Nowa Nowa MTB Park

Overview

Nowa Nowa MTB Park is a beginner- and family-focused cross-country trail network on the timbered slopes of Mt Nowa Nowa, in East Gippsland's coastal hinterland. The park is built on state forest land and centred on a trailhead on Old Nowa Nowa–Buchan Road, around 1 km north of the small town of Nowa Nowa. Its layout is unusual for Australia: a single gentle ~5 km climbing track (Trail 1, the "Uphill Track") delivers riders to a top trailhead from which all the other named trails descend, giving multiple route choices on smooth, flowing single-track [1][2][6].

The park advertises 35 km of trails total — 20 km of dedicated MTB single-track plus 15 km of dual-purpose walking/cycling tracks (Fairweather, Lambournes Break, Drivers Break) — across seven numbered routes [1][2][7]. Five of the seven trails are graded green/easy; two (Jumping Jackaroo and Wallaby Ramble) are blue/intermediate, and Jumping Jackaroo is widely cited as the standout descent — a 15-minute downhill run with sweeping berms, log rollovers and small "booters" (jumps) [2][6]. A vehicle shuttle road reaches the top trailhead so riders or operators can shuttle the climb [4][6].

What makes Nowa Nowa distinct: it is one of the most beginner-friendly trail networks in East Gippsland, sits within easy reach of two tourism hubs (40 min from Bairnsdale, 20 min from Lakes Entrance), and has a strong town-side support story — the local caravan parks, general store and Mingling Waters Café actively cater to riders. Mt Nowa Nowa itself carries cultural and historical weight: the historic fire tower at the summit (built 1929/30) was destroyed in the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, and the summit is now a viewpoint reached via Trail 5 [3][8].

Location & Access

• Address: Old Nowa Nowa–Buchan Road, Nowa Nowa VIC 3887 (trailhead ~1 km north of the town centre and general store)
• Region: East Gippsland (tourism subregion: Gippsland Lakes / East Gippsland)
• Drive times: ~4 hr from Melbourne CBD via the Princes Hwy; 40 min east of Bairnsdale; 20 min from Lakes Entrance [1][2][5]
• Public transport: Limited — V/Line train to Bairnsdale then connecting bus to Nowa Nowa; in practice, car-only for riders bringing bikes
• Parking: Free unsealed parking at the main trailhead (signed off Old Buchan Rd, on the left just before the 100 km/h sign) [4]
• Coords: -37.7221, 148.0963 (matches DB; verified against ExplorOz coordinates 37°43'19"S, 148°05'46"E [9])

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Year-round; spring (Sep–Nov) and autumn (Mar–May) are most comfortable; summer can be hot inland
• Wet-weather impact: Trails are "prone to be muddy after medium rain" — surface is smooth dirt that holds water; consider waiting 24–48 hrs after heavy rain to protect the trail surface [4]
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: State forest tracks may close on declared Code Red / extreme fire-danger days; check FFMVic forest-closure map before travelling [10]. The 2019/20 bushfires destroyed the Mt Nowa Nowa fire tower and burnt through the broader area, so closures are taken seriously here.
• Snow / alpine season: Not applicable — coastal hinterland, ride year-round
• Night riding: Permitted (unusual for state-forest MTB; explicitly noted by bancoora.com) [4]
• School-holiday surge: Network attracts families during summer/Easter holidays from Lakes Entrance; weekends busiest

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) Victoria — the trails sit on state forest. The DEECA local office is at 5 Forest Rd, Nowa Nowa, phone (03) 5162 0100 [10][11]
• Trail builder / maintainer: Origin in DSE (now DEECA) state-forest recreation programs. No active local MTB club is currently identified as the day-to-day maintainer; the Gippsland MTB Club's website does not list Nowa Nowa among its maintained trails (it covers Avon Mt Hedrick, Baw Baw, Maryvale Pines, Somewhere Good, Mt Erica, Haunted Hills, Blores Hill) [12]. Mountain Biking East Gippsland (MTBEG) lists the park among East Gippsland trails it promotes [13].
• Volunteer / dig days: Not publicly scheduled — informal maintenance only as far as can be confirmed. MTBEG can be contacted at info@mtbeg.com.au [13]
• Donations / membership: Riders can support trail maintenance via Trailforks "trail karma" or by joining AusCycling

