How to Mogo: Your Guide to Australia’s Hottest New Mountain Bike Destination

The recent opening of the Mogo mountain bike trail network unveiled 72 trails and 125km of mountain biking bliss on the South Coast of NSW. Olive and Jordan recently headed down to check out the new Burnaaga-Goanna Adventure trail opening, and were amazed by the trail’s variety and scope. But the 28km adventure trail is just one in a broader network of mountain biking bliss. 

We checked with locals in the know to put together a guide to ensure your trip to Mogo ticks all the boxes – the best food, the best trails and the best off the bike experience.

Getting There

Mogo Trails are located approximately 10kms south of Batemans Bay on the Princes Highway (A1), just over 2hrs drive from Canberra and around 4hrs from Sydney. You can fly to Moruya Airport from Sydney, the airport located 22min drive from the trails. 

Access to the network on the eastern side of the highway is via Mogo village and the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden, or from the coastal suburb of Batehaven, near Batemans Bay, via Curtis Road (off Glenella Road). The western trail is accessed from the southern end of Mogo village via Church Street.

Riding Mogo

Burnaaga-Goanna Adventure Trail: Exploring Mogo’s epic backcountry trail

A must do for intermediate and advanced riders is the newly opened Burnaaga-Goanna Adventure trail. The 28km epic trail takes in dense forest, scrubby bush and towering granite wallrides, with many optional A-lines for the advanced rider. Accessing the start of the trail requires a shuttle, with pickup points from Foxdog Distillery and Ride Mogo. Book your shuttle here.

Please note that the Burnaaga Trail is designed for well-experienced riders who possess good endurance and can confidently navigate challenging obstacles. The trail is rated blue and is recommended for highly experienced gravity and adventure riders only.

Gravity Guru Day Trip: Send it in Mogo

For the gravity inclined mountain biker, the best way to explore the Mogo trail network is via the Botanical Garden Trailhead, which gives you a few gentle climb options to get you enough elevation to enjoy the rowdier descents featured on that side of the trail network. Head to the Trig Point for the most technical of trails in the network. 

If you want to stay at the Botanic Garden Zone, experienced riders can head from the main Botanology climb up Stairway to Haven and continue on Weekend At Bernies for a fast and flowy Spitfire Descent that has a blue and black option from the top. If you’re with young riders or riders of different riding skillsets, you can also climb to the Botanic Garden Summit for Lockdown 2.0 (blue) or Skyway (green) descents and then choose from a variety of trails – back down to the main hub. This is a great family loop and will give you loads of flowy fun!

Another awesome journey from the Botanic Garden Trailhead is to the Mogo Trig Hub. That’s where the heart rates will go up for sure! Head to the Dam Wall (either via Dam Creek Road or via Botanology climb and Dam View descent trails). Cross the Dam and then ride the green Company Credit Card climb to head to the Trig point, where you can hit the double black diamond trails Selleys, Vertiginuous and MI6 – lapping as many times as you like using the Deja Vu climbing trail. 

There are also blue and green trail options, all of which finish in the same spot to climb back up to Deja Vu. To get back to the Botanic Garden, head to the Current Level trail just below the Trig and then – one of those unsung hero trails in the network -–Bad Dawg. Sheer endless flow back to the Dam Wall.

Mogo’s Mile Muncher Loop

For those that love to chew through the kilometres and get as much trail time as possible, but don’t need the thrill of double black diamond trails, head up the main Mogo Wall, then Black Duck and Thunder Trails to the Mitchells Hub. 

Continue on Moflo or Goflow, then up to the Trig via DejaVu. 

Take the Half Baked Descent and then cross the intersection to join the Zooniverse trail. From there, you can ride the Zooniverse trail all the way back to Mitchells, add the Alice in Wanderaland descent and Gin Kana trail back up and descend via Lightning and Homerun back to Mogo Town. 

An extension on the Zooniverse trail is the amazing Burnt Offerings trail – an awesome flowy trail with short little pinches in there. You climb via Jackhammer and Mayday to get back to Zooniverse via the Wombat Soup hub.

