St Helens Trails

Overview

The St Helens Mountain Bike Trails are a council-owned network of around 110 km of purpose-built singletrack on Tasmania's east coast, the second pillar of NE Tasmania's MTB destination tourism alongside Blue Derby. The trails were designed and constructed by World Trail (Glen Jacobs) — the same team behind Blue Derby — and opened in late 2019 after roughly eight years of planning and a multi-million-dollar federal/state/council build.

The network has two distinct halves. The Flagstaff trailhead, 4 km south of the township, holds the stacked loops: roughly 66 km of green and blue cross-country and flow trails fanning off the Trailhead loop, plus three signature black-diamond descents (Send Helens, Icarus, Shucka) added in June 2020. The Bay of Fires Trail is the marquee ride — a 42–44 km point-to-point epic starting in sub-alpine country on the Blue Tier (1,360 m), descending through myrtle canopy and dry sclerophyll, and finishing on the white sand of Swimcart Beach in the internationally recognised Bay of Fires. The descent from Loila Tier is accessed by shuttle and feeds the gravity-oriented blue and black trails.

The "Mountains to the Sea" combination — alpine to coast in a single ride — is unique in Australian mountain biking and underpins the network's marketing. It complements rather than competes with Blue Derby an hour away, with most visitors riding both networks on the same trip.

Location & Access

Address: Flagstaff Road, St Helens, TAS 7216 (Flagstaff Trailhead)
Visitor Information Centre: 61 Cecilia Street, St Helens (Break O'Day VIC)
Region: Break O'Day / Bay of Fires (NE Tasmania east coast)
Drive times: ~2 hr from Launceston (via St Marys, National Hwy / Esk Hwy); ~1 hr from Blue Derby; ~3.5 hr from Hobart; ~30 min to Binalong Bay
Public transport: Tassielink coach service from Launceston/Hobart to St Helens; no public transport to the trailhead itself
Parking: Free sealed/gravel parking at Flagstaff Trailhead (limited bays on peak weekends; overflow nearby); coach parking available
Coords: -41.3568, 148.2578 (Flagstaff Trailhead)

Best Season & Conditions

Peak riding season: Year-round; October–April are warmest, but the east coast climate keeps trails ridable through winter
Wet-weather impact: Some trails close briefly after heavy rain to protect surfaces; check Facebook/news page before driving
Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: Closures possible on declared catastrophic fire-danger days, especially the Bay of Fires Trail and Loila Tier sections which traverse remote forest
Snow / alpine season: Blue Tier (Bay of Fires start, 1,360 m) can be cold and exposed in winter; lower trails unaffected
School-holiday surge: Trails and shuttles get busy during Tas/Vic school holidays and over Easter; book shuttles 1–2 weeks ahead in peak periods

Managing Body & Trail Builders

Land manager / operator: Break O'Day Council (council-owned trails)
Trail builder: World Trail (Glen Jacobs and team) — also built Blue Derby, Maydena Bike Park trails, Mt Stromlo, and many flagship Australian networks
Shuttle operator: Gravity Isle Shuttles — 21 Quail Street, St Helens; phone 0474 371 365; email enquiries@gravityisle.com
Local clubs / advocacy: Tasmanian Mountain Bike Association (TasMBA), Destination Bay of Fires
Donations / membership: No formal trail-fee model; trails are free. Support via shuttle bookings and local businesses.

History & Background

Project conceived in the early 2010s as a complement to the then-emerging Blue Derby; planning took roughly 8 years from concept to opening.
Funded by approximately $3.1M federal +
M Tasmanian state + $600k Break O'Day Council (total ~$4.7M; some sources cite $4.5M or $3.2M for the initial stage).
21 November 2019 — Official opening of the initial 110 km network by Break O'Day Mayor Mick Tucker, Senator Claire Chandler (first official rider), and Lyons MP John Tucker. Described as a "world-class trail" and "economic shot in the arm" for the region.
20 June 2020 — Three black-diamond trails (Send Helens, Icarus, Shucka) officially opened at Flagstaff, expanding gravity options.
Late 2020 — Bay of Fires Trail reopened with route modifications after initial environmental and access changes.
The trails form part of NE Tasmania's broader MTB destination strategy alongside Blue Derby (Dorset Council), and were originally included in the early Tasmania EWS / UCI World Cup bid concepts.
Located on lands of the Palawa/Pakana people of the Trawlwoolway clan; the Blue Tier and Bay of Fires coast hold ongoing cultural significance.