ORS Facilities - Eagle Mountain Bike Park

LATEST NEWS

Monday 29 June 2009

The upgrade works at Eagle MTB Park to prepare for hosting the Australian MTB Championships are progressing well.

Widening of the internal access road is nearly complete and it has now been re-opened to riders, as has the Hills Hoist trail.

Grading work will be undertaken in the vicinity of the container and storage sheds to increase car-parking space, and boulders and fill are being moved onto the Mezzanine area in preparation for constructing the 4X course and new trials areas.

Work will commence this week on a new turning circle on the Valley Road at its junction with Top Deck, so the lower section of Top Deck has been closed.

Signage and bunting is still on site to highlight the no-go zones, but please be aware that heavy machinery will still be moving around within the park during the next few weeks so ride with caution.

ORS and the Nationals Organising Committee (The Inside Line and Adelaide MTB Club) very much appreciate your cooperation and patience with this project and ask that all park users please respect and adhere to trail closures at all times.

Four Cross Course

ORS is very pleased to announce that TrailScapes has been awarded the contract to design and construct the Eagle MTB Park 4X Course.
4X is an integral component of the Australian MTB Championships. The course will be located at the eastern end of the Mezzanine where fill has previously been deposited and shaped.

A Project Management Group has been established to guide the development of the 4X course. The group consists of representatives from ORS, Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA), the Inside Line, Adelaide MTB Club and Bicycle SA. TrailScapes will work with the group to ensure the 4X track is not only ready for national-level racing but also provides SA MTBing with a lasting legacy long after the Nationals circus has been and gone.
The design of the 4X track is currently being finalised by TrailScapes and the group.
 
   
If you have any queries in relation to Eagle MTB Park please contact Marty Krieg at the Office for Recreation and Sport on 7424 7788 or at Krieg.Marty@saugov.sa.gov.au.

Tuesday 2 March 2009

Australian Mountain Bike Championships are coming to Eagle Park!

Read the full media release here (83kb PDF).

Next January will see Australia’s top mountain bikers take to the Eagle Park trails to battle it out for the title of National Champion.

The Nationals will be held over five days leading up to Australia’s biggest cycling event, the Tour Down Under.
It is expected to be the biggest mountain-bike event ever held at Eagle Park, which will undergo some significant upgrades in preparation for the event.

PARK IMAGES AND FOOTAGE

For a sample of what to expect on the Eagle Park trail network, follow the link to local rider Bill Doyle's photo set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/liamjon-d/sets/72157612574698125/

In late 2006 Eagle Mountain Bike Park featured on Channel 7 Adelaide's 'Discover' television show. The story can be viewed here.

PARK INFORMATION

A trail map has been provided for download here (4.4mb PDF).

The South Australian Government developed this Park with the valuable assistance of local councils, cycling organisations, mountain bike clubs, vegetation management groups and volunteers.

The Park provides a network of trails that cater for a variety of mountain bike disciplines and abilities.

• Approximately 21kms of cross country trails
• A specifically designed downhill trail
• A skills development park
• A jumps park
• A trials area

HOW TO GET THERE

The Park is located in the Adelaide Hills, approximately 12km South East of the Adelaide CBD.

The Park entrance for those arriving by car is on Mt Barker Road, Leawood Gardens.

• There is parking available at the Pastor Kavell lookout (UBD ref 132 C16) adjacent to the entrance.

• To get to the lookout take the Eagle on the Hill exit (Mt Barker Road) from the Adelaide to Crafers Highway.

From Adelaide

• The lookout is approximately 1.5km along Mt Barker Road.

Note: There is no right turn into the parking area for those travelling from Adelaide. Please make a safe u-turn approximately 100 metres further on.

From Crafers

• The lookout is approximately 2.5km along Mt Barker Road.

A second entrance for bikes only is available on Hawk Hill Road, via Hillcrest Avenue, Crafers West (UBD ref 144 K5). There is no turnaround area for cars along this road.

PARK ENTRY Gates will be opened at sunrise and locked at sunset, 7 days a week.

PARK CLOSURE will occur on Christmas Day, total fire ban days and days of extreme weather in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Contact the fire ban hotline 1300 362 361.
Trail closures for individual trails will also occur at different times due to maintenance, unsafe conditions and to limit the spread of plant diseases such as Phytophthora cinnamomi (also referred to as Pc - see useful link below for further information)

EVENTS will be held at the Park throughout the year. If you wish to ride the trails as part of an organised ride or event, contact Bicycle SA, Adelaide Mountain Bike Club or Inside Line Mountain Bike Club.

