Mt Coot-tha Archives - The Gap Today

Cyclists took to Brisbane’s western roads and trails on Sunday for Brown Snake Gravel, with the organiser’s course map listing a 107-kilometre route linking inner-city suburbs with D’Aguilar National Park and Brisbane’s outer west.

Two Courses, One Weekend Festival

Starting and finishing at The Black in Albion, the main Sunday ride on 30 August formed the centrepiece of a weekend gravel cycling program. The organiser’s course map listed two options: a 107-kilometre route with 2,500 metres of elevation gain and a 67-kilometre route with 1,200 metres.

Although organisers stressed the event was not a race, both courses included timed segments for riders who wanted to compete for segment results. Segment times were taken from Strava, with podium placings based on riders’ combined times across the designated sections.

Photo Credit: Brown Snake Gravel/Facebook

Urban Streets to National Park Trails

The long-course map showed riders travelling from Albion through Herston, Ashgrove and The Gap before continuing west towards D’Aguilar National Park. South Boundary Road, which begins at the end of Payne Road in The Gap, is a 22-kilometre shared trail through D’Aguilar National Park to Bullockys Dam near Mount Nebo Road.

Queensland Parks describes the trail as crossing forested ridges, with several long climbs and views towards Enoggera Reservoir. Parts of the western course entered shared-use recreation areas before the mapped route continued towards Lake Manchester, Mt Crosby, Karana Downs and Pullenvale.

Aid stations marked near Bellbird Grove, Lake Manchester and Pullenvale offered sports nutrition and food before the mapped route returned east through Brookfield, Kenmore, Taringa and Milton.

Three Days of Gravel Riding

The main ride completed a three-day program that began with a Friday Curve Shakedown Ride and a Saturday Curve Demo Day at Epic Cycles. Sunday’s Brown Snake Gravel event then took riders from Albion into Brisbane’s western suburbs and bushland before returning to the inner city.

The event combined urban roads with off-road riding across Brisbane’s west, where established cycling networks include D’Aguilar National Park and Mt Coot-tha Reserve. Brown Snake Gravel’s organisers describe the event as a celebration of Brisbane’s wild spaces and places, with at least half of both routes planned on gravel.

Published 31-Aug-2026

If you are looking to sharpen your mountain biking skills or find a great way to spend the school holidays, Brisbane’s Gap Creek Reserve has you covered. The Cycling Brisbane program is rolling out free mountain bike skills workshops, perfect for both kids and adults who want to get confident on the tracks.

The workshops are locked in for Saturday, 4 July and Saturday, 11 July 2026. The timing couldn’t be better, as Gap Creek Reserve—already one of Brisbane’s absolute favourite mountain biking spots—is officially opening its brand-new Carpet Snake Trail on 11 July. This new track is beginner-friendly and built on the western side of the reserve, meaning you can practice your new skills at a workshop and then be among the first to try out the new trail.

Extra Spots for Junior Riders

Because the grand opening of the Carpet Snake Trail is bound to bring heaps of families out to the reserve on 11 July, the Cycling Brisbane program has added extra spots to the morning Junior Mountain Bike Skills workshops on that day.

If you are heading out with family, the best plan is to arrive early for a skills session, catch the official trail launch, and make a whole morning of it out in the bush.

The junior sessions group riders by age and ability, keeping groups nice and small. This means every young rider gets real attention from the instructors to focus on the things that actually matter on the dirt:

Staying in control
Cornering smoothly
Braking safely
Building up confidence on uneven ground

Adults won’t miss out either. Adult workshops are running across both weekends and cater to all levels—whether you are a total beginner trying out singletrack for the first time, or a seasoned rider looking to sharpen your technique.

A Trail Network Worth the Ride

Gap Creek Reserve is tucked inside the massive Mt Coot-tha Reserve, which spans over 1,600 hectares and boasts more than 18.5 kilometres of easy, intermediate, and difficult tracks.

There is truly something for everyone here. You can start with a short but tough warm-up loop right next to the Gap Creek Road car park, or challenge yourself on advanced routes featuring wall-ride berms, log rollovers, and drop-offs.

The western side of the reserve has already become incredibly popular, drawing more than 600 riders every weekend since purpose-built trails were added a few years ago. The new Carpet Snake Trail is a fantastic addition to this network, specially designed to help beginners safely connect to the wider trail system.

Handy Info for Your Day Out

Getting There: If you haven’t been before, you can access the main trail network via two entry points off Gap Creek Road, Mt Coot-tha.
Need Gear? If you need to hire a bike or grab some gear before you hit the dirt, local bike shops like Kenmore Cycles and Giant Ashgrove are nearby and ready to help.
How to Join: While these workshops are completely free, spots are strictly limited and you must book in advance.

Because of the excitement surrounding the Carpet Snake Trail opening, the morning sessions on 11 July are going to fill up fast. Be sure to lock in your spot early so you don’t miss out!

BOOK YOUR SPOT

Published 2-July-2026

Tag: Mt Coot-tha

Brown Snake Gravel Riders Tackle 107km Route Through The Gap