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Murray to Mountains Rail Trail

Victoria - North

4.4 based on 37 reviews
Location: 250 km northeast of Melbourne
Length: 116 km
Surface: Sealed
Start / End: Wangaratta, Rutherglen to Bright/Yackandandah, Wahgunyah, Oxley
Public Transport: Coach, Train
Suitable for:
  • Cycling – Mountain BikesCycling – Mountain Bikes
  • Cycling – Touring and Hybrid BikesCycling – Touring and Hybrid Bikes
  • PramsPrams
  • WalkingWalking
  • WheelchairsWheelchairs

  • Rail Trail
  • On Road
  • Potential RT
  • Other Trail
  • Former Railway
View Map
  • One of Australia’s best known and most popular regional rail trails
  • The perfect introduction to northeast Victoria’s mountains, farmland, history, gourmet produce and wines
  • The entire rail trail is sealed and mostly flat, apart from the Everton to Yackandandah section

Nearby Attractions

  • Milawa gourmet region
  • Eldorado, Lake Buffalo, Mt Buffalo, Stanley and Wandiligong
  • Renowned Rutherglen winery region
  • Bright’s spectacular autumn colours and alpine scenery
  • Historic Beechworth is a noted (cooler-climate) wine growing area and has spectacular autumn displays
  • Yackandandah, Bright and Beechworth have extensive mountain biking areas

Last updated: 11 March 2024

The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail has three components:

  • The Mountain section from Wangaratta to Bright and Beechworth is 97km and follows the picturesque Ovens Valley, which produces hops, berries, nuts and grapes
  • The Murray section from Rutherglen to Wahgunyah is a 9km trip across this famous wine-producing area
  • The Heritage section from Wangaratta to Oxley is 9km, basically flat and crosses farmland as it heads toward the gourmet region of Milawa
  • Wangaratta, Beechworth, Myrtleford and Bright are major towns with all services

For public transport options click on “Get Around” then “Show More” if necessary.

Connecting Trails

  • Bright to Harrietville (Great Valley Trail) 27km  Details here
  • Bright to Wandiligong (Bennetts Trail)  5.5km Details here

Section Guides

Wangaratta Station to Bowser (8km)

The branch line to Bright left the main Melbourne-to-Albury line at Bowser. A network of paths, levee banks and disused roads is now used to reach Bowser from Wangaratta.

  • Follow the signs from Wangaratta Station to the trailhead at Apex Park, across the Ovens River
  • From the park, a pathway runs beneath the road and onto a levee bank before paralleling the Wangaratta to Bowser road, which has the first of several rest areas with a steam locomotive theme.

Bowser to Everton Station (18km)

  • The trail now crosses flat farmland with distant views of the Everton Hills
  • After 11km the site of Tarrawingee Station is reached and the trail climbs gently to the Everton station site, formerly a junction to Beechworth or Bright
  • It’s also a junction for the trail to Yackandandah, which heads off to the left; Myrtleford and Bright are to the right

At the Wangaratta-Eldorado road, cyclists can make an on-road diversion to the impressive Cock’s dredge at Eldorado, returning to the trail using the Eldorado-Tarrawingee road (18km round trip).

In Eldorado there are public toilets, a general store and a cafe (Firebox Cafe). The cafe has variable opening hours so visitors should check before relying on it to be open.

Everton Station to Myrtleford (26km)

  • This section undulates through farmland and native bushland to Taylors Gap (where the original cutting has been filled in to improve the Great Alpine Rd) before beginning the descent into Myrtleford
  • At Myrtleford much of the railway corridor has been sold; follow the rail trail signs through town.
  • Myrtleford has plenty of accommodation and facilities

Myrtleford to Bright (30km)

  • The trail rejoins the original alignment at Jones Reserve, then rises at a gentle continuous grade as it follows the Ovens Valley to Bright. Mt Buffalo looms on the right and the high country approaches in front.
  • Farms growing berries and grapes may tempt you to make a detour to taste their wares
  • At Porepunkah the trail passes beneath the highway bridge. Take a dip in the nearby Ovens River if the day is warm enough. The trail follows the Back Porepunkah road and returns to the railway corridor
  • The end of the trail is at the old Bright Railway Station, now a museum open on Sundays or by arrangement

Porepunkah is a popular summer holiday destination.

Bright is also a very popular tourist town with its proximity to the alpine area. It is a regional centre with many facilities.

An easy ride on a bitumen sealed bike trail runs from Bright and alongside Morse’s Creek to the small historic village of Wandiligong.

NOTE: The sealed trail now extends further up the Ovens Valley to the Tawonga Gap Rd turnoff.  From there the 16km Great Valley Trail takes cyclists further up the valley. This extension was completed in 2022, and connects at the Trout Farm to the 5km Harrietville Trail, which already runs up to Harrietville.

Everton to Beechworth (16km)

  • This section is peaceful and attractive with a mixture of bush and farmland. This has one of the steepest grades that were allowed for a broad gauge branch line, so some may find the gradual climb challenging
  • The last section is a gentle descent to the old Beechworth station. Turn left at Albert St and follow it into town or continue on to the Lake Sambell Reserve trail and Chinese Gardens

Historic Beechworth has many attractions, with many festivals and events throughout the year.

