Name: Riesling and Rattler Trail
Rating: 4.5

Map Legend:

Rail Trail
On Road
Possible Rail Trail
Other Trail
former Railway

Why visit the Riesling and Rattler Trail?

Perhaps South Australia’s best known rail trail, located in one of Australia’s premier wine regions
Seven townships and many cellar doors along or near the trail
Original railway cuttings and infrastructure form part of the trail

Nearby Attractions

Clare Valley vineyards and cellar doors
Impressive scenery from vineyards to open rural areas
Vibrant tourist area with a strong focus on the wine industry and fine dining using local produce
Access to many small townships
Historic buildings including John Horrocks Cottage, St Aloysius’ Church and Martindale Hall
Links with the 900 km Mawson Cycling Trail, the 300 km Lavender Cycling Trail (Murray Bridge to Clare) and the 20km Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail

Trail Guide

Overall description

The Riesling Rail Trail consists of three sections that are quite different in terms of scenery and topography:

The 19 km Rattler Trail section from Riverton to Auburn crosses open farming country
The 25 km Riesling Trail section from Auburn to Clare travels along the Clare Valley, through the wine region and many of the historic towns
The 10 km Riesling Trail (north) from Clare to Barinia terminates at the old Barinia Railway siding. This basically flat section is an enjoyable ride through open farmland

Section Guides

Riverton to Auburn (19 km)

The trail starts from the northern end of the Riverton Oval (enter off Oxford Tce). Take time to check out Riverton’s magnificent intact railway station.

Take a break at the Rynie railway station site shelter.

The entrance to Auburn is through a shady corridor of pines, then past the oval and on to the site of Auburn station. Turn left into Church St, cross the creek and Auburn Centenary Park is on the right. The town centre is a little further at the end of Church St.

Auburn to Clare (25 km)

This is the original section of the trail and is maintained to a very high standard. There are interpretive signs and wineries along the way.

Depart north from Auburn station and cross the bridge that opened in 2019 to enable the rail trail to be entirely on the old railway corridor, 25 years after the Riesling Trail began.

Cross the highway with care and enjoy the gentle climb to Leasingham, 8 km away. After bypassing the site of a missing bridge, the trail climbs gently to Watervale and Pentwortham.

At Penwortham, Highway 83 crosses beneath the trail and follows it to Clare. Visit historic St Mark’s church (visible from the trail and accessible from Pawelski Rd) where district pioneer John Horrocks was buried in 1846. John Horrocks’ cottage can also be viewed on the corner of Surrey Ln and Horrocks Highway.

After a further 5 km you reach Sevenhill, where you pass the cemetery on your descent into Clare. St Aloysius’ Church and Sevenhill Cellars are a short distance up College Rd.

The trail terminates at a carpark at the old railway yard. The station is gone, but a new shelter has been built next to Leasingham Winery.

Follow the town centre signs to the highway and the township of Clare.

Clare to Barinia Rd, White Hut (10 km)

This section extends north from the site of Clare railway station. It features a quality surface through shady cuttings and bridges before coming out to beautiful farmland areas. The trail terminates at Barinia Rd, White Hut.

Photo Gallery

The Riverton railway station and surrounds is impressive, though respect that it is in private ownership. [2015]

Start of the rail trail at Riverton sports oval [2021]

Bridge over trail at Riverton for the Golf Course [2015]

A smooth surface and wide open farmland between Rhynie and Auburn (2015)

An old telephone pill box at Undalya siding, the railway closed long before radios made these redundant [2021]

Colourful blossoms south of Auburn in late winter [2021]

A significant bridge just before Auburn [2015]

Auburn station is now a cafe and wine tasting centre. [2022]

Auburn has numerous historic buildings [2017]

No mistaking where you are at Auburn! [2022]

This bridge at Auburn was opened in 2019 and completed the final section of the rail trail. [2021]

The trail near Leasingham [2006]

More of the scenery near Leasingham with wind turbines in the background [2015]

Stone barrels at a rest area between Auburn and Leasingham entitled 'The Meeting Place'

The view while resting at 'The Meeting Place'

Typical interpretive sign along the rail trail, here at Watervale [2011]

At Stephen John Winery, not far from Auburn. [Alex Thompson, 2014]

Colourful riders near Penwortham [2017]

Lots of information signs to nearby attractions and businesses such as wineries [2022]

Cruising along near Penwortham [2022]

More vineyards at Sevenhill [2015]

Look at for lots of artwork along the rail trail, a passion of the volunteer committee of management, this one at Sevenhill [2022]

More vineyards at Sevenhill [2022]

