Queensland has been coming through a boom in mountain biking, with most trail networks around the state seeing a lot more use as more people discover the joy of riding off-road, and the thrills of riding singletrack.

Mackay has been a growing mountain bike hot bed over the last decade, with some key drivers in the local community developing a testing network of trails at Rowallan Park, that has seen high level events held in the area. The town of Eungella, atop the Pioneer Valley, has also hosted the Mackay Mountain Marathon, a popular mountain bike event on the range run by Corry Cycles. But there has always been a plan to bring more mountain biking to the region for near on a decade. And earlier this year, the first section of the new Finch Hatton Mountain Bike Trails have opened.

All about Finch Hatton

Finch Hatton is west of Mackay in the Pioneer Valley. The small township is home to Finch Hatton Gorge, where waters tumble through chasms of volcanic boulders, through remnant rainforests left after the visits from timber getters through the last century. The town of Finch Hatton has the essentials; a general store, a pub and hotel, and a showgrounds with camping. They now also have the first phase of a world class mountain bike network.  

Built on the land of the Yuwi and Widi people, the trail network designed by World Trail has 16 trails that are now open, using 250m of elevation to take riders up, along and down. The trail mix should have a very broad appeal with 7 green trails, 6 blue trails and 3 black trails for those chasing airtime. In the future, another 82km of trails will be built. This includes more flow and gravity trails, but also a huge wilderness trail that will stretch from the town of Eungella atop the range all the way down to Finch Hatton.

On the dirt

The mix of trails delivers plenty of flow, with the machine built berms, rollers and kickers letting riders choose whether they pump a feature for speed, hit the kicker for airtime, or roll through with a broad smile.

Riders can use a shuttle service at Finch Hatton run by Off Camber, with half or full-day options. For those looking to ride under their own steam, there is a friendly climbing trail called G’day G’day – a great way to get familiar with the network.

Most of the trails are described as Airflow, where you can let your skill level choose how you ride it – in the air or flowing over the dirt features. Stage two of the Finch Hatton trails will deliver some more natural terrain for the fans of more naturally technical features and rock gardens.

For younger riders, there’s a pump track at the trail head. Big kids and small kids can work on their skills on the asphalt pump track.

Speaking to Colin Levitch from Flow Mountan Bike, they were clrealy impressed when they visited.

‘As new riding destinations pop up around the country, Queensland finally has something fresh to bring to the table. Stage one is only a small release of singletrack, and the fun per kilometre ratio is impressive, with a whole lot more still to come. The vibe of the town is warm and welcoming, and once the adventure trail from Eungella comes online, Finch Hatton is going to be big. If it’s not on your radar yet, it should be.’

Finch Hatton looks set to become a must-ride mountain bike destination not just for Queensland, but potentially for all Australian mountain bikers. What’s on the ground now has a great offering, but as the destination grows there will be easily a week’s worth of riding and activities in this part of Queensland.

How to get there

The Finch Hatton trails are about 60km from Mackay’s airport, or about 385km from Townsville, 980km from Brisbane and 735km from Cairns.

When to go

Finch Hatton trails have been designed to be ridden in all-weather. But given the impacts summer storms can have, we’d plan your visits between early autumn and late spring for the most stable conditions.

Eating and drinking

The Criterion Hotel is right in town, and claim to have the best food in the Pioneer Valley! They have all the pub favourites you would expect… plus some salads. Their pies come highly recommended.

Where to stay

If you want to stay right in Finch Hatton, the Criterion Hotel have rooms, or you can camp at the Showgrounds. Otherwise you would be best to stay somewhere in Mackay, where there is a whole range of accommodation types.

Bike Hire

Corry Cycles have a store at Finch Hatton that is open Friday to Sunday. They have bike riding essentials and a range of e-bikes to hire.

The Perfect Introduction to Mountain Bike Riding!

Designed for beginners and catering to families the Ewen Maddock Dam loop (sometimes referred to as Ferny Forest) is the perfect spot to explore nature and build skills.

Pump those pedals and enjoy riding through the ferns, blackbutt forests and soak up the views of Ewen Maddock Dam and the distant Mount Beerwah. The trail is two directional at the start but the rest is a one-way circuit – follow clockwise. There is ample parking off Steve Irwin Way and access accommodates for all conventional vehicles.

This is also a great spot if you are looking to try mountain bike riding as the trail has very few technical features, relatively flat and flowy and has gorgeous views!