The Mawson Trail is a long-distance

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

and walking trail in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

starting just east of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

in the

Adelaide Hills The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. The largest town in the area, Mount Barker, South Australia, Mount Barker, is one of Australia's fastest-growi ...

and extending almost to Blinman in the

Flinders Ranges The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain ranges in South Australia, which starts about north of Adelaide. The ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. The Adnyamathanha people are the Aboriginal group who have inhab ...

. It is suitable for mountain bikes. The Mawson Trail traverses remote areas of the

Mount Lofty Mount Lofty (, elevation AHD) is the highest point in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges. It is located about east of the Adelaide city centre, within the Cleland National Park in the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia. The mountain's su ...

and Flinders Ranges, mostly away from bitumen roads, and often off-road on tracks and unmade road or forest reserves. It also passes through a number of country towns. It starts at the upstream end of the Torrens Linear Park on Gorge Road, leading into the

, so that it is directly connected by dedicated pedestrian/cycleway to the coast at West Beach. BikeSA hosts a guided two-week tour of the entire length every second year. The trail is named after explorer

Douglas Mawson Sir Douglas Mawson (5 May 1882 – 14 October 1958) was a British-born Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer, and academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton, he was a key expedition leader during ...

Route

The route is generally described south-to-north, although it can be ridden in either direction. Signage along the route is provided for both directions. The towns passed through are: * Adelaide (outskirts) * Lobethal, a historic town with German settler history * Birdwood, home of the National Motor Museum * Rowland Flat, a town in the

Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley (Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major list of wine-producing regions, wine-producin ...

* Tanunda, a large town with bakeries, pubs and cafes in the Barossa Valley * Nuriootpa, main commercial centre of the Barossa valley *

Kapunda Kapunda is a town on the Light River near the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was established after a discovery in 1842 of significant copper deposits. The population was 2,917 at the 2016 Australian census. The southern entrance to th ...

, with cafes, supermarkets and pubs * Riverton, with pubs and cafes * Auburn, with a pub and cafes *

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

, a large town with a large supermarket, bike shop and cafes * Burra, a large historical town with several pubs, supermarkets and cafes * Hallett, with a service station/general store and a pub * Spalding, with a general store and pub with barbed wire museum * (Near Jamestown) * Laura, with a supermarket and cafes *

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...

, with a bike shop cafe, two pubs, and several cafes * Wilmington, with a pub, general store and cafe *

Quorn Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products. Quorn originated in the UK and is sold primarily in Europe, but is available in 11 countries. The brand is owned by parent company Monde Nissin. Quorn is sold as both a cooking ingredient and as ...

, a large historical town with four pubs and several cafes * Cradock, a tiny hamlet with a pub * Hawker, a small town with a roadhouse/general store and a cafe * Rawnsley Park Station, a caravan park with pub and general store * Wilpena, a very large caravan and campsite with pub, general store and information office * Blinman, a small tourist village with pub and mine tours

References

External links

Mawson Trail (South Australian Government webpage)Mawson Trail Blog Article and full guide and mapsMawson Trail Guide App
Cycling in South Australia Cycleways in South Australia {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub Hiking and bushwalking tracks in South Australia

Route

See also

References

External links