Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park

Overview

Jolly Nose is the Mid-North Coast's flagship singletrack network, hidden in Queens Lake State Forest about 20 minutes south of Port Macquarie. The operator advertises "60+ trails" and "40+ km" on the homepage and "approximately 70 km" via tourism listings — the discrepancy reflects the difference between groomed/signed singletrack and the wider network of fire roads and unsigned connectors. Either way, this is a substantial volunteer-built trail centre with a four-tier difficulty grading (green / blue / black / double black) and a clear "ratings are a guide, not a challenge" ethos.

The terrain combines coastal-hinterland eucalypt forest with steep gravity descents and rolling cross-country loops. Standout trails include the Rollercoaster (green XC, 1.8 km), Rock & Roll (blue all-mountain, 1.5 km), the 10KM Loop (green XC), and Morning Glory (black all-mountain, 1.7 km). Booker, a flowy purpose-built track, was added in 2024 and has been well received. The park hosts Rocky Trail's Fox Superflow gravity-enduro rounds and Rocky Trail Academy schools competitions — the HVMBR builders are themselves Superflow regulars and the trails reflect that style.

Operationally the park runs on a permit issued by Forestry Corporation of NSW (the land manager) to the Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders (HVMBR) club. There is no entry fee, no shuttle, and no on-site bike services — riders self-shuttle from Wizards Carpark on Spring Creek Road. Port Macquarie–Hastings Council provides supporting infrastructure.

Location & Access

• Address: Spring Creek Road, Bonny Hills NSW 2445 (parking signed as "Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Parking Area" via Huston Mitchell Drive)
• Region: Port Macquarie-Hastings (Mid-North Coast NSW)
• Drive times: ~4 hr from Sydney; ~5 hr from Brisbane; ~20 min south of Port Macquarie CBD
• Public transport: No PT to trailhead — car only
• Parking: Wizards Carpark on Spring Creek Road, free, no booking
• Coords: -31.577485, 152.812617 (consistent with Queens Lake State Forest, Bonny Hills hinterland)

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Year-round; cooler April–October most popular. NSW Government tourism listing notes August as most popular month.
• Wet-weather impact: Strict. Operator guideline: "If it has rained in the last 24 hours, stay home." Rocky Trail notes the area "is a bit of a wet area" so coastal-hinterland rainfall sensitivity is real.
• Fire-danger / TFB: Not explicitly addressed by operator; Forestry Corporation NSW closures apply on declared fire-danger days.
• Snow / alpine: N/A — coastal hinterland, ~100 m elevation.
• School-holiday surge: Race weekends (Fox Superflow, Rocky Trail Academy) draw crowds; check operator socials before travelling.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Forestry Corporation of NSW (Queens Lake State Forest); operates under a permit
• Trail builder / maintainer: Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders (HVMBR) — volunteer club, "100% community driven", ~10+ years of trail building
• Council support: Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
• Volunteer / dig days: Monthly dig days open to all community members (dates announced via socials)
• Club meeting: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:00 PM at Lake Cathie Bowling Club (next noted: 20 May 2026)
• Contact: hvmbrclub@gmail.com, 0403 257 635
• Donations / membership: Via jollynose.com.au

History & Background

The trail network has been progressively built and maintained by HVMBR volunteers over 10+ years, operating under a Forestry Corporation NSW permit in Queens Lake State Forest. The club's racing heritage in Rocky Trail Entertainment's Superflow series has visibly shaped trail design — the gravity-enduro lines are tuned for the same "race the way you ride" style. Port Macquarie–Hastings Council provides supporting infrastructure (parking, signage) and the park has become the de-facto MTB destination for the Mid-North Coast.

The "Jolly Nose" name comes from Jolly Nose Hill in Queens Lake, the geographic feature the network winds around (the AllTrails-listed hike "Jolly Nose Hill via Queens Lake" predates the MTB park).

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2024 — New trail "Booker" added; "purposely built to be a fun flow track" (Rocky Trail / WebSearch)
• 2024–2025 — "LAZER" track refurbished and "running well"; "Rock and Roll" given a freshen-up (Rocky Trail / WebSearch)
• 2025-06-14/15 — Fox Superflow Jolly Nose race weekend (Rocky Trail Superflow)
• 2025 — Rocky Trail Academy Mid-North Coast Schools Comp held at Jolly Nose (Rocky Trail Academy)
• 2026-05-20 — Next HVMBR club meeting, Lake Cathie Bowling Club, 6 PM (jollynose.com.au)

Sources

1. Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park — Home (operator) — https://www.jollynose.com.au/ — accessed 2026-05-19
2. Jolly Nose — Trails page (operator) — https://www.jollynose.com.au/trails — accessed 2026-05-19
3. Jolly Nose — Guidelines (operator) — https://www.jollynose.com.au/guidelines — accessed 2026-05-19
4. NSW Government — Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park listing — https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/locations-and-attractions/jolly-nose-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-19
5. Visit NSW — Jolly Nose Mountain Bike Park — https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/port-macquarie-area/north-haven/attractions/jolly-nose-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-19
6. Rocky Trail Entertainment — Port Macquarie / Jolly Nose destination guide — https://rockytrailentertainment.com/rockytraildestination-port-macquarie-jolly-nose-mtb-park/ — accessed 2026-05-19
7. Rocky Trail Superflow — Jolly Nose 2025 event page — https://rockytrailsuperflow.com/event/fox-superflow-jolly-nose-2025/ — accessed 2026-05-19