Djuwang Baring Creswick Trails – 5 Best MTB Trails Near Ballarat

Moey and his crew rode 60km of brand new MTB Trails in Creswick, only 90 Minutes from Melbourne, and chose their favourites!

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Dja Dja Wurrung people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to the Djaara as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Creswick, a quaint town located just 20 minutes from Ballarat, has become Victoria’s newest mountain biking hub. Long known as the home of the Victorian School of Forestry, that image appears set to change as 60 kilometres of mountain bike trails have officially opened to the public. The town is already bustling with mountain bike riders.

Read more: How to Maximise Your MTB Weekend in Creswick, Victoria: Best Food Accom, & Side Quests

Djuwang Baring means ‘long track’ in the Dja Dja Wurrung language and now provides riders with a huge playground amongst the forests, which vary from pine to Australian bush.

The trails, which start at Hammon Park Trailhead, offer something for everyone – whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned pro. Additionally, 30% of the trail network is suitable for adaptive riders. We love to see it!

It’s the perfect launching pad to explore the scenic, forested landscapes and well-maintained trails which offer flowy berms, optional technical challenges, and a breath of fresh air.

These are our top trails in the area for beginner and intermediate riders.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

The Top 5 Trails

1. Down Martuk (W6) and Up Gir (W3)

Trailhead area: Wood Coupe
Distance: 2.5km
Difficulty: Intermediate

By the time you’ve warmed up on the green trails and figured out the flow on the berms, you’ll want to head to the intermediate Martuk for what we think is the most scenic trail we rode during our weekend in Creswick.

Pro tip: Drop your leading shoulder, i.e. right shoulder for right corners, for better control.

Park in town and warm up your legs on the mellow climb up to the Wood Coupe trail junction where W6 will be waiting for you to flow freely down and around the plentiful berms through native Australian forest.

The balance between flow, fun, and challenge here will leave you wanting more and finding a way to keep lapping Martuk. Our suggestion is to head up Gir to save time riding the big loop around W1. Fear not, whilst Gir is rated intermediate, the intermediate part comes with optional technical challenges such as fallen log traverses.

2. Down Gurnmil (L7) and Up Warami Galk Galk (L8)

Trailhead area: Yulawil Gravity
Distance: 1.7km
Difficulty: Easy

Whilst the whole Yulawil Gravity network is easily accessible from Hammon Park, we recommend parking your car near the trailhead to maximise time on the trail (without getting in anyone else’s way!).

After our weekend on the Djuwang Baring trail network, we realised that after starting on trails such as L7 and G8, progressing onto some intermediate trails and then returning to greens such as Gurnmil, we had a lot more fun and control than before. By the end, Gurnmil was certainly in the mix of our favourite trails!

Gurnmil has a nice long straight section that is conducive to ‘bombing’, picking up a controllable amount of speed before squeezing the brakes and hitting the berms towards the end of the trail.

It’s short, sharp and totally lappable.

3. Up Yam Daisy (G7) and Down Green Apple (G8)

Trailhead area: Yulawil Gravity
Distance: 2.7km
Difficulty: Easy

Most easily accessible from Hammon Park Trailhead, this track is perfect for anyone that has found their feet on the pump track and Galki Kawa skills area.

The ascent up Yam Daisy meanders through pine forests and before long you’ll be at the top of Yulawil Gravity trail junction. As you’re about to reach the top of the junction, visions of Jumping Jacks (G9) come into view.

The tight berms and big jumps there might look alarming, but those worries will fade by the time you reach the start of Green Apple.

Green Apple is a pleasant introduction into the world of mountain biking in the area.

Much like a cooked Granny Smith goes well in an apple pie, a beginner mountain bike rider pairs well with Green Apple.

The trail has nice sweeping berms that almost seem to care for you and guide you around the bends. It’s the ideal trail to gain confidence managing speed around corners and practicing technique.

4. Rainbow Way (L5), Windlass (L3), Up Swamp Wallaby (L2), & Quartz Ridge (L6)

Trailhead area: Far east of Yulawil Gravity into Lake Link
Distance: 3.6km
Difficulty: Intermediate descents and easy ascents

Starting with the technical rock sections, and some bumps to navigate on the decline, there’s definitely a sense of trepidation as we approach the features on Rainbow Way. We found it’s better to hit these with slightly more speed than we may be comfortable with at first to ride the bumps out.

Pro tip: Ride up to these features slowly before hitting them to check them out, and if there’s someone more experienced in your party get them to roll over them first and give you any tips.

After completing Rainbow Way, it’s optional to keep on riding down Windlass or heading back up Quartz Ridge to the top, however Windlass was also one of my favourites so my tip here is to push on and send it.

On Windlass there are some steeper gradients to contend with, and one section in particular will ask you to trust in your abilities and let the brakes go, otherwise you won’t make it up the other side of the ascent.

Luckily for me, I had some guinea pigs with me, who told me exactly where I needed to let the brakes go.

This one will have your adrenaline flowing, but it’ll be back down by the time you reach the edge of St George’s Lake with a peaceful end to the downhill section through the Australian bush.

5. Marsupial (W1) Loop

Trailhead area: Wood Coupe
Distance: 3.4km
Difficulty: Easy

From the Brackenbury and Port Phillip Road junction take the Marsupial trail to start your adventure through the Wood Coupe area.

The trail, like its namesake, is light and fluffy, and enjoyable to warm up on in the morning when the atmosphere is calm and the echoes of wildlife still linger.

Marsupial is an ideal trail to take in the tranquillity of the Wood Coupe region. A beginner’s must and a great start to any day out on the Creswick trails.

If Marsupial is your vibe then don’t shy out on ascending Gir (W3) up to the Wood Coupe Junction – even though this is an intermediate trail the technical aspects such as log traverses are optional.

We had a ball out on the Djuwang Baring trails and it’s no wonder that with its close proximity to Melbourne, its quality, and the variety of trails, Creswick is fast becoming a favourite amongst mountain bike riders in Victoria. However, Creswick is far from just a mountain biking town, with foodie hotspots (hint: Truffles and Masterchef) and old architecture that adds to the charm and allure of a weekend away near Ballarat.

Djuwang Baring Creswick Mountain Bike Trails FAQs

How many kilometres of trails are there?

There are eight different areas across the network, with 60km of brand new MTB trails to choose from. Bring the crew! There’s something for everyone, with beginner and pro lines, as well as adaptive and cross country trails.

Are the trails close to Melbourne?

Yes. The Djuwang Baring Creswick Trails are very close to Melbourne, within a 90-minute drive from the city’s centre and only 20 minutes from Ballarat. Check out the trail network’s website for more information to plan your day out amongst the forests. The Trailforks app is also another great resource that allows you to download trails offline.

Is bike hire available?

The closest option for bike hire is Creswick Bike Hire, with the option to either pick up the bikes yourself in Ballarat or get them delivered to the trailhead at Hammon Park.
I hired one of the dual suspension bikes from Sam at the shop and had a ripper day out.

How long will I need to explore the trails?

At least a day, but a weekend is preferable. There’s plenty to see and do once the riding’s done for the day too. Check out the Visit Ballarat website for inspo!

Are there places to stay?

We stayed at the RACV Goldfields Resort Creswick. We chose them because they have bike-friendly accommodation, with a secure locking garage and bike-washing facilities. Did we mention the buffet?