Maydena Bike Park

Overview

Maydena Bike Park is a privately-operated, gravity-focused MTB park on Abbotts Peak in Tasmania's Derwent Valley, ~85 km west of Hobart. Built and operated by Tasmanian trail company Dirt Art (founder Simon French) and opened on Australia Day 2018, it is the largest descent-focused bike park in Australia, with 820 m of vertical and 85+ trails spanning ~80 km of singletrack across the lower, mid and summit zones.

The trail network grades from green flow through to double-black tech and freeride, with a parallel "flow / tech" sub-grading system unusual in Australian parks. The mountain is serviced by a paid uplift bus to the summit and a separate lower-mountain shuttle, plus an option for private ATV uplifts. Founder Simon French first scouted the site in 2008; the family-funded initial 35 km network opened in January 2018.

The base village houses two restaurants (The Patio café/bar and The Summit), a retail bike shop, full-service workshop, full-suspension hire range, bike school, asphalt pump track, dirt jump and skills areas, an air zone, plus a wood-fired sauna and cold plunge for post-ride recovery. The park has hosted the 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup and the Australian MTB National Championships, and is the venue for Red Bull Hardline Tasmania (third edition: 7–8 February 2026).

Location & Access

Address: 34 Kallista Road, Maydena, TAS 7140
Region: Derwent Valley
Drive times: 1 hr 15 min from Hobart; 2 hr from Launceston via Lake St Clair
Public transport: None — car required. Maydena village is 10 min beyond Westerway; the bike park is 1 km north of the village.
Parking: On-site at the base village, free
Coords: -42.7797, 146.6550

Best Season & Conditions

Peak riding season: Spring–Autumn (late September → early May). Summer (Dec 15 – Feb 1) is busiest, expanding to 7 operating days during the Dec 27 – Jan 11 peak.
Wet-weather impact: Park rarely closes for weather; some trails may be temporarily closed after major rain to protect surfaces. Tasmania weather is highly variable — riders advised to layer.
Fire-danger / TFB: Lower-altitude tracks may close on Total-Fire-Ban days; check website on the day.
Snow / alpine season: Park closes 28–29 June 2026 for winter; reopens late September. Summit can hold snow into early spring.
School-holiday surge: Park expands to 5–7 day operation across Easter/April and Christmas/January school holidays. Hire bookings advised.
2026 season dates: Spring 2025 (Sep 27 – Dec 14, Thu–Sun); Summer 2025/26 (Dec 15 – Feb 1, expanding to 7 days during peak); Autumn 2026 (Feb 9 – May 3, Thu–Sun/Mon); Winter 2026 (May 4 – Jun 28, Fri–Sun); Closing weekend Jun 27–28.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Owner / operator: Maydena Bike Park Pty Ltd — privately held, French family
Trail design and construction: Dirt Art (Simon French, founder)
State support: Tasmanian government has provided operational support and infrastructure investment since the initial private opening
Volunteer / dig days: None public — professional trail crew operation
Donations / membership: Annual Mountain Pass ($250 adult / $125 child) is the closest analogue to membership

History & Background

Site first scouted: 2008 (Simon French)
Opened: 26 January 2018 (Australia Day) — initial 35 km gravity network, family-funded
Hosted: Australian MTB National Championships (multiple); 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup
Red Bull Hardline Tasmania: First international edition outside Wales — 2024 (debut), 2025, returns 7–8 February 2026 (third edition). Course extended to a brand-new top section starting near the summit; full course publicly accessible to spectators for the first time. 24 elite riders confirmed including defending champions Jackson Goldstone and Gracey Hemstreet. Live on Red Bull TV.
Network growth since 2018: Continuous trail building; now over 100 km total trail length per operator site
Cultural context: Maydena was historically a forestry village (Australian Newsprint Mills); the bike park has been credited as a major economic driver for the Derwent Valley since opening