Beechworth to Yackandandah (22km)

  • This section is also attractive with a mixture of bush and farmland and undulates up and down as it descends 240m down to Yackandandah. It has one of the steepest grades that were allowed for a broad gauge branch line, plus a bit of a roller coaster affect near Yackandandah due to not being on the original formation, so riding down is fast and very undulating. However riding back out of Yack is very tough going due to steep undulations, so unless you are fit or have a fully charged e-bike, riding down to Yackandandah is recommended.
  • From Beechworth station the general route of the old rail corridor is followed around the Lake Sambell Reserve.
  • It then diverges away and becomes a road-side path as far as Kibell Lane. From here the unsealed but fairly smooth Kibell Lane is used. After a short steep descent it becomes the old rail corridor with many large cuttings and embankments and views out over the valley below. The lane has limited slow speed traffic.
  • At the end of Kibell Lane the rail trail proper starts again with more large cuttings and embankments as it continues to descend.
  • At Star Lane the trail leaves the old corridor again so turn left onto a roadside path which takes a dog-leg down to Beechworth-Wodonga Rd. As per the map some users may prefer to keep going on the quiet Star Lane directly to Beechworth Rd.
  • The off formation trail along the Beechworth – Wodonga Rd is undulating with only one short steep pinch.
  • The Yackandandah Rd underpass at the roundabout is now completed.
  • From the roundabout the rail trail is on the original formation for a scenic kilometre before it runs alongside the old formation, which is now private land. There are great views of the valley and mountains descending to Yackandandah. It is a bit of a roller coaster with the undulations; maybe in the future some of the land holders may allow some of the bigger cuttings to be used to remove the biggest of the these!

Historic Yackandandah has a lovely main street and all the facilities of a small popular tourist town.

There is a bit of railway history at the former railway station area, including one of the best preserved gantry cranes. A nearby brewery also has a selection of interesting railway rolling stock.

Rutherglen to Wahgunyah (8km)

  • The station at Rutherglen is easy to find; look for the wheat silos behind the historic main street
  • The trail traverses vineyards and farmlands to Wahgunyah, signalled by the large Uncle Toby’s production centre
  • At Wahgunyah some of the track has been left in place for possible use by the local rail heritage group. The trail finishes alongside the Murray River

Both Rutherglen and Corowa/Wahgunyah are well set up to cater for visitors.

Bowser to Rutherglen on-road link (42km)

  • For those keen to ride between the main rail trail at Bowser and Rutherglen, an on-road option is shown on the map
  • All roads are 100 km/h and have no shoulders. Bowser to Springhurst is lightly trafficked service roads, Springhurst to Rutherglen has regular traffic. Note when turning off the rail trail at Bowser, Morrison’s Rd is unsealed; Byawatha Rd 400 m further is sealed.
  • To go via Chiltern and have a bakery stop is more than 20 km further. At Springhurst overpass continue straight on Gayfers Rd, then turn right at the T-intersection to a bitumen road then left on to a gravel road past a few farms to the Horns Access road. Turn left into a tunnel beneath the highway, then over the railway and on to Racecourse Rd and follow the signs into Chiltern. Follow the blue signs featuring R for Rutherglen and follow the Old Howlong road and Cornishtown Rd into Rutherglen, a total distance of close to 70 km

Wangaratta to Oxley (9km)

  • The formal rail trail begins next to Targoora Park Recreation Reserve and travels along the old rail line in the Wangaratta to Whitfield Rd reserve
  • Before reaching the Hume Fwy, the path crosses to the east side of the road reserve to pass beneath the Freeway adjacent to King River
  • after rejoining the road reserve the trail crosses to the west side and continues to (and crosses) the Glenrowan to Myrtleford road, the current terminus of the rail trail
  • A shared path continues by crossing the Wangaratta to Whitfield road and proceeds adjacent to the road to Oxley and Milawa townships.

Bright to Harrietville (27km)

This is not a rail trail, but a pleasant dedicated path between Bright and Harrietville

The trail follows the Ovens River and explores the beautiful valley between Bright and Harrietville. The trail is flat and fully sealed, suitable for both road bikes and mountain bikes.

Follow the rail trail from the center of Bright towards the Tawonga Gap turnoff and then wind your way through eucalypts and a spectacular valley to arrive in Harrietville where you can find refreshments.

Bright to Wandiligong (5.5km)

Another pleasant trail extending from Bright to the old mining town of Wandiligong

This easy 11km-return ride follows Morses Creek alongside farmland and over bridges. Watch paragliders float to the ground as you pass the landing paddock.

The Bike Hire Company (Beechworth) – Offers bike hire and transfers

Tel: 0400 345 648  Website: www.thebikehirecompany.com.au

Public Transport

There are PTV trains from Melbourne and Sydney to Wangaratta. There are PTV buses from:

  • Wangaratta to Myrtleford and Bright.
  • Albury/Wodonga to Yackandandah and Beechworth.
  • Albury/Wodonga to Rutherglen.

