Brisbane Valley Rail Trail

A rideable end-to-end rail trail with multiple towns for breaks and overnights.

Time to Ride: Most riders take 2-4 days depending on pace and how many towns they stop in.

Best Time to Go: The most reliable riding window is Apr-Oct, when days are generally drier and cooler in inland Queensland.

Getting there: The southern trailhead is at Wulkuraka Station in Ipswich (near Brisbane). The northern trailhead is in Yarraman on the Great Dividing Range.

Costs: Budget for transport to/from the trail plus accommodation, food and any bike servicing. Costs vary widely depending on whether you camp or use pubs and motels.

Difficulty: Moderate - the distance is substantial, and the surface is mixed dirt and gravel rather than sealed path.

The Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) runs 161 km from Wulkuraka in the City of Ipswich through the Somerset Region to Yarraman in the Toowoomba Region, all in Queensland. It follows the old Brisbane Valley railway line, giving it the gentle grades that make rail trails so tour-friendly.

Heading north from Wulkuraka Station the route threads a chain of small towns including Fernvale, Lowood, Coominya and Esk before continuing towards Toogoolawah, then on to the upper valley around Linville, Benarkin and Blackbutt before finishing at Yarraman. The upper end sits on the Great Dividing Range, and the trail crosses the Blackbutt Range in its northern half.

Two heritage highlights called out on the route are the restored Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge at Clarendon (opened to users in late 2018 after restoration) and the Yimbun Railway Tunnel, both on the Queensland Heritage Register. The missing link between Toogoolawah and Moore was officially opened in August 2018, creating a continuous off-road corridor.

• Stage 1: Wulkuraka to Fernvale (km 0-?) Start from Wulkuraka Station on a concrete bikeway section (part of the Ipswich Brassall Bikeway stages) before the surface transitions to dirt and gravel.
• Stage 2: Fernvale to Lowood (km ?-?) One of the most family-friendly sections, noted for its excellent degraded granite surface and popular for short outings.
• Stage 3: Lowood to Esk via Coominya (km ?-?) Easy rail-trail gradients between small settlements, with frequent opportunities to restock in towns.
• Stage 4: Esk to Toogoolawah (km ?-?) Steady rural riding on the old rail corridor, typically with sealed path returning as you enter towns.
• Stage 5: Toogoolawah to Moore (km ?-?) This was formerly the route’s missing link - it was officially opened in August 2018, replacing an earlier on-road deviation.
• Stage 6: Moore to Linville (km ?-?) A quieter upper-valley feel begins, with the trail continuing to follow the former railway alignment.
• Stage 7: Linville to Blackbutt via Benarkin (km ?-?) The riding trends upward into the ranges; Benarkin and Blackbutt are also convenient access points from the D’Aguilar Highway.
• Stage 8: Blackbutt to Yarraman (km ?-161) The final run reaches Yarraman on the Great Dividing Range, a satisfying finish after the valley-to-range transition.

Apr-Oct is the most popular season for the BVRT, bringing cooler temperatures and generally drier conditions that suit the trail’s unsealed sections.

After heavy rain, dirt and gravel rail trails can become slow or messy in places, so it is worth checking local conditions close to departure and being flexible with daily distances.

Most riders access the southern end at Wulkuraka Station in Ipswich, which is part of the wider Brisbane region and is a practical start point if you are arriving by public transport. From there, you can roll straight onto the trail network and out of town.

The northern end is in Yarraman, north-west of Brisbane and directly west of the Sunshine Coast. End-to-end riders commonly go south-to-north to finish on the Great Dividing Range, but either direction works depending on your transport plan.

Check with trail managers about any permissions needed for organised or commercial use; the trail is managed day-to-day by Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads in conjunction with local councils and community groups. The trail is managed day-to-day by Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads in conjunction with local councils and community groups.

Surface is mixed and is not suitable for road or racing bicycles - a touring bike with wider tyres or a gravel/MTB setup is a better match. From Wulkuraka Station there is a concrete section for the first few kilometres, then it breaks into dirt and gravel, with concrete returning in towns.

Overnight options are easiest in the trail towns - look around Fernvale, Lowood, Esk, Toogoolawah, Linville, Blackbutt and Yarraman for pubs, small motels and other local accommodation, and plan your daily stages around where rooms are available.

If you are travelling in peak periods (weekends and school holidays in particular), booking ahead is sensible because some of these towns are small and choices can be limited.