PARK MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE

Please obey signage within the Park. Some sections of the Park and certain trails may be closed for events, maintenance or management. Contact Park Management to report any management or maintenance issues. Phone 7424 7788 during business hours or 0423 029 873 at other times.

Pleae note that due to safety and management issues, dogs are not allowed in the Park.

BUSH FOR LIFE VOLUNTEERS

The Eagle MTB Park Bush For Life Team has been pulling weeds and protecting conservation areas in the park since before any singletrack was developed. The group works on the first Saturday of the month (unless there is a public holiday on that weekend), meeting at 9am at the Main Gate on Mt Barker Rd and finishing around lunchtime. The main activity is controlling broom, boneseed, blackberries and gorse. It’s the nature of the work that results aren’t seen right away, but after more than 4 years of working bees considerable natural regeneration of native vegetation is apparent at the sites, which were previously infested with weeds.

There are 4 main sites in the Park looked after by the group: 2 sites along the top section of Hills Hoist, an area under the powerlines near Tunnel Vision, and the triangle opposite the DH start. 

The work undertaken by the Bush For Life group is very important because it helps protect the regionally significant conservation values of Eagle MTB Park, and demonstrates the commitment of the MTB community to ecological sustainability.

If you are interested in lending a hand, contact Park Management on 7424 7788 during business hours or the Caretaker on 0423 029 873 at other times.

The Bush for Life program is managed by Trees For Life. For further information visit http://www.treesforlife.org.au.

SCHEDULED EVENTS

There are no events currently scheduled.

Listed below are the answers to a number of common questions that may be asked about this major project.

Why develop a mountain bike park?

The development of Eagle Mountain Bike Park was identified in the State Mountain Bike Plan for South Australia 2001–2005 as a key priority project. The State Government recognised that the development of a dedicated mountain bike park would be a key strategy in the management of unauthorised and inappropriate riding in the Mount Lofty Ranges, particularly in National Parks and Local Government reserves.

The Park provides an opportunity to showcase best practice in the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable recreation trails in varying soil types and vegetation conditions.

The establishment of Eagle MTB Park also provides a strategic recreation and biodiversity link between Cleland Conservation Park and Brownhill Creek Recreation Park as part of the Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) ‘Yurrebilla - Greater Mount Lofty Parklands’.

Who is responsible for the management of the Park?

The Office for Recreation and Sport (ORS) is responsible for the development and management of the Park.

A reference group comprising of State and Local Government agencies and cycling organisations has been established to assist in the development and management of the park by providing technical and specialist input.

Where else can I ride?

There are shared use trails now available for mountain bike riding in Belair National Park and Brownhill Creek Recreation Park. Mountain bike riding is also allowed on the fire roads in Shepherds Hill Reserve. These reserves and trails are managed by the Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH). The riding experiences in DEH Parks are designed to provide opportunites for people to enjoy the ambience of riding in a natural locations rather than on technically challenging mountain bike trails. More information can be obtained from the DEH, Sturt District Office on (61 8) 8278 5477.

Click on this link for a Belair National Park Trail Map (853 kb PDF).

Further afield there are mountain bike trail networks established in Forestry SA Reserves. These include areas such as Cudlee Creek (aka Fox Creek), Cromer and Prospect Hill. For the directions to these areas contact; Adelaide Mountain Bike Club or Inside Line Mountain Bike Club.

While riding please remember the Mountain Bike Code of Practice:

• Plan your ride.
• Obey 'No Bicycle Signs'.
• Ride only on formed trails designated for cycling.
• Do not take short cuts or form new trails.
• Share the trail.
• Respect the rights of others.
• Avoid riding in wet, muddy conditions.
• Ride lightly and leave no trace or rubbish.
• Control your bike.
• Do not disturb plants and animals.
• Clean your bike, don't spread weeds or plant diseases.
• Tell other people about this code.

Keep trails open by setting a good example of environmentally sound and socially responsible mountain biking.

Please contact us to obtain a copy of a document in an alternative format.

USEFUL LINKS

Mountain Bike Australia http://www.mtba.asn.au/
International Mountain Bicycling Association http://www.imba.com/
Bicycle SA http://www.bikesa.asn.au/index.php
Inside Line Mountain Bike Club http://www.ilmtb.com/site/
Adelaide Mountain Bike Club http://www.amtbc.com/
Phytophthora cinnamomi environment sa/Phytophthora cinnamomi

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