THE PARK
Yackandandah is a relatively new kid on the mountain biking block in Victoria's High Country. Local riders have formed Yack Tracks Inc. and have been busily building well mapped and managed long-form cross-country trails highlighting the gold mining heritage of the local area.
The funky streetscape of old buildings, big verandahs, buzzing cafes and pubs will keep you happy and well refreshed after your ride. The trails range from easy to intermediate and are a 15 minute drive or half hour ride from Beechworth.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
CARCASS CANYON
For those of you who fancy your mountain biking skills Carcass Canyon is a must. It takes full advantage of the 160 year old gold mining remnants and leads you through a maze of shoots and sunken mining races, not to mention the tricky corners and drops.
HARD YARDS TO SWEET FLOW
If you're looking for a workout, from the trailhead hit the Kokoda loop (purple) then head up and do Diggers (red). As we say in Yack, you need to put in the hard yards to be rewarded with the sweet flowy descents; there are no shuttles around here.
THE YOBBOS
The YOBBOS (Yackandandah Old Blokes Biking on Sundays) have regular rides from the Memorial Gardens in Yackandandah on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7pm and Sunday at 8am. They consist of an eclectic group of MTB enthusiasts who are always up for showing a like-minded visitor around. A more casual slower group leaves at the same time on Sundays. Join them and get the low-down on the trails local style.
THE GROUND EFFECT
The Ground Effect (yellow) loop combines the use of 160 year old mining races and flowing single track perfectly, just don’t look down at the creek below while you're pedalling because it’s a long drop. This loop winds its way along the race through mining tailings then climbs up to the crest before you’re treated to yet more flowing down hill riding.
RECHARGE & REFUEL IN TOWN
Refuel at Yackandandah's range of coffee shops, pubs and eateries. For a small town Yack is spoilt by choice when it comes to biking, eating and drinking. Grab your caffeine fix at The Guard Yackandandah, enjoy BBQ at the Star Hotel Yackandandah, sample local gin and whiskey delights at Yack Creek Distillery and Backwoods Distilling Co and more.
RIDE FINDER
There's more to mountain biking than throwing yourself down the biggest hill, in fact two thirds of High Country MTB trails are intermediate level. The five ride categories and difficulty levels will help you navigate your way around the dozens of MTB rides in the High Country.
First timer
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