As always bicycle carrying restrictions apply.

Refer to the PTV web page for planning and timetables, or your navigation program of choice.

Do you know of a bike hire or transportation service on this rail trail that should appear here? If so, let us know at admin@railtrails.org.au.

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37 reviews of “Murray to Mountains Rail Trail”

Almost entirely paved between Bright and Wangaratta so this can be done on a road bike but a gravel bike is more comfortable. Very beautiful ride… I parked in Myrtleford and rode to Wangaratta and back on day 1 and then to Bright and back on day 2. Very small amount of elevation gain so the days are fairly easy riding. Very exposed trail at times so hydration is a must.

Just a quick review of the Yackandanfah to Beechworth section of the trail
We did this last year, and there has been a lot of work done at the Beechworth end since then.
This trail is sealed all the way from Yackandanfah, even though a lot of the trail is not on the old railway corridor. However it runs through a forest on the old corridor near Beechworth, and this section is now fully sealed. It is actually used as a road for access of nearby residents.
The Beechworth end still needs some improvements where it bypasses a nice cutting and users are required to ride on a rutted and loose gravelled road for a couple of kms.
Quite a hilly ride for a rail trail, but very enjoyable on my ebike. 🚴‍♂️🙂

We were in Bright after riding the rail trail, when someone told us about the 27km Cycleway to Harrietville.
While this isnt a rail trail as such, it could very well be. We decided to ride it the next day, and found it to be an excellent trail. It is a very gradual climb all the way to Harrietville, but you don’t really realise until you do the return trip back to Bright.
Great little coffee shop st Harrietville, but not much else.
The track is a wide smooth sealed surface all the way, with bridges, forests, farmlands, and scenery at every turn.
Highly recommended to any bike riding visitor to the area. We loved it.

Springhurst to Wahgunyah via Rushworth review – Dec 2023
The train from Melbourne town arrives at 10am and the one back departs at 6pm so eight hours of exploring and refuelling was to be done. At Springhurst, there is a very small Post Office/shop that was not open on this particular Saturday. I topped up the bidon at the school and rode through the thick grass on the former Wahgunyah line until I promptly stopped on the Rutherglen-Springhurst Rd, just 500 meters in where the rails started and the grass obscured the rails and any lurking danger noodles. Impenetrable!

The Rutherglen-Springhurst Rd was quiet however there are other options including Bakers Road/Great Southern Road which is a bit to the east if you want to gravel most of the way to Rutherglen before rejoining the main road and I am not certain why the M2M is not based on this road instead.

The Rutherglen station precinct is the end of the remaining rails and the start of the ride. I refuelled at "The other place cafe" (10/10) and then headed out to Wahgunyah, about 9km away. This rail trail proper is ideal for getting from cellar door to cellar door and would be ideal for the e-biking couple for a weekend. It's a flat but lovely trail that drops you into Wahgunyah town however why do just one rail trail, when you can do two?

At the end of the trail, turn right and cross the ford and cycle along the Victorian side river road up to the Federation Bridge, cross into NSW and then turn left towards town at the roundabout and turn right onto Bullecourt Road for the start of the Corowa Rail Trail, a 1.5km trail into town. Once you have done that trail, use the old single lane bridge to cross back into Victoria and back onto the trail, you won't be disappointed.

Back in Rutherglen, I headed for Chiltern to get the train back to Melbourne and get a feed. The road out of Rutherglen was very quiet however I turned off for more gravel into Bernies Road which ends up being almost single track for a small portion before climbing into the Mt Pilot NP and over the range into Chiltern via Red Box Track. There is an IGA, pub and other options, some not viable for 5pm. Total distance was about 65km. The station area is being redeveloped as a cycling hub and the town is a wonderful historic artefact of how the Melb-Syd drive use to be and well worth exploring. Overall an excellent day out at on $16 return on Vline in a varied landscape. The four star rating is more for what is around the trail to view.

We headed off from Yackandandah Caravan Park this morning in lovely sunshine. Though it was cold, we warmed up quickly with a decent climb straight out of the blocks. Some of the trail is on the old railway easement, which means there are some other steep sections and rollers. Still a great ride, with the majority of the trail sealed. The section along Kibell Lane is being constructed, but the dirt road was in perfect condition. Rode past Lake Sambell and had coffee at Beechworth. The trail is really pretty with excellent views. All up 50km enjoying some beautiful scenery and finishing with a great descent back to Yack.

Victoria does it well. Started early in the cool from Bright to Wangaratta. We tackled the hill from Everton to Beechworth, it was worth the climb to enjoy the fast downward leg.

My wife and I and a friend rode Beechworth to Yackandandah return on e-bikes last week and thoroughly enjoyed it! The trail is really pretty (especially the rail cutting/embankment parts) and views across the surrounding country are beautiful. Signage is not yet completed but the route is fairly clear. Would be a bit if a slog on a non-e bike, but wth one a doddle!
And there are great bakeries at both ends!

