, embedding Eden on the national gravity-MTB map alongside destinations like Derby (TAS) and Mogo (NSW).

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2025-06-06 — All trails confirmed open per the official Trail Updates page (source)
• 2025 (ongoing) — Eden Shuttles continues commercial operation seven days a week subject to minimum bookings (source)
• Long-term expansion toward 142 km network in staged build-outs continues to be promoted on the club's "About" page (source)

Sources

1. Gravity Eden — Homepage — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/ — accessed 2026-05-19
2. Gravity Eden — Trails — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/trails — accessed 2026-05-19
3. Gravity Eden — Getting Here — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/getting-here — accessed 2026-05-19
4. Gravity Eden — Shuttles — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/shuttles — accessed 2026-05-19
5. Gravity Eden — About — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/about — accessed 2026-05-19
6. Gravity Eden — Trail Updates — https://www.gravityeden.com.au/trail-updates — accessed 2026-05-19
7. Destination NSW media release — Gravity Eden opens — https://media.destinationnsw.com.au/gravity-eden-gravity-fed-mountain-biking-paradise-opens-eden-nsw — accessed 2026-05-19
8. Visit NSW — Gravity Eden Mountain Bike Park — https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/merimbula-and-sapphire-coast/eden/attractions/gravity-eden-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-19
9. Sapphire Coast Tourism — Gravity Eden attraction — https://www.sapphirecoast.com.au/attraction/gravity-eden-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-19
10. Eden Shuttles — MTB Shuttle service — https://www.edenshuttles.com.au/mtb-shuttles — accessed 2026-05-19