Silvan Trails
Overview
The Silvan area of Dandenong Ranges National Park is a sanctioned beginner-to-intermediate mountain bike network on the eastern flank of the ranges, roughly 50 km east of Melbourne. The trail network sits beneath a tall mountain ash and messmate canopy on hard-packed clay, with steep terrain making it gravity-leaning despite being graded mostly Blue. Around 13 km of dedicated singletrack is woven together with the existing management vehicle track network (Track 13, Track 18, Track 24 etc.), allowing riders to link laps without long road climbs.
The network is owned by Parks Victoria; trail building and maintenance is led by the local club, Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers (YRMTB), via formal trail-custodian arrangements (Duncan Rose is listed as the "Silvan Trail Custodian" on YRMTB's about page). The flagship trails are Bakers Dozen, Twisted Sister, Tchans, Temple of Zoom and a downhill known as Telegraph Downhill / "Downhill". Surface character is fast, flowy, and rolls well after rain — Parks Victoria rangers endeavour to keep it open in nearly all conditions.
Silvan has become a regular Victorian race venue. Rocky Trail Entertainment's Fox Superflow gravity-enduro series has run at Silvan multiple years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and is scheduled 25–26 April 2026), and the Yarra Ranges Schools Comp also uses the network. The 2026 Superflow uses Temple of Zoom (FOX track), a Twisted Sister / Bakers Dozen combination (Stans track) and the Downhill descent (Lazer track).
Location & Access
- Address: Stonyford Road, Silvan VIC 3795 (primary trailhead at Silvan Reservoir Picnic Area)
- Region: Dandenong Ranges (Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges tourism region)
- Drive times: ~50 min from Melbourne CBD; ~20 min from Lilydale; ~25 min from Belgrave
- Public transport: Limited — Lilydale (Belgrave–Lilydale line) is the nearest train station; bus connections to Mt Evelyn / Silvan are infrequent. Realistically a car-only park.
- Parking: Free at Silvan Reservoir Picnic Area (upper carpark ~45 bays, lower carpark ~50 bays). Alternative starts: RJ Hamer Arboretum (Olinda), Mt Evelyn footy oval, Happy Trails Cafe / Mt Evelyn aqueduct trail.
- Coords: -37.825262, 145.41147 (verified — Silvan Reservoir / Stonyford Rd)
Best Season & Conditions
- Peak riding season: Year-round; February is the most popular ride month per Trailforks logs. Late spring through autumn is the sweet spot. Hard-packed clay rolls fast in the dry and holds up surprisingly well in the wet.
- Wet-weather impact: Rangers keep trails open in most conditions; short closures may occur after extreme weather events, storms, or planned burns. The Rib trail has been called out by YRMTB as storm-damaged and currently best avoided.
- Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Silvan Reservoir Park closes on Extreme Fire Danger Rating days. BBQs prohibited on TFB days. Trails themselves are within Dandenong Ranges National Park and subject to standard summer fire-closure protocols.
- Snow / alpine season: Not applicable — low-elevation Dandenong Ranges, no alpine closure.
- Night closures (deer control): Annual Parks Victoria deer-control program closes parts of Dandenong Ranges National Park overnight (4 pm – 7 am) on selected nights. 2026 dates: between 16 March and 12 May 2026 (some sources reference 15 March – 20 May). Signage at access points indicates active control nights.
- Planned burns 2026: Track 13, Track 18 and Track 24 are listed as closed during current planned-burn windows (FFMVic Silvan – Track 18 burn ignited from late March 2026). Check
https://plannedburns.ffm.vic.gov.au/ for current status.
- Carpark gate hours (Silvan Reservoir Park): Daily 9am–4:30pm AEST / 9am–6:30pm AEDT (exit gate closes 7:30pm AEDT). Riders parking at RJ Hamer Arboretum or Mt Evelyn aren't bound by these gate times.
Managing Body & Trail Builders
- Land manager: Parks Victoria (Dandenong Ranges National Park)
- Trail builder / maintainer: Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers (YRMTB) — formed 2007; Silvan Trail Custodian: Duncan Rose
- Volunteer / dig days: Promoted via YRMTB Facebook page; regular working bees
- Donations / membership: YRMTB membership via MTBA Recreational tier; non-members