Gladstone Mountain Bike Park

Overview

Gladstone Mountain Bike Park is a volunteer-built, council-supported MTB network on the outskirts of Gladstone in Central Queensland. The trails sit at the end of Koowin Drive in Kirkwood — about 15 minutes' drive from the Gladstone CBD — and have been growing since the first trails were cut in 2015 by Gladstone MTB Inc. The network today comprises ~27 km across roughly 36 named trails ranging from gentle green flow to a small number of steep black-graded technical lines, all running through dry-sclerophyll bushland on the Kirkwood hills with intermittent views to the harbour and offshore islands. [1][2][4]

The park is volunteer-managed and free to ride. It is open 24/7 with disabled access at the trailhead. Gladstone MTB Inc. runs regular social rides, monthly ladies-only rides, club events and an annual 6-hour XC race ("Multitrade Building Hire 6hr"), which uses a ~5.5 km short-lap circuit through the network. [1][2][6]

It's the main MTB destination between Rockhampton and Bundaberg and slots in as a worthwhile half-day stop for riders driving the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and the Whitsundays. Trails skew toward XC and flowy all-mountain rather than gravity — there is no lift or shuttle.

Location & Access

• Address: Koowin Drive, Kirkwood QLD 4680 [1][2]
• Driving directions: From Kirkwood Rd → Lavender Blvd → left into Koowin Drive → follow to end → short gravel section to trailhead and parking. [2]
• Drive times: Gladstone CBD ~15 min; Rockhampton ~1h 30m; Bundaberg ~2h; Brisbane ~5h 30m.
• Public transport: None practical — drive only.
• Parking: Dedicated trailhead car park at end of gravel road. Free, gravel surface. [2]
• Coordinates: -23.897428, 151.238434 (already in DB).

Best Season & Conditions

• Open year-round, 24/7. No formal seasonal closures. [search-summary re: 2]
• Best months: April–October (dry season, mild temps 15–27°C). November–March is hot and humid with thunderstorm activity; early-morning rides only in midsummer.
• Wet weather: Trails are dirt/loose gravel and "may be affected after heavy rain"; riders are asked to "keep off all closed trails and closed areas" per club code of conduct. No formal documented wet-weather closure policy — defer to club's Facebook for live closures. [1][2]
• Cyclones: Central QLD sees occasional cyclones Dec–Apr; check ahead in summer.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Managing body (trails): Gladstone MTB Inc. (GMTB) — volunteer club. Affiliated with AusCycling. Postal: PO Box 7382, Kin Kora QLD 4680. [1]
• Land manager: Land sits within the Gladstone Regional Council area; the council lists GMTB in its community directory and supports the club. [4][7]
• Founded: Gladstone MTB Inc. — first trails built 2015. [2]
• Contact: Membership via membership@auscycling.org.au; club email gladstone.mtb.inc@gmail.com (per search result, unverified directly); Facebook /GladstoneMTB (primary public-facing channel); Instagram @gladstonemtb. [1][6]
• Phone: No public phone — club is volunteer-run and uses email/Facebook.

History & Background

• 2015 — first hand-built trails opened by volunteers of Gladstone MTB Inc. at the Koowin Drive site. [2]
• 2016 — Gladstone Memorial Park tar pump track opened (separate site within the city); at the time it was the largest sealed pump track in Australia, built by World Trail. [5]
• 2015–present — incremental network expansion to ~27 km / ~36 trails through volunteer trail-build days, sponsor support and council partnership. [1][2]
• Hosts the "Multitrade Building Hire 6hr" XC race annually (~5.5 km short lap). [6]

Recent News & Updates

• Continued addition of named trails and refinement of existing lines through volunteer trail-build days. Club Facebook is the primary live source for new openings and event announcements. [1]
• Annual 6-hour race ongoing; routes on Trailforks include the named 6hr short lap. [6]
• No major rebuild, hand-over, or management change identified in the past 12 months.

Sources

1. Gladstone MTB Inc. (official club site) — https://gladstone-mtb.tidyhq.com/ — accessed 2026-05-20.
2. Gladstone MTB Inc. — The Park page (via search snapshot) — https://gladstone-mtb.tidyhq.com/public/pages/the-park (404 to logged-out users; content available via search snippets) — accessed 2026-05-20.
3. Bicycle Queensland — Gladstone MTB Park — https://bq.org.au/where-to-rides/gladstone-mtb-park/ — accessed 2026-05-20.
4. Gladstone Regional Council — Cycling and Walking — https://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/cycling-walking — accessed 2026-05-20 (returned 403 to scripted fetches; referenced via search).
5. World Trail — Memorial Park Pump Track Gladstone — https://world-trail.com/trail-projects/memorial-park-pump-track-gladstone/ — accessed 2026-05-20. (Background — separate site, not the Koowin Dr park.)
6. Trailforks — Gladstone Mountain Bike Park region — https://www.trailforks.com/region/gladstone-mountain-bike-park-13462/ — accessed 2026-05-20 (403 to scripted fetches; URL preserved as canonical Trailforks region).
7. Gladstone Regional Council — GMTB directory entry — https://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/directory-record/5282/gladstone-mtb-inc-gmtb- — accessed 2026-05-20 (403 to scripted fetches).