Wooditjup Trails

Overview

Wooditjup Trails is the umbrella name for three interconnected mountain bike networks just north of the Margaret River townsite in WA's South West — Wharncliffe (southernmost, west of the Bussell Highway), Compartment 10 (the original network, ~10 km, named after its forestry-coupe designation) and The Pines (~15 km of newer machine-built trail through a softwood pine plantation). Combined the network is roughly 45 km of mostly hand- and machine-built singletrack, joined together by the Wadandi Track (a converted rail corridor) and the Alfred Bussell Trail. All three were rebranded "Wooditjup" — the Wadandi/Bibbulmun name for the Margaret River area — following the 2020 reclassification of the surrounding state forest as Wooditjup National Park.

The riding character leans flow over tech: hard-packed groomed dirt, fast berms, double rollers, tabletops and the occasional rocky tech section. Trails follow a fairytale / nursery-rhyme naming convention (Senderella, Gulliver's Travels, Happily Ever After, Jack & Jill, Pugsley, Frankenpine) and are graded green through black. The network was concept-planned by Common Ground Trails and largely built by local builder Magic Dirt in partnership with MRORCA (Margaret River Off Road Cycling Association), DBCA and the Forest Products Commission. It hosts the WA Gravity Enduro Series (most recently the season opener in March 2025) and sits a 10-minute pedal from town via the Wadandi Track — making it one of WA's most accessible major MTB destinations.

Location & Access

• Address: Carters Road / Rotary Park, Margaret River WA 6285
• Region: Margaret River (South West WA)
• Drive times: ~3 hr from Perth (270 km south); ~50 min from Busselton; ~25 min from Dunsborough
• Public transport: No regular PT to the trailhead; coach services (TransWA, South West Coachlines) run from Perth to Margaret River township, then 10-min ride to trailhead via Wadandi Track
• Parking: Free at Rotary Park (Carters Road); sealed/gravel
• Coords: -33.922292, 115.050116

Best Season & Conditions

• Peak riding season: Year-round; autumn (Mar–May) and spring (Sep–Nov) are ideal — cool temperatures, drier tracks. Summer (Dec–Feb) is rideable but hot and dry.
• Wet-weather impact: Trails drain reasonably well but become slick/sticky after heavy rain; voluntary 24–48 hr closure recommended after rain to protect surface
• Fire-danger / total-fire-ban impact: DBCA may close access on Total Fire Ban days; check DBCA Emergency / Alerts page before riding in summer
• Snow / alpine season: N/A — sea-level coastal forest
• School-holiday surge: Busy during Easter holidays, July school holidays and Christmas/January; Rotary Park parking can fill on event weekends

Managing Body & Trail Builders

• Land manager: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) — Wooditjup National Park and adjoining state forest. Forest Products Commission (FPC) co-manages the pine-plantation portion (The Pines).
• Trail builder / maintainer: Magic Dirt (build); Common Ground Trails (concept and design); MRORCA (ongoing maintenance and advocacy)
• Volunteer / dig days: MRORCA runs regular volunteer dig days — see mrorca.org.au or @mrorca_mtb_ on Instagram
• Donations / membership: MRORCA membership and donations via mrorca.org.au

History & Background

• MTB trails have existed in the Margaret River area for 20+ years; many early trails were unsanctioned and built in Boranup Forest. As plantations were harvested, original trails were lost, motivating the formal Wooditjup project.
• MRORCA was formed in October 2014 by the amalgamation of the Margaret River Off Road Cycling Club and the Margaret River Cycle Club.
• Compartment 10 was developed over 4+ years as the first sanctioned section (~10 km), opened in stages with manicured machine-built singletrack.
• The Pines (~15 km) added in the latter half of the 2010s as a connected network within the FPC-managed pine plantation.
• Wharncliffe is the southernmost network, named after a former nearby timber mill, west of the Bussell Highway.
• The three networks were formally branded Wooditjup Trails after the surrounding state forest was reclassified as Wooditjup National Park (a name honouring the Wadandi people, who are the traditional owners; Wooditjup means "Margaret River" in the local Bibbulmun/Wadandi language).
• Hosts the WA Gravity Enduro Series (March 2025 Round 1 ran on The Pines network).

Recent News & Updates (last 12 months)

• 2025-03-22/23 — WA Gravity Enduro Series Round 1 hosted at The Pines / Wooditjup (course map released 2025-03-17) (WA Gravity Enduro)
• 2025 — TrailsWA Projects notes ongoing "recent redevelopments and exciting new trail additions" expanding the network across the three sub-areas (TrailsWA Projects)
• Ongoing — MRORCA holds the annual Enduro Jam (community enduro event)

Sources

1. DBCA Explore Parks WA — Wooditjup Mountain Bike Trails — https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/get-inspired/wooditjup-mountain-bike-trails — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 1)
2. DBCA Explore Parks WA — Wooditjup National Park — https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/wooditjup-national-park — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 1)
3. MRORCA — Wooditjup Trails — https://www.mrorca.org.au/trails-wooditjup — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 2)
4. MRORCA — About — https://www.mrorca.org.au/about — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 2)
5. TrailsWA — Wooditjup / Compartment 10 Margaret River — https://trailswa.com.au/trails/trail-networks/compartment-10-margaret-river — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 3)
6. TrailsWA Projects — The Wooditjup MTB Trails in Margaret River — https://trailswaprojects.com.au/the-wooditjup-mtb-trails-in-margaret-river/ — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 3)
7. WA Gravity Enduro — Margaret River 2025 Round 1 — https://www.wagravityenduro.org/project/2025-1/ — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 6)
8. The Local Spokesman — Margaret River MTB trails: short, fast and rowdy — https://www.thelocalspokesman.com.au/blog/margaret-river-mtb-trails-short-fast-and-rowdy/ — accessed 2026-05-20 (tier 6)