An escape to the country doesn’t always have to be road trips that turn into hours! Just 45 minutes out of Brisbane and you could be putting two wheels to this stretch of rail line from the 1800s… also known as the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.   The trail famously takes in beautiful towns like Yarraman and Esk… but let us tell you, all the fun begins a whole lot closer to home! Wulkuraka is the start of this 161km ride… located just 10 minutes from the City of Ipswich. It then continues to Fernvale, before looping westwards to Lowood and then continuing north to Coominya, Esk, Toogoolawah, Moore, Linville, Benarkin, and Blackbutt before finally arriving in Yarraman.

Fresh mountain air… the wind beneath your wings… just you and 12,000 acres of pure biking bliss! If this has triggered your inner adventurer, well you’ll be pleased to hear you only have to travel to the City of Ipswich for this experience… welcome to Hidden Vale Adventure Park! Drive an hour from Brisbane to the City of Ipswich and soon enough you’ll find yourself exploring their rugged trails that span over 100kms in length. But don’t be fooled if you think entry here is just for the elite… this place caters for all.

Hillview Drive Reserve in Ipswich is a flowy 6km cross country loop featuring a variety of terrain. Only 200m from the beautiful Kholo Gardens, Hillview Drive is an ideal riding destination for a family day out. Here are my top five reasons to visit Hillview Drive circuit in Ipswich!LocationThe 6km circuit is easily accessible for Ipswich and Brisbane riders. This alone is perfect for those days you do not feel like driving excessively to get a ride in. 

With mountain biking gaining popularity in the community, it is essential there are trails suited to all levels of riding. As a rider I know we are constantly pushing our boundaries and skills to new levels, riding steeper more technical trails. These boundaries can be somewhat limited with more common blue and green beginner level trails.Having said that, the following includes some of the best ADVANCED riding in Ipswich for the rider looking to test their own abilities!Phils Trail, Castle HillIn my opinion this is the most technical trail at Castle Hill, Blackstone Reserve. With big ruts carved into the sandstone from tyres, steep switch backs and tight trees, Phils is sure to test out your bike skills. The trail also ends at the drop into the pump track/jump line, the perfect way to finish a sick track!

Hidden Vale Adventure Park (HVAP) is quickly becoming one of the hearts of mountain biking in Ipswich. With over 110km of professionally built trail networks and some of the longest descents in all of Southeast Queensland, HVAP is a must ride destination!Having ridden and raced at HVAP more times I can count, with many successful results, here are my top five trails to tackle at HVAP!

Who doesn't love a day out on the trails? Twisting through chicanes, pushing up ascents and thundering back down to earth on the other side. It only makes sense that we give a little back to ourselves on occasion and what better way to do it than delving into some of the best in mountain biking that the region has to offer.Thankfully, right here in Ipswich there's loads of places to explore and we've done the hard yards to get all that information right here in the one place.