I rode this track on a 32 degree day in October. I wouldn’t recommend it in warmer weather. The track is on good condition, relatively flat and well sign posted. There are a few creek crossings at the Wilmington end that may become impassable after heavy rain. Track surface is gravel and suitable for mountain or hybrid bikes. If you want some bumpy off road action, stop at the Willowie forest tracks about 10 kms from Melrose. The rail trail is accessible from the end of Gogler St in Wilmington, or via the Showgrounds trail which starts at the corner of Dorrington St in Melrose.

We stayed at Kookaburra Creek Retreat (10 k north of Melrose) so rode from there to the the beginning of Shanks Road and along the rail trail to Melrose taking in the lovely scenery of Mount Remarkable. We then rode back along the track and crossed over the highway near Shanks Road, heading along the trail towards Wilmington. This part of the trail was a bit rough and uninteresting. As it was beginning to get hot we turned back after 5 k and headed back to the Mount Remarkable National Park, where we rode the walking/bike trail back to Kookaburra Creek Retreat.

If you are into MTN biking & want a challenge this is one section of the Mawson Trail which starts in Adelaide & finishes in Blinman approx 900+Kms. Everyday is different, challenging, rough yet exhilarating. The scenery is beautiful and single track sections hard and exciting. I'm over road cycling - nothing beats this. Try this small section or if you're good you'll do the lot!