What Are Rail Trails and What Can You Do on Them?

Updated

Rail trails are shared paths built along the routes of former railways. They cut through hills, cross embankments, gullies and creeks, so the riding and walking is often gentler than the surrounding terrain suggests. Most have a gravel or dirt surface and suit walking, mountain bikes and horses; some are sealed and also work well for touring bikes. That surface difference is the main thing to check before you commit to a trail, because it decides whether your bike, your horse or your walking pace fits.

What makes a rail trail different from a normal path

Because they follow old rail corridors, rail trails inherit the engineering that trains needed: easy gradients, cuttings through hills, embankments over low ground, and bridges or culverts over creeks. You also pass remnants of the railway era, which is part of the appeal for many people. The trade-off is that surfaces vary a lot between trails, and so do lengths, so two trails of similar distance can feel completely different depending on whether they are gravel, dirt or sealed.

Matching the trail to how you want to travel

Surface Typically suits Watch for
Gravel or dirt Walking, mountain bikes, horses Rougher ride on narrow tyres; check horse access rules
Sealed Walking, touring bikes, everyday bikes Fewer trails are fully sealed, so confirm before planning

If you ride a touring or road bike, look for a sealed trail or a well-compacted gravel one. If you ride a mountain bike or want to walk or ride a horse, a gravel or dirt trail is usually the better fit.

Examples of trails to compare

Rail Trails Australia lists popular options with their distances, which is a quick way to sense the range on offer:

  • Brisbane Valley Rail Trail — 161 km
  • Murray to Mountains Rail Trail — 137 km
  • Great Victorian Rail Trail — 135 km
  • High Country Rail Trail — 81 km
  • Northern Rivers Rail Trail — 54 km

These differ in surface and setting as well as length, so treat the distance as a starting filter rather than the whole decision.

Practical checks before you go

  • Confirm the surface type for the specific trail, not just the region.
  • Check whether horses are permitted if you plan to ride one.
  • Note that some maps on the site require you to sign in or register to view them.
  • Look at recent news for closures, extensions or new sections, since trails change — for example, the site reports the Mike Turtur Bikeway Railside Trail opening after overpass construction, and ongoing work on the New England Rail Trail.

Where the website fits in

Rail Trails Australia is a national resource for finding and comparing rail trails, with featured trails, trail listings, maps (some behind a sign-in or registration), news updates and an online store. It also promotes events such as the 2026 National Rail Trails Conference in Canberra on 6–7 November 2026. If you are deciding whether rail trails suit your kind of outing, start with the surface and length of a specific trail, then use the site's listings and news to confirm current conditions.