Omeo MTB Park

Overview

The Omeo MTB Park is a 114 km purpose-built singletrack network in the Australian Alps highlands of East Gippsland, Victoria, officially opened on 5 December 2025. Built by Common Ground Trails on Sam Hill and Mount Mesley above the township of Omeo, the network is funded jointly by East Gippsland Shire Council, the Victorian State Government and the Australian Federal Government — a $10 million investment positioned as the centrepiece of Omeo's pivot to year-round adventure tourism.

The Livingstone Park trailhead is the network's primary entry point: the town-side hub at the bottom of Creek Street, a short ride or walk from Omeo's main street. Riders meet here to access every trail in the network — easy green flow loops along the Livingstone Creek corridor leave directly from the trailhead, and shuttles run from here up to Sam Hill / Mount Mesley for the gravity descents. Trailhead facilities are state-of-the-art: free showers, change rooms, public toilets, a bike wash, community bike repair stand, BBQ, asphalt pump track, a gravel skills course, and a natural swimming hole in Livingstone Creek for cooling off after a hot ride.

Unlike Falls Creek, Mt Buller and other resort-based parks, Omeo is open year-round. At 700 m elevation it sits below the snow line, so winter snow at nearby Mt Hotham doesn't shut the trails — riders can ski Hotham or Dinner Plain in the morning and lap Omeo the same afternoon. The network's 41+ named trails (53 catalogued on Trailforks) span all difficulties from green family loops to double-black freeride, with up to 600 m of vertical drop available via shuttle.

Location & Access

Address: Livingstone Park, Creek Street, Omeo VIC 3898 (the trailhead is at the bottom of Creek Street, opposite the caravan park, alongside Livingstone Creek)
Region: Victoria's High Country / East Gippsland Highlands (alpine setting in the Australian Alps)
Drive times: ~5 hr from Melbourne (via Sale and Bairnsdale) | ~3.5 hr from Bairnsdale | ~1.5 hr from Bright via the Great Alpine Road | ~1 hr from Mt Hotham / Dinner Plain ski fields
Public transport: No reliable PT — car only. Closest train terminus is Bairnsdale (V/Line); from there it's a 2.5 hr drive north on the Great Alpine Road
Parking: Free sealed/gravel parking at Livingstone Park trailhead. Overflow parking on Creek Street and at Oriental Claims Historic Area Carpark (already linked as a park_entrance of kind=parking)
Coords: -37.09872, 147.58984 (verified — matches the Livingstone Park trailhead at the south end of Omeo township)

The park markets itself as a "Ride In, Ride Out" destination: every accommodation, café and pub in town is within 500 m of the trailhead, so riders genuinely don't need a car once they arrive. Town accessed via the Great Alpine Road (B500).

Best Season & Conditions

Peak riding season: Year-round — operator states "open 365 days a year". Spring (Sep–Nov) and autumn (Mar–May) are ideal; summer is hot but shuttles run extended hours; winter is cold but rideable (Omeo at ~700 m sits below the snow line)
Wet-weather impact: Individual trail closures may occur after heavy rain to protect surface; check Trailforks before riding
Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: No formal closure policy published, but the park is in a Code Red / TFB-prone region during summer — check VicEmergency before riding on hot days. Blue Dirt shifts to a "hot weather timetable" (8 am–2 pm) on days forecast ≥34°C
Snow / alpine season: Open year-round. Adjacent Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain ski resorts are 1 hr away — uncommon "ski-and-shred" combos possible
School-holiday surge: Summer holiday period (late Dec – late Jan) is peak — shuttle bookings recommended in advance

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Land manager: East Gippsland Shire Council (project lead and ongoing maintenance contract — current contract expires July 2026, assessed annually)
Funding partners: Victorian Government (Regional Development Victoria); Australian Government (Building Better Regions Fund + Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program); East Gippsland Shire Council
Trail builder: Common Ground Trails (designed and built the entire 114 km network)
Local club / community: Ride Omeo (project brand and community face — rideomeo.com.au)
Volunteer / dig days: Not publicly advertised as a regular cadence; community engagement coordinated via Ride Omeo
Donations / membership: No formal membership; commercial shuttle revenue (Blue Dirt + Gravity Dirt Co) reportedly contributes to maintenance

History & Background

2018-2022: Project scoping and community consultation phase via East Gippsland Shire Council (yoursay.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au).
2022 (June): Construction contract awarded to Common Ground Trails; site work begins.
2024 (May): First section of singletrack opens — ~30 km of trails on the lower mountain.
2024 (late) / 2025 (early): Stage 1 (~50 km) operational; rider numbers climbing.
2025 (Sept-Oct): Trail count expands; Sam Hill gravity descents and Boundary Rider XC epic open.
2025 (Dec 5): Official grand opening — full 114 km network open. Coincides with completion of Omeo Streetscape Revitalisation and Livingstone Park flood remediation works.
Cultural significance: The land sits within Gunaikurnai country (East Gippsland) and Jaitmatang country (high plains). Trail names include some references to mining history (Diggers Run, Prospector, Fools Gold, Sluice, Water Race, Mine Bender) reflecting Omeo's gold-rush past — Oriental Claims Historic Area is connected to the western end of the trail network.
Economic context: Project framed by council and Victorian Premier as a tourism diversification play — moving Omeo from a winter ski-stopover town to a year-round adventure-tourism destination. Sits in a "High Country MTB road trip" loop with Falls Creek, Mt Beauty, Bright and Dinner Plain via the Great Alpine Road and Omeo Highway.