Seven riders and I enjoyed riding parts of the trail over the past week. Firstly we rode the new Great Valley Trail (not a rail trail, but an extension anyway). This was well maintained and very scenic. A nice flat ride with Harrietville as a pleasant half way point. Next day a short ride from Porepunkah to Wandiligong and back. Again, the Bright to Wandiligong extension is not a rail trail, but what a pretty town and Nightingale's apple store always worth a visit. Old faithful Porepunkah to Myrtleford return the next day. Finally, a ride from Beechworth to Yack return. The ride to Yack can be a bit dispiriting as you feel like its mostly downhill and will have a big climb back. But take heart! Surprisingly it only took 15 minutes riding back. We would welcome some interpretative signage and a rest stop half way. It appears the Indigo Shire is still working on the surface as some concrete kerbing was being laid about 8km out of Beechworth on what is currently an unsealed section parallel to the original alignment.

We are staying in Mountain Views motel at Yackandandah. Clean, friendly, great views. Rode Yackandandah to Beechworth and back. This is more a trail with some of the trail on the old railway easement. This means some steep undulations. However still a good ride, with the majority of it sealed. Bridges have been installed, as well as a fantastic underpass to avoid busy road traffic. If doing an out and back I would recommend the way we did it, lots more downhill that way.

We rode from Myrtleford to Bright and return today, approx 66kms.
Another fantastic day with perfect autumn weather. The M2M Rail Trail has the best reputation, and for good reason. Sealed surface all the way, no missing bridges, fantastic views at every turn, and beautiful autumn colours everywhere. The only criticism I have is that there were people eveywhere (not really criticism) especially between Porpunkah and Bright. Literally hundreds of families out enjoying one of Australia's best rail trails. Plenty of places to eat and drink, and they all seemed to be filled with bike riders. Great day.

We are beginner cyclists who travelled down from Newcastle and we have just completed the ride from Wangaratta to Bright, plus extra bits, and loved it. We do not have e-bikes so we were a little hesitant, but we made it easily. Our prior training was only 3x20km rides and 2x30km rides. I carried what little we needed in a backpack so we do need an upgrade to panniers.
Day 1 – 20km around Wangaratta.
Day 2 – 55km Wangaratta to Myrtleford.
Day 3 – 15km around Myrtleford
Day 4 – 32km Myrtleford to Bright.
Day 5 – 24km around Bright.
Day 6 – 27 km around Bright and Mt Beauty.
Day 7 – bus back to Wangaratta.
Day 8 – 45km around Wangaratta then to Milawa return
A total of 218km and we are already planning our next trip we enjoyed it so much. So if someone reads this and needs encouragement take it from us = just do it.

Split it into 2:days so we could take some side trals, rode up to Beechworth and back to the trail. Was a good ride trail was smooth riding, good food along the trail.i am 77 and the ride up to Beechworth was a bit hard but coming down that hill on the way back to the main trail was great fun.

Tarrawingee to Beechworth and back was stunning. Great surface, great scenery and the 22km downhill return was a blast. Will be doing this again.

Things got busy at work, so we let Tour de Vines organise our trip. We rode in early November 2022. On the first day we checked in with Tour de Vines at the old Gaol in Beechworth and rode to Myrtleford. It was downhill all the way to Everton. Easy and very beautiful as we wove our way through wooded areas. From Everton to Myrtleford we encountered a few uphill sections, but we have e-bikes and didn’t notice. They are mild, but I can’t comment on how difficult they might be if you’re using pedal power. Lunch in Myrtleford was at Billy Buttons cellar door. It was terrific. We had a huge grazing platter and lots of wines to taste. The next day we road to Bright. Again, easy and beautiful. Tour de Vines picked us up in Bright and drove us back to Beechworth. It was a great trip and we want to do it again once some friends get their bikes. Ideally, have two nights in Beechworth. There’s lots to see and do, including some great shopping. The restaurants were very good, too. Try to organise a night in Bright before getting a lift back to Beechworth. Alternatively, go back to Beechworth, pick up your car and drive back to Bright for a night or two. Tour de Vines looked after everything, including picking up our purchases along the way. The Pumpkin Seed factory outside Myrtleford sounds cheesy but it was actually very interesting. We bought quite a few of their cold pressed oils and their Chocolate Turmeric Walnuts are to die for. Also looking forward to a return visit to Billy Button cellar door. Highly recommended. Easy riding.

Rode the trail from Bright to Beechworth then Yackandandah over several days, using hybrid bikes with loaded panniers. Diverse scenery, good surfaces, points of interest along the way. Took the Yackandandah to Osbornes Flat extension, following the river – well worth while.

The description has been updated now that most of the rail trail to Yackandandah is open. Just waiting for the underpass works to be completed to join the two sections together. Hopefully not too long now.

In April, 2022 we rode the new Beechworth to Yackandandah extension of the M2MRT.
It was a great trail. A little rough for the 5Km on Kibbel Lane and some confusion with crossing the main road at the roundabout where the underpass is being setup.

Overall the trail very good and the completed sections a dream to ride.

