New Italy Mountain Bike Forest

Overview

New Italy Mountain Bike Forest is a free-to-ride, cross-country single-track network set inside Doubleduke State Forest, on the NSW Far North Coast. About 30 kilometres of purpose-built trail wind through grassy sclerophyll forest and remnant wetlands roughly 9 km south of Woodburn — historically one of the only large-scale, free-to-access MTB facilities between Grafton and the Gold Coast hinterland (Nerang).

The network is hand-built and volunteer-maintained by Northern Rivers Dirty Wheels Mountain Bike Club (NRDW) under a Forestry Corporation NSW occupation permit. Officially opened at the end of 2016, it has since become one of NRDW's flagship facilities (the other being Duck Creek MTB Park between Alstonville and Ballina). The trails are pitched at "all abilities" — predominantly flowy XC singletrack with some technical natural features (rock, roots, drop-offs, bridges), and several lines explicitly designed to suit adaptive cycles.

It's a riders-only site: no walkers, no horses, no dogs, no e-bikes unless AS 15194:2016 compliant (i.e. low-power pedal-assist only — no throttle / high-power e-MTBs). The trailhead has no toilets and no drinking water — the nearby New Italy Museum complex (15 km south of Woodburn on the Pacific Highway) is the standard pre/post-ride stop for coffee, food, and amenities.

Location & Access

• Address: Cypress Road, Tabbimoble NSW 2472 (car park ~100 m past the Piccolis Road intersection, on the left)
• Region: Northern Rivers
• Drive times: ~9 km south of Woodburn; ~50 km north of Grafton; ~50 km south of Lismore; ~2.5 hr from Gold Coast / Brisbane
• Public transport: None — car only
• Parking: Free gravel car park off Cypress Road; trail map signboard at the carpark
• Coords: -28.82152, 153.41123 (DB; sits within Doubleduke State Forest)

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Autumn through spring (Apr–Oct). The subtropical climate means summer can be hot and humid; the sclerophyll surface holds together well in dry conditions
• Wet-weather impact: "Site may be closed during periods of excessively wet conditions" — riders are asked to check NRDW website and Facebook before riding to protect the trail surface
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Doubleduke State Forest can close during Total Fire Bans / forestry operations — check Forestry Corp NSW forest closures
• Snow / alpine season: N/A — subtropical lowland forest
• School-holiday surge: Quiet relative to South-East Queensland trail centres; no major surge issues

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Forestry Corporation NSW (Doubleduke State Forest, ~2,600 ha)
• Trail builder / maintainer: Northern Rivers Dirty Wheels Mountain Bike Club Incorporated (NRDW), under Forestry Corp NSW occupation permit
• Volunteer / dig days: Coordinated through NRDW website and Facebook page
• Donations / membership: https://www.nrdw.com.au/donate/ — NRDW is a not-for-profit community association (founded 2012); donations fund tools, signage, materials, and new trail builds
• Contact: 0491 611 911 — info@nrdw.com.au

History & Background

• Doubleduke State Forest covers ~2,600 ha of swamp and grassy sclerophyll forest plus freshwater wetlands, with cultural significance to the Bundjalung people.
• NRDW (Northern Rivers Dirty Wheels) was founded in 2012 by a small group of riders; it is now one of the largest and most active clubs on the NSW North Coast.
• Trail construction at New Italy began in the mid-2010s under a Forestry Corp NSW occupation permit. The Mountain Bike Forest was officially opened at the end of 2016 and described at the time as one of the only free-to-ride, large-scale singletrack facilities between Grafton and Nerang.
• The site's name and identity tie into the surrounding New Italy settlement: poor Veneto farming families who, in 1880, were misled by the Marquis de Rays into purchasing land in a non-existent "La Nouvelle France" colony near PNG. Survivors were eventually granted some of the last selectable land in NSW, naming the area New Italy. The New Italy Museum complex (8275 Pacific Hwy, ~15 km south of Woodburn) preserves that heritage and is the de facto rider services stop.
• NRDW has hosted XCO racing here (e.g. the September 2021 New Italy Mountain Bike Race) and continues to expand and refine the network with volunteer labour.

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2026-05-19 — No major news surfaced for the past 12 months in public search; NRDW Facebook page is the live channel for closures, dig days, and event announcements (Cloudflare/timeout blocked direct fetch from this environment).
• 2021-09-12 — New Italy Mountain Bike Race held at Doubleduke State Forest (NRDW XCO race) (Richmond Valley Council).

Sources

1. Northern Rivers Dirty Wheels — New Italy — https://www.nrdw.com.au/new-italy/ — accessed 2026-05-19 (Cloudflare timeout from agent network; content corroborated via search snippets, NSW Gov, and Visit NSW which both quote the page verbatim)
2. NSW Government — New Italy Mountain Bike Forest — https://www.nsw.gov.au/visiting-and-exploring-nsw/locations-and-attractions/new-italy-mountain-bike-forest — accessed 2026-05-19
3. Forestry Corporation NSW — New Italy MTB Forest (Doubleduke State Forest) — https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visit/mountain-biking-in-nsw-state-forests/new-italy-mtb-forest-double-duke-state-forest — accessed 2026-05-19 (403 from agent; content via search snippet)
4. Forestry Corporation NSW — Expansion media release — https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/about/releases/new-italy-mtb — accessed 2026-05-19 (403 from agent; referenced)
5. Visit NSW — Attraction listing — https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/lismore-area/evans-head/attractions/new-italy-mountain-bike-forest — accessed 2026-05-19
6. Discover Richmond Valley — Doubleduke State Forest — https://discoverrichmondvalley.com.au/explorenextdoor/doubleduke/ — accessed 2026-05-19
7. Discover Richmond Valley — New Italy Museum Complex — https://discoverrichmondvalley.com.au/explorenextdoor/new-italy-museum-complex/ — accessed 2026-05-19
8. Richmond Valley Council — New Italy Mountain Bike Race (2021 event listing) — https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au/events/new-italy-mountain-bike-race/ — accessed 2026-05-19
9. Trailforks — New Italy Mountain Bike Forest region — https://www.trailforks.com/region/new-italy-mountain-bike-forest/ — accessed 2026-05-19 (403 from agent; URL pattern verified)
10. NRDW Trail Map PDF (June 2020) — https://www.nrdw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/New-Italy-MTB-Forest-Trail-Map-20200616.pdf — referenced in DB source_urls_json