Comments on: Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail

By: Simon G.

Simon G. — Sat, 03 May 2025 08:42:24 +0000

Rode smythdale to skipton today election day Saturday, passed 4 people walking dogs and 11 people riding horses, no cyclists. Some nice artwork through smythdale and the Nimons bridge always amazing that a wooden bridge has survived so long, saw the wind turbines so knew I was up for a windy section and didn’t disappoint. Stopped at Skipton to watch the local footy game and watch the locals plough through their trays of chips, not much else going on at skipton. Trail was in great condition and relatively easy ride with a couple of reasonable climbs, not the most interesting of rides.

By: Neil F.

Neil F. — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:41:33 +0000

I rode this trail in March 2025 on a electrified mountain bike and my wife on her electrified recumbent trike. We stayed in Smythesdale which worked out well. The trail is well worth exploring but some parts are better than others:
(1) Smythesdale to Pittong is a great ride with interesting tressle bridges and other historical sites. The surface is mostly good (a few rough grassed areas) and has various rest points. Mostly follows wooded areas.
(2) We did not ride Pittong to Skipton since it looked rather too rough in places and we were running short of time
(3) Smythesdale to Ballarat is mostly good but rather less rural. It seemed to end at an industrial site – this needs improving.

By: Isabel B.

Isabel B. — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:47:50 +0000

We rode this time from Nimons Bridge near Scarsdale to Pittong and back. We had a lovely lunch at the Linton Hotel. They were so friendly and took a lot of care with the food.
Great trail, with gravel surface, rest stops and informative signage about the trail’s history.
The incline is low which means long gentle up and down hill sections. Some stunning views and a lot of tree cover. We saw a number of birds, roos and also a brown snake near the Pittong dams slithering across the path.

By: Peter H.

Peter H. — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:47:53 +0000

This is possibly the nicest rail trail I have ridden. Surface is good, signage and facilities amazing, gradients are very pleasant and to top it off the countryside and towns through which it passes are varied but always lovely.

By: Nicola E.

Nicola E. — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:40:42 +0000

Cycled this from Skipton to Ballarat and back over 2 days. The trail was really nice with great views. The track between Skipton and Pittong was a bit neglected but manageable but other sections were pretty good. Few sandy spots that were a bit slippery. The short steep section as you arrive at Nimmons bridge from the Scarsdale direction was positively dangerous and some poor cyclist came off their bike and ended up covered in blood. I really feel there should be a sign warning people about this section as it’s rutted with very loose gravel. Water can be found at Linton, Smythesdale and Haddon.

By: Frances M.

Frances M. — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 04:14:32 +0000

We had a lovely two day spring ride on the trail. Rode from Skipton to Ballarat on one day and then enjoyed the more downhill gradient on the return trip the next. The trail is well graded with lovely views particularly with the canola and spring flowers in bloom. Regular stopping points and well sign posted throughout. The only downside was the last km or so into Ballarat was rough gravel and potholed sand, ending with an underwhelming side of the freeway. We had a very comfortable night stay at the Ambassador Motel in Ballarat and enjoyed stops at the Linton takeaway and Smythesdale gardens.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:38:32 +0000

Can't add much to what Jo says below (or above, I'm not sure how these appear). Three days out and back along the trail, the surface is good but very soft in parts with recent rains, the bikes, bags and us ended up covered in grit each day

Can definitely recommend taking some time to detour off trail into the bush roads north of Linton, exploring the gold fields

Despite the climb down and back up, do go down to the creek level at Nimons bridge, you just don't get a good view of it from track level as your cross over

There's room for improvement in connecting the Ballarat end of the trail to Wendouree station, but it was easy enough getting there from the station – despite the efforts of a local bus driver to ram me off the road

By: Joanne D.

Joanne D. — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:53:49 +0000

We rode the trail over three days after catching the train to Wendouree which is really where it starts, not Ballarat central. Local accommodation was a problem but we found that the Snake Valley pub has a new “apartment” out the back which can be booked on Booking.com (just new to the site). Although this is 9km off the trail it worked well for us, although it is quite a climb up the ridge to Snake Valley. First day we rode from Ballarat to Linton on the trail then up to Snake Valley, 48 km in total. Good surface on the trail and good signage. Met a Golden Plains Shire staff member taking feedback on the trail at Nimmins Bridge.
Day 2 was back to Linton via the very enjoyable Kelly’s Road, stopping at the Firefighters Memorial before down the hill to Linton Cemetery. Great coffee and egg & bacon rolls at the Linton takeaway. Then on to Skipton on the trail with another climb out of Linton. Some of the sections after Pittong need some maintenance as very weedy/grassy, being almost single track for some parts. Limited food options in Skipton but supermarket is open 7 days, plus the cafe and the servo. There is also cabins that can be rented via the newsagent/post office but we chose not to book this option due to riding distances. We returned to our very comfortable Snake Valley 2 bedder via the trail and enjoyed a great pub meal and hospitality. 60km this day.
Day 3 was back to Linton and retraced our route back to Wendouree station with stops at Nimmins Bridge for photos and in Smythesdale to browse antiques.
We got drenched on both days 1 and 2 when it rained but still enjoyed our trip. Saw lots of herons, some kangaroos, wallabies and an echidna. Quite a few magpie swoops at this time of year but only one made contact.
Definitely need to plan your food and accommodation as options are limited but not completely nil.

By: Anthony H.

Anthony H. — Sat, 04 May 2024 23:06:25 +0000

Really enjoyed riding this beautiful trail, we had kangaroos hopping along near us and great sunny weather. We left our car in Skipton and stayed overnight in Ballarat.

Two things to be aware of:
– there are no water fountains except at Smythesdale near the sports oval and a tap near the free camping ground
– although the trail length says 55km, at the Ballarat end the trail ends 8km from central Ballarat which can be a bit of a SHOCK 😳

By: Karen V. S.

Karen V. S. — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:02:37 +0000

Fabulous e-bike ride in sunny conditions from Smythesdale to Skipton and return on a trail in great condition. I Loved Nimons Trestle Bridge, the bush and farmland I rode through and the impressive wind turbines. The 2.2km detour to the lookout between Linton and Pittong was rewarded with amazing views and I watched a wedgetailed eagle soaring up high while on the tower. I enjoyed a light lunch in Skipton at Bluestone Bubbles & Banter and had to ride the last section quickly to treat myself to the scones at Thru The Gate Cafe in Smythesdale before they closed for the day. I did have some battery anxiety but had 10km left in the battery at the end.