We rode various parts over school hols and Easter 2022. Beechworth to Everton return. Watch new loose quartz surface, especially on way down the hill. Yackandandah trail not
finished yet, only runs from Yack to Wooragee. Trail out of Beechworth ends at a dirt road a few klms out of town. Best was Milawa loop to Tarrawingee, Bowser, Wangaratta, Oxley, Milawa. Totally flat ride.Surfaces generally good. 50klm total loop.Any onroad trail was very quiet.

19Dec21 – enjoyed riding from Everton to north of Beechworth and back to Everton, basically up and down the main hilly section of the trail. I was keen to see the new section north of Beechworth towards Yackandandah. I got about half way from Beechworth to Yackandandah before a big thunderstorm arrived and made me change my plans! I sheltered at Beechworth station before enjoying the ride back down the hill. I didn't see many other people due to the weather, and got a bit wet myself, but still a great day out. About 4 hours riding in all.
I was on a road bike with hybrid-style tyres, no problem on the dirt road section north of Beechworth & will aim to do the complete section to Yackandandah another time in better weather.

22/27 Part 1. Murray 2 Mountains railtrail over 3 days. I did the Beechworth to Everton leg on the Friday night a few weeks ago. All downhill, a lovely ride with a beautiful sunset.
Part 2. Bowser to Eurobin. We stayed 2 nights in Myrtleford which is nice and central so you can plan the ride according to weather conditions. With a strong, squally westerly, I started in Bowser (Wangaratta) and headed East.
A short detour for coffee at Everton and a light lunch at Gapstead winery punctuated the day.
With some judicious stops with the sag wagon, I was able to sit out the worst of the wet squals.
I kept going as far as Eurobin until my bum got too sore as it was not used to my road bike saddle.
Part 3. Bright to Eurobin. The day started badly when the flat tyre i thought i had turned out to be a broken spoke. Luckily I hadn’t yet started riding and the local bike shop in Bright was open and could fix it on the spot. It did give us an extra 30 mins or so for another coffee in this beautiful part of Victoria.
The surface was good the entire length so I used my road bike. There are nice stops along the way, with pretty and historic towns featuring. A well sign-posted trail helps riders, so thanks to the people responsible.
Apart from the magpie attack, there were no more problems finishing off this trail. 22 trails down, 5 to go on my challenge to ride everyone in Victoria this year.

Rode from Bright to Wangaratta on Monday 7Oct19. The trail was in good order – great surface throughout, although a few cracks (and one brown snake) at the Bowser end of the trail.
I saw around 100 others riders on my journey, many in family or youth groups, mainly at the Myrtleford section.
Definitely this is one of Australia’s premier rail trails, reasonably well sign-posted and with great rest stops along the way – Eurobin, Myrtleford, Everton, Tarawingee, etc. Don’t miss the Hume and Hovell marker where the Beechworth-Wangaratta road crosses the rail trail.
It was a 4 hour ride for the 84km trip, well worth the effort.
I did have a few magpies swooping, just the wrong time of year I think.

19/27. After the beautiful High Country Rail Trail on Saturday morning, I shot over to Rutherglen for something refreshingly different – the short section of the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail to Wahgunyah.
Although I’m still trying to work out why they lump this lovely little trail in with the very long M2M Trail, and not market it in it’s own right.
I even got my sag wagon driver out of the car onto a bike for this one, maybe because there was a winery at the end of it (All Saints) or was it because it was short and dead flat? She hired a bike from the nice people at the Information Centre.
Whatever, it was a great ride through a lovely part of Victoria, with a large number of pleasant distractions.

19 trails now completed, only 8 to go for my 2019 challenge is to ride every rail trail in Victoria this calendar year to promote organ donation. You can follow my rail trail exploits on FB Warwick Duncan – The 2nd Chance Man or Insta @warwick_rides.

im a hiker and have just discovered all the rail trails over Victoria, Murray to Mountains was my first, i set out on 19th April 2018, the trail was used by cyclist i did not encounter another hiker, my intentions were to do the whole hike starting from wangaratta but my first night at the bowser station i discovered my tent was not completely intact ( it was one of those flip out tents) rods were broken in several places, the next morning proved a big struggle to get my tent back in the case but i managed, so into my second day my shoulder strap on my hiking bag broke, i tied it back together and in a little discomfort made my second nights camp at theTarrawingee station.The beautiful old ghost gum here is a must see especially when the sun starts to go down and its trunk changes from white to orange to red, it was so captivating and would be an artists dream. day 3 i could not get my tent to fold and held it together with octopus straps, i must have looked a sight with my 20kg load on my back and rods sticking out of it like alien tentacles. 5ks in my waist strap broke then my other shoulder strap. things were getting more difficult so my aunty and uncle from mt beauty met me at the everton station with a dome tent they had, this weighed 3.1kg so i had to dump some of my drinking water to lighten the load. that night i slept like a baby about 1km of gapsted station. The next day i knew i was only going to make it to myrtleford, by now the uneven ties of the shoulder straps were starting to leavr marks in my skin and desrted my adventure when i reached myrtleford. i plan to finish the rest of the hike from myrtleford to bright in a few weeks, ive got new gear and im rearing to go. i met some very nice cyclist from all around, although some were rude too and were tinkling there bells for me to get off the trail so they had full use of it.The stations are so well kept and i was so grateful for some shelter and water after a long days hike, some great scenery coming into the mountain part of the hike. so good for the mind and soul cant wait to finish it and start another rail trail adventure !!!!!!

