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Marramarra National Park
At a Glance
Wide range of trails from the rather leisurely Collingridge Point out and back to the wild technical descent of Smugglers Track and killer climb from the creek up Marramarra Ridge Trail - this place pretty much has it all.
Bloodwood Road, Fiddletown heads up to the National Park. There's a sharp right bend by Marramarra Ridge Trail, with Coba Point Fire Trail shortly after (the proceeding sharp left). There's parking by either trail which are less than 1km apart, but the area by Coba Point Fire Trail is the go.
Another top, but little known National Park destination with a number of options, as the summary eludes to, for all levels of ability. Mish-mash the trails together to make as long or short a ride as required, just remember not to try the tricky stuff if you are not ready!
An example ride taking in a lot of variation is Coba Ridge (to the end)/Collingridge trails out and back (that's 23.6Km in total), but why stop there, add a ride down Smugglers with return on Marramarra Ridge to give a total of around 38Km. An easier ride for beginners might be just Coba Ridge until the junction with Collingridge, out to see that great view and then return which should be about 11.5Km in total.
Anyhow, you get the idea - here's what can be said about the trails on their own:
Coba Ridge Trail
Heading East from the Bloodwood Road meeting point this starts out as easy fire trail. Rather sandy in places, but nothing to worry too much about. There's a leg to the North shown on our map, which is marked as fire trail on the topo one so it's probably more of the same. Things start to get 'interesting' after the junction with Collingridge.
From here on in Coba Trail gets more narrow and overgrown, throwing some steeper sections, rocks and all your way (this shot is waaaay after the junction with Collingridge):
Sadly there's no view to speak of at the end of here, but there is a top lookout maybe half way along by a sharp, sandy left (coming from the West) hand bend:
Collingridge Point
Only 1km in length and with a rather nice view at the end this is worth a look. It's sort of steep at the end, but nothing you shouldn't be able to ride back up. Sort of rocky too, but nothing as bad as the Coba Ridge shot above.
Marramarra Ridge Trail
Sorry guys, plain old fire trail - but with a kicker of a drop at the North End (looks like around 250m vertical over less than 2.5Km). Well, actually, climbing back you'll have three rises (ahem!) followed by smaller drops to contend with. I kindof got the impression each climb got easier, or perhaps it was just oxygen starvation making the mind play tricks on the body?!
Smugglers Ridge Trail
Peeling off to the West of Marramarra Ridge Track after 1100m or thereabouts, Smugglers remains an easy fire trail for around 2km. After that, there's a smallish clearing with a circular road to the left and a tiny path off to the right (which if I recall is signposted, "Marramarra Creek"). Off from that circle is a small out and back, which we don't really know too much about - so go have a look and let us know
What we do know about - and what some will call the main event here - is that small path down the rest of Smugglers Trail. Really rather nice flowing single track, with a few little challenges can be had for perhaps 3Km, before bursting out onto a large rock shelf (tennis court-ish size).
Now's the challenge, head of to the right, down and round the side of this rock for the final descent (1.5Km?) to Marramarra Creek. "Super Technical", I quipped as we headed off, and so it turned out to be. WARNING - this is not for the faint hearted, but advanced riders will have a ball!
Coba Ridge + Smugglers
(36.57Km)
Combination of Coba Point out and back plus loop-ish Smugglers Ridge and fire trail return. |
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