Mountain bike riders are hearing the calls of the Dungog Common and are showing up in droves.
Located in the Upper Hunter, Dungog, a town of just 2,000 people, has been hard at work for many years transforming their town into a bike rider’s paradise.
On the western edge of town sits the Dungog Common, a 650 acre area reserved for communal recreational use and environmental protection. Traditionally home to the Gringai people, the Common is an area for locals and visitors to play and explore and quite literally, get back to nature.
The Common has over 22km of single track, and 2.4km of groomed flow track built by former mountain biking downhill racer, Mat Rowland from Eastcoast Mountain Trails. With trails for every experience level, you’re sure to have a ball.
There are plans for further improvements including a second blue flow trail and an amenities facility with hot showers and bike wash down. There are also horse riding, bush walking and running trails through the Common.
If mountain biking isn’t your style, you can soak up the rolling countryside on one of several road routes. From easy loops around town to extreme multi-day rides, Dungog has it all.
Dungog’s investment in bike riding is paying tourism dividends. One of the local cafes has seen a 300 per cent increase in revenue since the same time last year. Local businesses are getting on board with the local brewery even offering puncture kits and a new bike shop and custom bike building business, Tempest Bicycles, is due to open in September.
Ride Dungog, previously MTB Dungog is the local biking club, and have been instrumental in creating Dungog as a riding hotspot.
“What we are seeing in Dungog demonstrates the increased demand for mountain, gravel and road biking experiences and the positive impact adventure tourism can have on the local community. We look forward to continuing to develop trails and advocating for cycling in the Dungog Shire and beyond,” commented Chloe Chick, President Ride Dungog.
Visit the Ride Dungog page for maps and more information on riding in Dungog.
