Trail number
Not applicable
Trail length
7 kilometres
Elevation variance
130 metres
Trail type
Fire trail, gravel road
Trail surface
Smooth dirt, fine gravel
Weather affected
All weather
Trail condition sources
Nil
Trail features
Fast downhill section back into the Lerderderg gorge
Trail obstacles
Nil
Trail rating
Intermediate
Rating basis
Estimated
Night riding
Yes
Family Friendly
No. There isn't a lot of traffic on this road but it does have some. Climb is a constant climb as is return downhill section. Wheelers Track can get build up of loose gravel as well which could be dangerous for inexperienced MTBers.
Use Topographic Map For This Area
No GPX download
This ride starts in the Barry's Reef area and provides a large circuit to return from mid way up the Potters Climb or from the Tyrconnel Mine ride. The ride is largely along fire trails and gravel roads. The reason I like it is not so much for its technical nature - it's not technical at all - but for its long downhill run back down to the gorge. You can get some quite high speeds up and the windy road is fun but not so tight that you have to scrub your speed at every corner.
The trail is the light blue trail at the left of the picture above. Barry's Reef is the cleared area at the start of the trail. The description below is in the anticlockwise direction. You can see the power line easement described below in the picture above. Note how the trail described skirts around it.
Following your map, head to the Barry's Reef reservoir from either the Pottery Track turn off near Anderson's Corner or from the end of the Tyrconnel Mine circuit.
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Head towards the Barrys Reef reservoir and from the reservoir gate, follow the track around to the rear of the reservoir and turn right (heading north west). |
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Follow trail northwards until you get to the power line easement. |
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When you get to the power line easement (right hand photo) you can keep going but you will lose a lot of height. The alternative is to follow the track to the right (refer below) which follows the contour of the hill so you don't lose as much height and is a bit more scenic than the power easement.. |
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When you get to the power line easement (right hand photo) you can keep going but you will lose a lot of height. The alternative is to follow the track to the right (refer below) which follows the contour of the hill so you don't lose as much height and is a bit more scenic than the power easement.. |
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Follow the track until you get to Wheelers Track shown in the last photo. |
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Near the Wild Dog track sign you can get off the gravel road if you like and track parallel to Wheelers Track using Native Cat Track. Don't follow it all the way down though as it's a dead end - refer to map. Note VicMap and the Google Map show another bush track heading down to the river which may be worth a try. Some maps show this track and others don't and I haven't confirmed whether it goes through or not. Wheelers Track provides a fun run down into the gorge. Be aware of loose rock drifts on corners. |
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Above is the track coming into the Lerderderg River crossing. The sign at the river crossing tells a bit of the history of the area. This area was once heavily logged and Wheelers Tramway used to carry logs down the other side of the valley for processing. It is on the heritage register and apparently can still be located in the bush. |
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No video for this trail.
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Parking is available at many locations. |
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No toilet facilities are available. |
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No drinking water is available. |
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No food or drinks are available in the immediate area. |
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No local information facilities are available. |