Mogo Trails

Overview

Mogo Trails is a 125 km, 72-trail purpose-built mountain bike network spread across Mogo State Forest on the NSW South Coast, about 10 minutes south of Batemans Bay and ~4 hours from Sydney / 2.5 hours from Canberra. It is the flagship project of the post–Black Summer "Gravity Coast" rebuild — alongside Narooma MTB (1 hr south) and Eden MTB (3 hr south) — funded by an $8 million package from the Australian and NSW governments' Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund ($5 m) plus additional NSW Government contributions ($3 m). The full network was completed in May 2025 and officially opened on 5 July 2025, with the first stage (≈70–80 km) released in August 2024. The Council projects ~60,000 riders per year.

The network is built and project-managed by Rocky Trail Destination with construction by Next Level Mountain Bike, on Forestry Corporation NSW land under a Forest Permit held by Eurobodalla Shire Council. The Batemans Bay Mountain Bike Club assists with ongoing volunteer maintenance. Trails span both sides of the Princes Highway with three primary trailheads: Mogo town (corner James & Annett Streets), the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden (Deep Creek Dam Road), and Curtis Road / Corrigans Reserve at Batehaven. The terrain blends dense south-coast eucalypt forest with the dramatic Mount Wandera massif (690 m summit), granite boulder fields, hand-stacked rock berms, factory-sized rock platforms and the coastal hinterland that runs down to Batemans Bay.

Trails cover the full progression spectrum (green → double-black) but the network is best known for its gravity offerings — the 28 km Burnaaga (Goanna) blue adventure descent dropping ~600 m from the Wandera summit, the Final Destination double-black jump line (the biggest in the network), and new gravity headliners Vertiginous, Seamstress and Skyrabbit opened in 2025. A shuttle is operated by Southbound Escapes, currently servicing Burnaaga-Goanna, Mogo Trig and the Jump Line zone. Rocky Trail's Sea Otter Australia festival has anchored at Mogo since the October 2025 launch (5-day cycling festival, secured on a 10-year contract — confirmed dates 21–25 Oct 2026, 20–24 Oct 2027, 19–23 Oct 2028).

Location & Access

Address: Trailheads at Mogo (cnr James St & Annett St, Mogo NSW 2536), Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden (Deep Creek Dam Road, Batemans Bay NSW 2536), Curtis Road / Corrigans Reserve (Batehaven NSW 2536). DB row currently lists Curtis Road, Mogo NSW 2536 — note Curtis Road itself has no parking (use Corrigans Reserve).
Region: Eurobodalla / NSW South Coast (Yuin Country)
Drive times: ~4 hr from Sydney (Princes Hwy); ~2.5 hr from Canberra (Kings Hwy + Princes); ~10 min south of Batemans Bay; ~1 hr north of Narooma; ~3 hr north of Eden
Public transport: No practical PT to trailheads. NSW TrainLink South Coast coach stops in Batemans Bay; from there car / taxi to trailheads.
Parking: Free at all three trailheads (township carpark + Mogo sports oval; Botanic Garden secondary carpark on Deep Creek Dam Road; Corrigans Reserve for the Curtis Road side). No parking on Curtis Road itself.
Coords: -35.7775, 150.1283 (existing DB value; sits in Mogo township — reasonable as a network centroid)

Best Season & Conditions

Peak riding season: Year-round — the South Coast's temperate climate and well-drained granite/sand soils mean tacky dirt for most of the year. Cooler months (Apr–Oct) are most popular for big-mileage days; summer rides are best early-morning.
Wet-weather impact: Trails generally perform well in wet conditions but heavy rain can cause erosion or temporary surface damage; check Trailforks for closures.
Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: State-forest closures apply on extreme fire-danger days (especially summer, Nov–Mar). Check Forestry Corporation NSW alerts and Rural Fire Service advisories before riding.
Snow / alpine season: N/A — coastal forest network, no alpine exposure.
School-holiday surge: NSW school holidays and Sea Otter Australia (Oct) bring big crowds — shuttle bookings strongly recommended for those windows.

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Land manager: Forestry Corporation NSW (Mogo State Forest) — under Forest Permit issued to Eurobodalla Shire Council
Project lead / operator: Eurobodalla Shire Council (project owner); Rocky Trail Destination (network operator and project management)
Trail builder: Next Level Mountain Bike
Volunteer / dig days: Batemans Bay Mountain Bike Club coordinates community maintenance and dig days
Donations / membership: Free public access — no donation gateway; support via Batemans Bay MTB Club membership and by buying coffee + food in Mogo township

History & Background

Pre-network state: ~30 km of informal/legacy singletrack existed in Mogo State Forest pre-2020
2019–20: Black Summer bushfires devastated the Mogo / Eurobodalla region
2021–22: Eurobodalla Shire Council secures $5 m from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF), with a further $3 m in NSW Government funding — total ~$8 m project envelope. Rocky Trail Destination engaged as project manager; Next Level MTB engaged for construction.
2022 (May): Construction begins; ambition is ~125 km new build over ~155 km total network
17 Aug 2024: Stage 1 (~70–80 km) of trails opens to the public from three trailheads (Mogo town, Botanic Garden, Curtis Road / Corrigans Reserve)
May 2025: Construction completes — final 5 trails, the dedicated skills park, and the 28 km Burnaaga-Goanna adventure trail added
5 Jul 2025: Official full-network opening (72 trails, 125 km) with NSW Government ministerial announcement; projected 60,000 visitors/year
22–26 Oct 2025: Inaugural Sea Otter Australia festival — the first Sea Otter event in the Southern Hemisphere, on a 10-year Rocky Trail contract, headquartered in Batemans Bay with racing across the Mogo network
Indigenous significance: Mogo State Forest sits on the traditional Country of the Yuin Nation; multiple trails carry Yuin-language names (Burnaaga / Goanna, Guranguran / Lightning, Mirribi / Thunder, Wandera) developed in consultation with local Aboriginal community