One of the best ways to introduce children to longer distance riding. I’ve ridden this trail three times with my son as he’s grown up and it’s something that he looks forward to doing every couple of years. Here’s a brief description of the last time we rode the full length of the trail and a few ideas about how to ride with kids. https://afamilycyclist.wordpress.com/2018/03/26/wandiligong-to-wangaratta-with-max-2016/

Just rode this trail in the October school holidays – beautiful green paddocks, cows knee-deep in grass, gorgeous! So nice to be off the road! We rode Wang-Myrtleford after catching train to Wang in the morning (after it turning into a bus, so the usual fear that our bikes would be booted off – train travel is fraught with fear with V-Line!). lovely lunch at Gapstead Winery, easy ride to Bright (had a nap by the Ovens river midway). The swooping magpies were pretty terrifying, so Spring probably not the best time, but I loved the green lushness. We had a rest day in Bright, then a big day riding to Beechworth the next day. Yummy pizza at the Brewery for tea, and then such a great downhill into Everton! We went onto the road briefly to get to Millawa Cheese factory – narrow road, logging trucks, not pleasant! But once at Millawa there is an offered track into Wang, which was much more enjoyable. Would be great to have a nicer way to get to Millawa from Everton off the road – maybe in the future? Train back to Melbourne at 6ish, eating our Thai takeaway off our laps – brilliant holiday all-round. Lots of families staying in Bright, doing little rides to ice-cream places along the trail, so lovely.

27 December 2016

I rode this trail as a solo rider over three days and it was just lovely. I had minimal preparation for the ride and was a bit nervous that I wouldnt make it – but it was fine!
I rode Wangaratta – Myrtleford the fist day – a very pleasant ride that was a great introduction. The path was lovely – bitumen and very smooth. The uphill section to Taylors Gap wasnt too strenuous – just put it in 2nd gear and made my way to the top quite easily (did have a rest up the top though!) And then like a vision, at the bottom was Gapstead Winery!! I stopped for a lovely lunch – the staff were great – gave me the best table in the house overlooking the vineyards, a great lady was singing some tunes and the wines were just lovely – it was a shame to leave! It was a easy ride into town where I stayed at the Railway Hotel. Clean and comfortable (though old – they have done the best they can with old rooms) and had a great downstairs room which I could store my bike. Again the staff were just lovely and the steak was great.
Day 2 – Myrtleford – Bright. This was a easy morning ride – beautiful scenery overlooking the mountains as you come into Bright – just lovely. I stayed at the Alpine Hotel – was a bit noisy as it was Friday night, but not too bad. I had an upstairs room which I had to take my bike up the stairs – but it was a big room with a verandah and was clean and comfortable. Spent a lovely afternoon walking around Bright and did the 5km walk along the river. Perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Day 3: Bright – Myrtleford – Beechworth – Wangaratta. Up early and the easy ride back to Myrtleford – stopped at the Pumpkin seed farm for chocolate pumpkin icecream for breakfast! It is well worth the stop here – they are doing great things! Breakfast at a great cafe (Lupins?) on the outskirts of Myrtleford. I then cheated and put the bike on the bus to go up to Beechworth – best idea I had ever had! $2.50 and it was great – though would no t be able to do it if the bus was full or too many bikes. Wandered around for the afternoon (had a pie of course – and a cup of tea at the tea house – make sure you stop in there – it is just beautiful) then rode the downhill section and back into Wangaratta. The hill was easy going down – but I am glad I was on the down hill section! It would be doable on the way up – just need to take your time.

Can strongly recommend this trip to everyone – it is just amazing countryside and an AMAZING path – hats off to all involved in making such a wonderful track. It is a great asset to the area and I promote it to everyone – great way to see the countryside and keep fit – and dont shy away from it if you are not a ‘professional’ rider. I certainly am not and loved every minute of it – and it was fine on my own as well 🙂