Or, for a truly massive loop, you can access the Zooniverse trail also from the Curtis Trailhead – climb the Up to HQ track which will take you to Zooniverse North (via short License pending connector). Ride the full Zooniverse trail, Alice in Wanderaland Trail and back via Gin Kana Trails (maybe head to Mogo Town for a quick lunch or ice cream?) then climb back via the Mogo Trig, then head back to Curtis via the Botanic Garden.

To get back to the Botanic Garden, head to the Current Level trail just below the Trig and then to one of those unsung hero trails in the network – Bad Dawg. Sheer endless flow back to the Dam Wall you ride up the Constant Support trail to Stairway to Haven. Crossing the main Ridge Road, do the Devil is the Temptor Trail, it’s a green descent and a crowd favourite with its big berms and fun rollers and easy jumps.

Fresh and Green: Trails for kids and beginner riders

An awesome beginner loop or ride options for the whole family begins at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden. Head out on the Botanology Climb to the Cosmic Thunder trail which is the perfect trail to catch the riding bug! The beauty of the Botanic Zone is that from the mid-point at the top of Botanology: all green, blue and black trails from here lead back to the main car park. So even if you’re in a group of riders with different skills, you can do the climb together and split off and choose the trail that’s for you.

Another amazing journey with kids is from Mogo Town, there is now an amazing Skills Park right on the top of the Wall of Mogo. 

Take the Mogo climb up the wall and if you want to ride straight to the skills area, take the Skills Climb and then you can choose from a green and a blue Skills Run – and they are not just for the little riders. Here there are some awesome features that get riders of every age and ambition dial in those lines and it’s also a fantastic spot to have a shred as a family. 

You could also ride up to Mitchells Hub via Black Duck and Thunder: head down Lightning and then try the Flipping Pancakes (a favourite with the local kids) which will take you to the start of the skills runs. You can then simply repeat runs of Skills Climb and Skills Run.

For more information and full interactive map, head to https://mogotrails.com.au/

Bike Hire and Servicing

If you aren’t keen on travelling with your bike, Batemans Bay Cycles have a range of Specialized Turbo Levo bikes and Merido eOne 60 bikes to get you out and about. They are also open 7 days a week, in case of any unexpected bike issues you experience on your trip.

Ride Mogo also offer a range of hire bikes, servicing and are also open 7 days! Located on Charles St, Mogo, they’re close to the trails (and the cafes!).

Ride The Bay is located opposite Corrigans Beach and offers bike hire and service, and is open every day of the year aside from Christmas.

Refuelling

Foxdog Distillery offers relaxed, family friendly dining and a wide range of boutique gin to sample – or purchase to take home. Pets and children are welcome, and they have an outdoor seating area with lawn games to entertain the kids while you enjoy some downtime.

If gin isn’t your tipple of choice, head to Broulee Brewhouse for a few fine ales. A bistro-style menu will sort out the post-ride hunger with a range of burgers and snacks, and they feature live music from 2-5pm on weekends.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, Mossy on Gardens is the perfect place to finish a ride at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden. Open every day during school holidays, Mossy’s offers an all-day menu (meaning eggs for lunch – win!) as well as a range of salads, tacos and burgers to whet the appetite.

Grumpy and Sweethearts is a charming cafe with a courtyard that delivers quality coffee and delicious meals. If you’re a coffee snob, don’t miss out.

Located on Tomakin rd, Mogo Brew Crew is your go-to option for coffee on the run, with its quaint retro caravan charm and enough sweet treats to keep your blood sugar in check.

Exploring Mogo and Surrounds

When you hit peak trail and need a rest (or a day to let the legs and lungs recover from the epic trails at Mogo) there are a range of other activities to keep the whole family entertained. 

Mogo Wildlife Park is located just out of town on Tomakin Rd, and offers up and close, interactive experiences with a range of wildlife. A range of big cats, gorillas and giraffes are waiting for you to visit, making it the perfect day trip for the mountain biking family that wants a day off from the trails.

Hit the shops in Mogo. With a range of retailers and many locally made and handcrafted stores, heading to Mogo’s shopping precinct for a holiday memento (and a sneaky ice-cream) is a great way to spend a lazy morning.

Beach out at nearby Batemans Bay or Tomakin. For those learning to surf, Surf Beach near Batemans Bay offers a gentle, safe break to finesse your pop, while more advanced surfers will find a challenge at North and South Durras, with Broulee beach offering a mix of swell – check out the surf report!