The Dartmoor Rail Trail, near Hamilton, is a chance to stretch your legs, or spin your wheels, on the way to the rail-trail refinement of South Australia

- Dartmoor’s a nice little town on the Glenelg River with a scenic lookout to prove it
- There’s a hotel, general store and free camping right on the river
- Scenic lookout on Korrey Smith Hill
Nearby Attractions
- World War 1 Avenue of Honour Memorial and Wood Carvings
- The Fort O’Hare Campground on the Glenelg River was a resting spot for the Major Mitchell expedition
- The Great South West Walk is 25km south
Last updated: 4 February 2025
The asphalt trail runs through Dartmoor Rail Lands gently downhill from Radiata Rd to the Fort O’Hare campground on the Glenelg River, with sealed parking areas near both ends and a playground in-between.
Access Points
- Car park off Railway Drive (wheelchair access)
- Toilets and parking at general store on Greenham St (wheelchair access)
- Car park in Fort O’Hare Campground (wheelchair access), Gambier Rd
Section Guides
- Travelling south from the Radiata Rd end, you’ll come pretty quickly to the general store, public toilets and an EV charging station
- The Dartmoor Hotel/Motel is to your left on Lindsay Rd
- After the railway underpass at Greenham St and the camping area you’ll come to the end of the railway embankment and a steel and concrete railway bridge over the Glenelg River
![Aerial view of the Dartmoor Rail Trail [2021]](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/V72-057-Dartmoor-Rail-Land-Aerial-View-of-Track-2021-10-300x146.jpg)
Aerial view of the Dartmoor Rail Trail [2021]

Part of the Dartmoor Rail Trail (2021)

The rail cutting has wheelchair access at several points (2021)

The Dartmoor Rail trail opened in December 2021.
![The railway bridge over the Glenelg River was used for less than 20 years [2020].](https://www.railtrails.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/V72-055-Dartmoor-2020-11-25_162339262-300x225.jpg)
The railway bridge over the Glenelg River was used for less than 20 years [2020].
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.
Information and Links
Glenelg Shire 1300GLENELG (1300 453 635) Email: en*****@gl*****.au
Dartmoor and District Progress Association https://www.facebook.com/DartmoorProgressAssociation/
Contact Rail Trails Australia
To contact us about this rail trail, email vic@railtrails.org.au
Background Information
The rail trail was constructed in 2021 with funding under the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. This followed seven years of lobbying by the Dartmoor community. The trail was officially launched in December of that year. There are no plans to extend it to Mt Gambier.
Traditional owners
We acknowledge the Gunditjmara people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail is built.
Railway history
The Mt Gambier-Heywood Line was mooted in 1900, and decided upon in 1912. Surveying and construction began from Heywood in 1913; a 300m wooden bridge over the Glenelg River at Dartmoor was completed in April, 1915, and the section to Dartmoor in June, 1916, with the remainder completed and opened in November, 1917. Passenger trains operated until 1942. In the mid-1980s the original bridge was demolished and replaced by the current concrete and steel one. The line was ‘suspended’ in April, 1995, due to gauge standardisation of the main line. (Source: www.railpage.com.au)
New Rail Trail for Victoria
Posted: 14/02/22
Dartmoor Rail Trail before...... Dartmoor Rail Trail, situated ...
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2 reviews of “Dartmoor Rail Trail”
I rode this yesterday. Very short, very easy. Excellent surface. Good parking at both ends.
A very accessible, and short, trail for a driver’s break, that adjoins a good general store, so you can start or finish your step-out with a coffee and fresh snack.