Jindabyne Trail Network is the cross-country and trail-riding hub of the NSW Snowy Mountains, centred on the Tyrolean Village / Mill Creek area on the eastern side of Jindabyne Dam (about 5 km east of Jindabyne town centre). The network is a mix of hand-cut singletrack laid down by local volunteers and newer machine-built trails added by professional builders (TRC Trails), and serves all ability levels from green family loops along Lake Jindabyne to short, technical black descents off the ridge above Tyrolean Village. The current rideable network sits at roughly 25–30 km of trail; standout XC runs include Mill Creek Trail, Huff n Puff and Copper Tom, while gravity-leaning riders use Three Lions, Bunty's South and Orbital.
The trails are managed by Snowy Monaro Regional Council with day-to-day maintenance, dig days and trail planning by the Jindabyne Trail Stewardship — a non-profit volunteer group that runs monthly working bees. A
1.8m Restart NSW grant is funding the
Lake Jindabyne Shared Trail Project, which is progressively linking the existing Tyrolean trails to East Jindabyne, Kunama Estate and the Thredbo Valley Track (TVT) into a 50 km loop around the southern half of the lake. As of late 2025 contractors were appointed for the Tyrolean / East Jindabyne and Kunama links, and the Rainbow Drive trailhead (carpark + amenities) tender was out — completion is targeted for mid-2026.
Jindabyne is also the jumping-off point for the Thredbo Valley Track (TVT, 35 km KNP descent into town via Hatchery Bay) and is adjacent to the privately-run Bungarra Alpine Centre (20+ km of trails, $7 day pass). A separate 500 ha Jindabyne Mountain Bike and Adventure Park is in procurement on the western side of town under the Snowy Activation Precinct — operator EOIs closed early 2026; this is a future park, not part of the current network.
Location & Access
- Address: Tyrolean Village area, Jindabyne NSW 2627 (trailhead near Kosciuszko Road, ~5 km east of Jindabyne town centre). Main parking on Rainbow Drive, just off Kosciuszko Road.
- Region: Snowy Mountains
- Drive times: ~5.5 hr from Sydney; ~2 hr from Canberra; ~7 hr from Melbourne; ~30 min from Thredbo
- Public transport: No regular PT to trailheads; Snowy Mountains coach services connect Jindabyne town to Canberra/Cooma
- Parking: Free, gravel — several pockets near Tyrolean Village / Rainbow Drive trailhead. New Rainbow Drive carpark + amenities under contract late-2025 / early-2026
- Coords: -36.4094, 148.6364 (Tyrolean MTB trailhead)
Best Season & Conditions
- Peak riding season: October–April (warmer, longer days). Shoulder seasons (Spring / Autumn) often quoted as the sweet spot — fewer crowds, cooler temps, accommodation cheaper than peak winter.
- Wet-weather impact: Trails dry well overall; some clay sections sticky after heavy rain — give 24–48 hr to dry to avoid damaging tread.
- Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Trails sit in / adjacent to Kosciuszko NP; on Total Fire Ban days riders should check NPWS alerts before heading in.
- Snow / alpine season: Network at ~915 m elevation — generally rideable year-round, but frost, ice and occasional snow possible Jun–Aug. Trails are popular as an "off-snow" alternative when Thredbo lifts aren't running.
- School-holiday surge: Summer school holidays + Easter long weekend are busiest; town accommodation books out — book ahead.
- Active construction (2024–2026): Expect temporary closures and minor disruptions on segments of the network through mid-2026 while shared-trail expansion proceeds.
Managing Body & Trail Builders
- Land manager: Snowy Monaro Regional Council (most of the trail corridor) with sections in / adjacent to Kosciuszko National Park (NPWS Kosciuszko)
- Trail builder / maintainer: Jindabyne Trail Stewardship (volunteer non-profit) for hand-cut trails + ongoing maintenance; TRC Trails (contractor) for the machine-built shared-trail expansion
- Volunteer / dig days: Monthly trail days, Saturday or Sunday mornings 9am–12pm; refreshments provided. Sign-up via stewardship Facebook / website.
- Donations / membership: https://www.jindabynetrailstewardship.org.au/ (contact form + socials @jindytrailstewardship)
- Council contact: Snowy Monaro Regional Council — 1300 345 345 — council@snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au — Jindabyne office at 2/1 Gippsland Street, open Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:30pm
History & Background
The trail network around Tyrolean Village grew up organically as a hand-cut volunteer project over the early-to-mid 2010s, driven by local riders frustrated by the lack of warm-weather riding in the Snowies once the ski lifts closed. The Jindabyne Trail Stewardship formed to formalise that work — getting council and NPWS sign-off, picking up tools, and gradually moving from rogue trails to a sanctioned network.
The pivotal shift came with the NSW Government's Restart NSW funding for the Lake Jindabyne Shared Trail Project (announced via Snowy Monaro Regional Council; budget ~