We have just returned from a fabulous weekend of riding with 25 people from the Lions Club of Dookie.
Our itinerary: several of our group drove to Wangaratta on Friday arvo. and set our campers/caravans up at the excellent centrally located ‘Painter’s Island Caravan Park’.
Our full group arrived on Saturday morning and at 10.30 we set off on the Rail Trail towards Bright in perfect warm sunny (no wind) conditions. Where the RT crossed the Eldorado Road, we turned off and on a fairly quiet sealed road pushed on to have lunch at the Eldorado Store-Tavern. Some of our group enjoyed the Eldorado Museum and also the massive Eldorado Dredge.
After lunch we took the road south towards Tarrawingee and re-joined the Rail Trail there to ride back to Wang for a nice shower, a ‘Happy Hour’ and then to the nearby Sydney Hotel for a delicious dinner in a private room we had previously booked.
On Sunday morning, following a leisurely pack up we gathered for a group photo and rode along the Ovens River bank to cross at the newly built bridge that took us under the Melb.-Sydney Railway, behind the Showgrounds and on out to the Yarrawonga Rd. From here an excellent sealed track follows a creek all the way to the Whitfield Rd. eventually meeting up with the Rail Trail that leads out to Oxley and Milawa. At Milawa we all enjoyed lunch at the Milawa Cheese Factory before riding back into Wang. for a late afternoon coffee before heading for home.
We had an excellent weekend, no doubt greatly helped by the perfect weather. Those of us that rode the full distance did just over 100km and many of the group, not accustomed to regular riding were also very pleased with their varying efforts. Many of us have ridden Wang.-Bright/Beechworth RT before, so this slightly different plan provided a little variation for us and proved to be most enjoyable. Pleased to see such large numbers out enjoying the Rail Trail, particularly on the Saturday coming and going on the Murray to Mountains RT.

This trail is essentially the “Grand Tour” of Victoria’s rail trails. I rode the Everton to Bright section on 9th Feb 2015 and the Wangaratta – Everton – Beechworth section today (10th Feb 2015). One of the best things about this trail is the fact it is sealed, which makes it so easy to ride along. The only difficult part of the main trail is the climb to Taylors Gap – which is a steep approach from both sides. Also the climb to Beechworth is an effort, but the cafe options available on arrival make the effort worth it. The best part is the ride from Myrtleford to Bright and passing Mt Buffalo – just fantastic.

Myself, my wife and our 15mth old son completed this rail trail in October 2014. It is in fantastic condition and the entire experience is a credit to those who had the foresight to create such great infrastructure.
We started in Wangaratta and stayed in Cabins within Caravan parks along the way. Each day we would either ride to our next destination (towing our son in his Chariot trailer) and then I would ride back for the car. Or I would leave early with the packed car, leave it at our destination and then ride back to pick up my wife and son. We would then ride to the next town. This worked really well, as we could keep more things in the car which was handy with a small child. However, we would like to do another trail like this again but without the car. The caravan parks provide everything you need and there is always enough facilities at the towns or along the way in terms of food etc…
We stayed our first night in Milawa (22km). We decided to take this route from Wangaratta as it took in this fine gourmet food region and allowed us to join back onto the rail trail at Everton. Plus, there is another rail trail/segregated bike path all the way from Wangaratta to Milawa.
We then stayed our second night at Beechworth (36km). We took a known bike route on quiet country roads between Milawa and Everton Station to reach the rail trail. We had no problems with traffic and felt safe the entire time.
Our third night was at Myrtleford (46km). Even though our longest day, the first 15-16km out of Beechworth is largely downhill and makes it seem a lot shorter than it actually is.
Then we rode to Bright the next day (32km). We intended to stay the night here, but ended up heading home. Accommodation was more expensive and it was a weekend, making it difficult to find somewhere that would allow you to stay for just the one night.
All in all… Brilliant! Very few magpies for spring and perfect weather. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

As we were staying at Bright for a few days, we drove our car to Beechworth and rode the trail from Beechworth to Bright 72 km leaving at 8 am.The track was fantastic, all bitumen, and the first 16 km all downhill! It took us 4 hours of fairly steady riding to get to Porepunkah for a coffee stop. We then caught the Vline bus back to Beechworth to pick up our car at 14.15? Overall a great ride, except for the magpies which kept things interesting! Advice: plenty of accommodation in Bright and vline is the way to go! We booked our tickets for vline the day before at the tourist office in Bright. They said that some vline buses take bikes but we can’t confirm this.

Hi there
I’m planning to ride the Murray to Mountains rail trail next April with my sisters. We are three healthy but not so fit “girls” in our early fifties who do occasional, but not regular, bike riding. I’ve received mixed information about how ‘do-able’ the section from Everton to Beechworth is. Therefore I would be most appreciative of any advice from others who have ridden the trail. Also, if anyone has any thoughts on the relative merits of staying in Beechworth vs Myrtleford for our first night that would be great. (We are starting at Wangaratta and finishing at Bright, and we have three nights, including our first night in Wangaratta,, to do the trail)
Many Thanks
Suzie

Rode the Wangaratta – Beechworth section of this trail yesterday, and was very impressed with the quality of the trail. The Everton Beechworth section was difficult, being so looong and steeeep. I now know why all the tourist info I read on that section suggested to go from Beechworth to Everton rather than Everton to Beechworth. On the Wangaratta – Everton section there were a number of magpies swooping so watch out for them if travelling that section in spring.

