Munda Biddi Trail

A long, mostly off-road end-to-end bikepacking route through southwest Western Australia, with free trail camps and plenty of possible start points.

Time to Ride: Many riders tour it over roughly 10 to 14 days, but you can also cherry-pick shorter sections from towns along the line.

Best Time to Go: Spring and autumn are recommended for better riding conditions; December to March can be hazardous due to extreme heat and fire danger.

Getting there: The official end points are Mundaring and Albany in Western Australia. Most travellers arrive via Perth for the northern end, then use a car shuttle or public transport connections back from the finish.

Costs: Budget-friendly if you use the free campsites. Costs mainly come from food, any paid accommodation in towns, transport to/from the ends, and optional commercial support (bike hire, shuttles, luggage transfers).

Difficulty: Moderate overall - terrain and difficulty vary by section, with stages suitable for a wide range of abilities, but some gaps between camps can be longer than a day’s ride for slower riders.

The Munda Biddi Trail is a long-distance, mostly off-road cycling trail running for over 1,000 kilometres from Mundaring to Albany, cutting through a largely undeveloped natural corridor in southwest Western Australia. Its name means “path through the forest” in the Noongar Aboriginal language, and forest riding is exactly what you get for much of the route.

The trail opened end-to-end in April 2013, and at the time claimed the title of the longest continuous off-road cycling trail of its kind in the world. It is run by the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, a not-for-profit that supports land managers and coordinates volunteers, events and trip planning.

Practically, this is a choose-your-own-adventure route: you can ride end-to-end, or link shorter trips because the trail is accessible by car and riders can begin from multiple locations. Expect variable terrain and difficulty, free campsites spaced along the way (with some longer gaps), and a well-established culture of self-supported riding with good map resources.

• Stage 1: Mundaring to early forest country (approx. km 0-150): A natural warm-up leaving the Perth Hills into the trail’s “path through the forest” character - mostly off-road riding with gradually increasing remoteness.
• Stage 2: Northern jarrah forest corridors (approx. km 150-300): Long, steady days under tall forest canopy; terrain and difficulty can vary, so plan around your fitness and campsite spacing.
• Stage 3: Mid-trail bushland and backcountry camps (approx. km 300-500): A more isolated feel, where the free campsites become the backbone of your logistics and some distances between them can be significant.
• Stage 4: Southern forest belt (approx. km 500-700): Classic southwest forest riding with a mix of surfaces and trail difficulty depending on the specific segment.
• Stage 5: Approaching the south coast (approx. km 700-900): The landscape begins to shift as you near the coast, but the route remains primarily off-road and nature-focused.
• Stage 6: Final run into Albany (approx. km 900-1,000+): The finish delivers you to the port city of Albany after a final stretch of forest and bushland riding, completing the over-1,000 km end-to-end journey.

Although the track is open year-round (as of May 2017), conditions are generally better in spring and autumn. These shoulder seasons reduce the main hazards that define the southwest summer.

From December to March, riding can be potentially hazardous due to often extreme heat and fire danger. If you must ride in warmer months, keep your daily timing conservative and treat fire information and water planning as central parts of your route prep.

The trail runs from Mundaring (near Perth) to Albany on the south coast of Western Australia. For international and interstate travellers, Perth is the most practical gateway for reaching the northern terminus, with onward options by car to Mundaring.

Many riders go north-to-south, finishing in Albany, then arrange a return via car shuttle or other transport back toward Perth. Because the trail is accessible by car at multiple points, it is also straightforward to start from an intermediate town if you are only riding a section.

No permit is mentioned as being required in the provided sources for riding the Munda Biddi Trail. The route is supported by detailed maps, and the trail has free campsites at various points, with some spaced more than a day’s ride apart.

Bike logistics are flexible: many riders travel self-supported, while others use commercial services where available (for example, bike hire, shuttles, or luggage transfers) based on their start point and preferred daily distances. Surface and difficulty vary by section, so choose tyres and gearing appropriate for mixed off-road riding.

A key feature of the trail is the network of free campsites along the route, which makes end-to-end touring feasible on a modest budget. Because some camps can be spaced more than a day’s ride apart, plan your daily targets around campsite locations rather than purely around kilometres.

Towns along or near the trail also make it possible to mix camping with indoor stays (such as guesthouses, motels, or bike-friendly accommodation where available). In busier periods and in smaller towns, booking ahead is sensible if you are relying on a bed rather than a campsite.