Kalamunda Mountain Bike Trails

The Dell,’ as the area has always been known, has been a staple in the diet of any singletrack enthusiast living in Perth. Barely half an hour from the city you are transported into Western Australian bush at its finest. Grasstrees dot the trail as you weave in and out of sweet singletrack.

The area has often been the focus of unsanctioned trail building. From barely a legal section of singletrack to ride, to close to 50km of some of Western Australia most progressive trails in a short couple of years, this place now dwarfs all other riding locations in Western Australia and haven’t the riding public voted with their pedals. Any weekend will see four different carparks at various locations across the network chokas with cars.

With a wide range of trails from true green beginner to black and blue huck fests, Kalamunda has a bit of everything now. From pump tracks and kiddies skills loops (Shake, Rattle and Roll) to scary log rides and big jumps (Luvin Shovels) and shuttle runs, this place is now firmly at the top of the list of must visit locations in Western Australia.

From Perth, head east of the Great Eastern Highway, turning right and heading towards Kalamunda. The easiest way to go is to simply relax and look out for a sign on your right for Calamunda Camel Farm (on Paulls Valley Road). Alternatively, a DPaW carpark is about 1km before the Camel Farm, on the right. Farrel Grove is the newest carpark open to riders and it is further down towards Mundaring Weir and is well signposted and the quietest of all the carparks.

The tracks are fast-flowing fun with more and more playthings appearing off the side. A five-inch-travel trailbike is perfect as there are some sizeable jumps. The trail is a solid blue with some black (extreme) structures. Line of sight is good and B lines are obvious, so most green riders can enjoy the trail without too much difficulty.

You’ll need your own food and water. With so many trails out here, rides can stretch longer than anticipated. The Camel Farm is the only place in the area you can resupply, and it even has some bike parts (tyres, tubes etc).

It’s not hard to do a 25km loop on singletrack the whole way. Shorter rides might involve some fire trail or bitumen.

That said, for beginners we recommend parking at the Camel Farm, warming up your legs by riding back up along the road to the intersection and then right down the road to the trailhead (500m from the intersection, signposted as Kalamunda Circuit). This section is called ‘Slippery When Dry’ and has a green track intersecting it shortly after the start. Follow either trail back to the Camel Farm. Drop off any warm-up gear and then continue through the carpark and east.

With 700-odd riders out on these trails every weekend, don’t even think of trying to ride a section on the weekend the wrong way. The Kalamunda Collective Facebook page is active and there are Wednesday night group rides. The best way to get in the know is to volunteer for some trailbuilding.

The trails can get slippy over summer; they are best a day or two after a light rain, which holds the soil together. Don’t skimp on knobs on the front tyre – WA trails are slippery. Unfortunately, break-ins have become regular at the Dell carpark, so parking at the Camel Farm is a safer option. Watch school holiday for break-ins as there is often a spike.