Mountain Bike Park Guide: Mt Tumbarumba

As a Snowy Mountains resident, I’ve been hearing whispers about Mt Tumbarumba for months. Every social ride, every coffee stop, someone was talking about the new trails, big rock features, and fast berms. It didn’t take much convincing to plan a reccy mission. We loaded the bikes, drove out to Tumbarumba, and rolled in with high expectations. First impression: it absolutely lived up to the hype.

*If you like flowy berms, you’ll love Mt Tumbarumba*

Quick Overview

Location: Tumbarumba, Snowy Valleys, NSW
Total distance of trail: 22km
Shuttle access: Paid shuttles ONLY, $88 per day
Pass required: Yes, $15 per day
Dog friendly: No
Seasonal closures: July 1st to early spring
Park map: Click here

*There’s fun features on almost every trail*

Preface: About Me

For context, I’ve been mountain biking for around five years now, and would call myself a strong intermediate rider. I tend to gravitate toward blue flow trails with a bit of short technical sections thrown in. I’m not hitting any gap jumps but I’m happy to pop off rollers. If this is your kind of riding, then you’ve come to the right place.

Mt Tumbarumba Overview

The park has a total of 22km of trail, with roughly 315m of elevation. Majority of the riding is on the western side of the mountain, with most of the trails funnelling back into ‘Tumba Rumble’. There is an extra 8km of hiking trails for those wanting a break from the bike.

About Mt Tumbarumba

Located in the Snowy Valleys, Mt Tumbarumba is Australia’s first community owned and operated mountain bike park. After plans to build trail in the nearby state forest were rejected, a group of local riders took matter into their own hands. Local farmers donated cows to auction off, businesses chipped in, and the town banded together to purchase Mt Tumbarumba. In honour of this monumental feat, the park now has a cow theme from the logo to the punny trail names like Cowbunga and Moomentum.

The park was built by local legend Craig Stonestreet from Natural Trails, and Hamish Wing from Iconic Trails, as well as the TRC Trails team: Paul Gardner, Nic Greentree and John Sidney from Jindabyne.

*This area was hit hard by the 2020 Bushfires*

How to Get to Mt Tumbarumba

There’s a single trailhead on Power St just 2.5km outside the township of Tumbarumba. It’s roughly a 2.5 hour drive from Canberra, or around 5 hours drive from both Sydney and Melbourne on the Hume Highway.

Where to Stay Nearby Mt Tumbarumba

Tumbarumba has plenty of accommodation options if you want a proper bed for night, from motels through to cottages. Personally, I prefer camping. Henry Angel Trackhead and Paddys River Flat Campground are both free sites just 15-minutes down the road. They both sit on a river, so post ride swims are very much on the cards. They are also only five minutes from Paddys River Falls, which is well worth the short walk.

Where to Eat Nearby Mt Tumbarumba

At the MTB park itself, there’s a vending machine and a fancy new shelter at the shuttle pick-up if you want to pack lunch for the day. In town, Café Nest is my favourite. The Snowy Valley’s is known for trout fishing, so the ‘Smoked Trout Hash’ is a must here. The local bakery also has some dangerously good lamingtons if you want a sweet treat. For those making a weekend out of it, the area has a growing wine and brewery scene recovering from the 2020 Bush Fires. It would almost be rude not to support the community with a post ride bev or two!

At times, *the climbing trail joins the gravel road*

Climbing & Shuttles at Mt Tumbarumba

There’s one main climbing trail, ‘High Discharge’, that is 3.6km with 250m of climbing to the ridge. From the ridge, the park splits into four zones, ‘The Tower’, ‘The Saddle’, ‘The Trigg’ and ‘The Last Frontier’. It’s a steady grind, so an e-bike definitely wouldn’t go astray here. We also pedalled a lap on the road as the shuttlers weren’t running. I can vouch, whilst it was much faster, it was brutally steep in sections, so pick your poison.

Sadly, private shuttling is not permitted. Paid shuttles only run on weekends and public holidays, taking riders to ‘the Tower’. From there you can traverse across the mountain to other zones.

*View from the shuttle pick-up at the base of the mountain*

Best Trails at Mt Tumbarumba

Best for Jumps – Send It Express (Blue)

Wide, fast and ridiculously fun. Everything is rollable, which makes it a great confidence builder if you’re stepping into jumps, whilst stronger riders can boost everything in sight. It weaves through lush forest and carries speed the whole way. There’s a small climb at the end of the run that links back toward Tumba Rumble down to the shuttle, or pedal back up to the top for short, hot laps.

Best for Flow – Tumba Rumble (Green)

This is the main drag of the park. Most descents feed into ‘Tumba Rumble’ and while it’s graded a green, I wouldn’t exactly send first timers down it.

For everyone else, it’s an absolute belter. Big flowy berms, optional A-line rock drops, and fast straights that let you properly open up. It’s the kind of trail you can ride repeatedly without getting bored. Solid 10 out of 10.

Best for Tech – Cowbunga (Green/blue)

This is perfect for anyone wanting to try something a little bit more technical, but still have some fun on the berms. This trail had one of my favourite berm sections that just felt so smooth.

Best for Complete Beginners – Moomentum (green)

This is the most beginner friendly trail in the network. It’s got a slower pace, but still smooth berms for beginners to learn on. After a few laps of this, you’ll be riding Tumba Rumble with no dramas. It has none of the rock tech that defines the park. The only negative is it’s situated at the top of the mountain, so requires either a shuttle or long climb to get to.

What We Didn’t Ride (but I’d go back for):

Catterpolt (Green): This is a jump/flow run and looked similar to Send it Express
Boulderdash (Blue): Tech heavy, judging by the name I’m hoping for some fun rocks slaps to roll down.
Grin and Tonic (Blue): a tech and flow run, with a big descent. Was pretty devastated we didn’t have enough time to ride this one as it looks like a real winner.
Wrath of Memura/Last Frontier (Blue/Black): this is their adventure trail, at a combined distance of over 4km and over 300m descent it looks like a wild ride.

*Summit views from ‘the Tower’ shuttle drop-off*

Disclaimer: Content on Path & Pedal is for general information and inspiration only. All route guides and trip reports are based on personal experience and research at the time of writing. Conditions, access, weather, and regulations can change. Always check official sources and use your own judgment. Outdoor adventures carry risk, and Path & Pedal accepts no liability for injury, loss, or damage.

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