History & Background

• The MTB park was developed on Mt Nowa Nowa state forest under the (then) Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) — predecessor to DELWP and now DEECA — as a recreational use of timbered slopes already crossed by management roads [1][8]. Sources do not give a precise opening year; the IMBA-rated trail design and the maturity of the network suggests construction in the late 2000s through early 2010s, contemporaneous with neighbouring Mt Taylor MTB Park (formally opened 2012).
• Trails were laid out as single one-way single-track on smooth dirt, with sweeping berms, ramps and log rollovers; difficulty ratings follow IMBA standards [4]
• Mt Nowa Nowa fire tower: built 1929/30 on the summit; destroyed in the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires [3][8]. The summit is reached today via the top of Trail 5 (Wallaby Ramble), where there is a bike rack and picnic table [3].
• Cultural context: Nowa Nowa sits in the Country of the Gunaikurnai people. The town's name is a Gunaikurnai placename, and the broader region is part of the Gunaikurnai Joint Management area for several parks (the MTB park itself is on state forest, not joint-managed national park).
• Town's "bike mecca" identity: The Nowa Nowa Caravan Park markets the town as "the bike mecca of the East" and the local Nowa Nowa Futures community group highlights the MTB park alongside the East Gippsland Rail Trail and walking trails [5][3]

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• No specific new trail opening, closure, or rebuild announcements were surfaced for May 2025–May 2026 in public sources searched. The network appears stable post-Black Summer recovery, with ongoing dual-purpose-track use by walkers and cyclists [3].
• Trailforks user-submitted videos for Trails 2, 3 and 5 remain the freshest publicly indexed content.

Sources

1. Visit Gippsland — Nowa Nowa Mountain Bike Park — https://www.visitgippsland.com.au/do-and-see/outdoor-activities/cycling/nowa-nowa-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-07 (richest single page; full trail list, distances, difficulties, location, hero images)
2. Lakes Entrance Accommodation — Mountain Bike Track — https://www.lakesentrance.com/explore/biking/item/mountain-bike-track — accessed 2026-05-07 (35 km total, 20 + 15 km split, shuttle to top trailhead, free)
3. Nowa Nowa Caravan Park — Bike Nowa Nowa — https://nowanowacaravanpark.com.au/bike-nowa-nowa/ — accessed 2026-05-07 (town-side perspective, fire-tower history, summit picnic table, BMX track at rec reserve, "bike mecca" framing)
4. Bancoora — Nowa Nowa Trail Information — http://bancoora.com/Nowa%20Nowa%20Rides/Nowa%20Nowa%20Trail%20Information.html — accessed 2026-05-07 (field report — confirms no toilets/water/food, mud after rain, night riding permitted, IMBA-rated)
5. Nowa Nowa Futures — Explore page — https://nowanowa.org.au/explore/ — accessed 2026-05-07 (town context, accommodation list, café locations)
6. Melbourne Playgrounds — Nowa Nowa MTB Park — https://www.melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/nowa-nowa-mountain-bike-park — accessed 2026-05-07 (trail list with distances, family-friendly framing)
7. Mountain Biking Australia — Gippsland destinations — https://www.mtbiking.com.au/destinations/mountain-biking-in-gippsland-vic — accessed 2026-05-07 (regional context, 20 km headline, named trail callouts)
8. Trailforks — Nowa Nowa MTB Park (region 12870) — https://www.trailforks.com/region/nowa-nowa-mtb-park-12870/ — verified URL 2026-05-07 (page returned 403 to automated fetch but URL resolves; user-submitted Trail 2/3/5 videos exist)
9. ExplorOz — Nowa Nowa MTB Park — https://www.exploroz.com/places/497098/vic+nowa-nowa-mtb-park — accessed 2026-05-07 (35 km figure, coordinates verification)
10. DEECA / Forest Fire Management Victoria — Mountain biking — https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/recreational-activities/mountain-biking — accessed 2026-05-07 (state-forest closure framework, DEECA Nowa Nowa office address & phone)
11. Mountain Biking East Gippsland (MTBEG) — Trails — https://mtbeg.com.au/index.php/trails/ — accessed 2026-05-07 (one climb / four descent framing; promoter contact)
12. Gippsland MTB Club — Where to ride — https://gippslandmtb.com.au/ — accessed 2026-05-07 (negative result — Nowa Nowa not on this club's maintained-trails list)