16/07/13 Fantastic trail. This is the autobahn of all rail trails, with beautiful bitumen along most of the trail, excellent scenery of rolling green hills and farm land, surrounded by lush valleys. The new rail themed stops are just what you need after a well earned break with shelter and clean toilets. We did a circuit of Wangaratta/ Beechworth/ Myrtleford/Wangaratta. The section from Everton Station to Beechworth was one long slow climb that can test you, but worth it once you get to the top. Highly recommend pulling into Pennyweight Winery just outside of Beechworth as you hit the top of the climb. Great selection of wines and they have an entrance next to the track for cyclists. Rather than backtracking we went all the way down the C524/ Buckland Gap Rd to meet up with Great Alpine Road. If you don’t mind riding a couple of hundred meters on this road (it meets up with the track just over the hill) it saves you a bit of time. Nice to cover the same amount of distance in half the time as it’s downhill from Beechworth. If you want the safer option take the Bowman – Murmungee Rd. After the climb the previous day we weren’t up for another detour. The ride back to Wangaratta from Myrtleford was beautiful and downhill. The couple at Wangaratta Caravan & Tourist Park allowed us to leave our car in their park for security, while we did the ride as we stayed with them on the first night. We then took the easy option and collected the car in Wangaratta and drove down to Bright for lunch. Enjoy everyone!!

27/04/13 Myrtelford/Beechworth/ Myrtelford. Beautiful ride as always but downhill from B’worth has 3 large gravel potholes to avoid at speed.

We did this trail with our 7 and 9 yr old kids. Excellent trail with great facilities and beautiful views. We rode Beechworth to Myrtelford one day and then Mytelford to Bright the next staying in caravan parks both nights -just loved it!

Our group of two adults, two teenagers, a ten year old and a dog did the short section from Wahgunyah to Rutherglen and back. It was our first run, and was a gentle start to using rail trails. We enjoyed the great views.

Background Information

Traditional Owners

We acknowledge the Waveroo people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail is built.

Development and future of the rail trail 

Construction of the rail trail began at Bright in 1993, and finished in 2002 with the opening of sections to Wangaratta and Beechworth.

The trail between Rutherglen and Wahgunyah on the Murray was completed in 2009.

The Wangaratta to Oxley section of the trail opened in 2011, providing tourism links with the Oxley and Milawa regions. Extension of the rail trail toward Whitfield is also planned.

Rail Line History

A branch line from Bowser (Wangaratta) to Everton and Beechworth opened in 1875 and was extended to Yackandandah in 1891. A second branch line was built from Everton to Myrtleford in 1883 and extended to Bright in 1890. Everton was once an important regional railway junction, but little evidence of that remains today. The line from Beechworth to Yackandandah closed in 1956 and the last train to Beechworth ran in 1977.

Beechworth, originally known as Mayday Hills, was a major gold mining centre in the 1850s. You can explore traces of this activity at Woolshed Falls, the Gorge Scenic Drive and the Old Powder Magazine. Beechworth Historic Park surrounding the town has unusual cypress-pine/box woodland and box-leaf wattle.

The line to Bright was popular in the early 20th century with tourists visiting the picturesque town of Bright and Mt Buffalo Chalet, built and owned by Victorian Railways. The line closed completely closed back to Bowser in 1987. The line from Springhurst to Wahgunyah opened in 1879. Passenger services ended in 1962, and goods services closed in 1995.

The original King Valley rail route, 49 km from Wangaratta to Whitfield, was Victoria’s original narrow gauge line. The line opened in 1899 and closed in 1953.

Ride for Research 2024

Posted: 13/12/23

Nine years ago, an 11-month-old baby girl from Sydney was diagnosed with a rare form ...

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Yackandandah Rail Trail parkrun

Posted: 16/11/23

Parkrun is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. ...

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Rail trails can help support bushfire affected communities

Posted: 04/02/20

It may be a little difficult carrying an #EmptyEsky on your bike, but you can ...

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Beechworth to Yackandandah rail trail update

Posted: 10/07/19

The Indigo Shire Council reported in their "Indigo Weekly Update" (28 June 2019) that the Beechworth to ...

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Murray to Mountains Rail Trail to extend to Yackandandah

Posted: 25/06/17

In May the Victorian state government has announced that the popular Murray to Mountains Rail ...

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Funding for High Country and Murray to Mountains Rail Trail links

Posted: 26/02/16

Victorian Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford has announced funding of $205,000 to support projects to ...

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Wahgunyah to Rutherglen Rail Trail (VIC) – Community Event

Posted: 18/11/09

Bring your family with the bikes down to the Rutherglen Wine Experience in Rutherglen to ...

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Murray to Mountains Rail Trail (North East Victoria) to be Extended

Posted: 11/11/06

The Indigo Shire council has been successful in obtaining funding to construct a further 9km ...

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Murray to the Mountains Bushfire Update (Vic)

Posted: 19/02/03

The recent fires in North East Victoria have not affected the rail trail, the facilities ...

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Opening of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail (Vic)

Posted: 29/08/02

The offical opening of the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail has been set for ...

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Opening of the Murray to the Mountains Trail: Beechworth to Everton (Vic)

Posted: 09/04/01

On Easter Monday the trail from Beechworth to Everton will be officially opened. It takes ...

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Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail (Vic)

Posted: 14/02/01

Beechworth to Everton A new section of the railtrail from Beechworth to Everton is now ...

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Murray to Mountains Opening

Posted: 18/02/00

The Bright to Myrtleford section of the Murray to Mountains Railtrail was opened on Thursday 10 ...

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