The refurbished and wider Quarry Rd bridge between Sevenhill and Clare is a landmark [2022]

The Clare station area [2022]

More artwork at Clare [2015]

The drover's sheep at Clare [2022]

Clare also has its share of historic building [2006]

The scenery between Clare and Barinia [2022]

The last artwork at Barinia [2017]

Starting from the northern most point [Alex Thompson 2014]

Get Around

Tour de Vines

Experience the best of the Riesling Trail on the only tour on this rail trail

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Reviews

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10 reviews of “Riesling and Rattler Trail”

We rode the Rattler Trail today from Auburn to Riverton and return.
Although this trail isn't as well known as the connecting Reisling Trail, it is just as good. The surface is a very smooth fine crushed blue metal. This trail passes through more open farmlands, but some of the rural views are expansive and spectacular.
All the creek crossings now have metal bridges, and some of the early tree plantings are thriving and well over 4 metres high.
We came across some volunteers that were doing maintenance on a section of tree plantings that were 2 years old. The trees were on average about a metre high, and looked to be thriving in the recent rains. A big thank you to all the volunteers involved with this great trail.
The town of Riverton still has a lot of railway lines intact, as well as a huge two story stone railway station. There are also 4 train carriages on site that used to be used as accommodation. It is privately owned, but you can still check it out from the distance.
Riverton has some beautiful stone buildings, and we had coffee and cake at a lovely little shop called the Riverton Deli, Bakery, take away.
There is a nice little shelter shed at the Rynie station site, with loads of information and history.
Auburn is also a great little village with more nice stone buildings and pub. So much to see and do.
Don't miss it.

Rode Rattler Trail today. Doesn't seem to get as much attention as the Reisling Trail, despite joining each other. Good surface and interpretive signs. Huge job being done by Trail volunteers planting and maintaining shrubs and trees along the trail.

Today we rode from Clare to Auburn and return. The weather was terrible, but the trail was wonderful. It has one of the smoothest and most durable surfaces I have found on a rail trail. We rode this trail 7 years ago, and have found lots of additions and improvements this time round. New artwork sculptures and bridges being the most noticeable. The new bridge on the original rail corridor at Auburn is a credit to the builders. It looks great and is a treat to ride over. Another great improvement is the gravel banks on the sides of the high embankments, a good safety feature.
It's the June long weekend, and the trail was quite crowded in places with riders and walkers. Obviously very popular with locals and visitors alike.

We rode from Clare to Barinia and return today. The weather wasn't very nice, but the trail is terrific. The surface is so smooth, and there are so many cuttings with large shady pines. It's like riding through a tunnel of trees at some places.
A couple of sculpture sites and interpretive signs make this a really great trail. Clare is a nice little town with plenty of accommodation, shops and places to eat.

The Rattler Trail is a terrific, scenic and well maintained trail. Highly recommended.

The Rattler Rail Trail is a very enjoyable mostly uphill ride from Riverton to Auburn. The track surface is now good and there are lovely coffee shops at each end. Our group usually rides this trail two or three times a year. You can see more photos and a video here: https://uncoolcyclingclub.com/rattler-rail-trail-sa/

I rode the Riesling and Rattler Trails over a weekend in September 2018.

The section Clare to Auburn is the busiest and most popular, due to the large number of wineries, eateries and art galleries close to the trail. There are also many options for side trips to lookouts and more wineries. Clare is the largest town on the trail, with good facilities and accommodation options.

The southern section known as the Rattler Trail from Auburn to Riverton is a quieter section of the overall trail, with flatter surrounds and extensive farmland views. Riverton is a small town with interesting historic features. Unfortunately the Riverton Railway Station appeared to be now privately owned and did not allow access at the time.

Clare to Whitehut at the northern end is also a quiet section of the trail, with extensive farmland views.

Overall the trail had a good gravel surface. My chain and bike was a bit dusty after a couple of days, so it would be good to have some lube. Also the weather was quite warm even in early September, and a bit windy, so make sure you have water and sunscreen and allow time for a slower ride depending on conditions.

Just finished riding the Riesling and Rattler trails on my hybrid. The surface is excellent on both trails now, and the addition of extra artworks and interpretive signs certainly enhances the experience. The new bridges on the Rattler Trail are excellent, and the new surface is very smooth. I would be happy to ride both trails on my road bike. A new trail-side cafe (The Legless Dog) near Watervale was a most welcome sight. There are also plenty of choices for a meal or snack at Auburn. Check out the Cogwebs Cafe for a unique experience.

Rode from Clare to Auburn with my young family in January 2015. Whilst it not as long as the Victorian trails, I think it is more beautiful than the Murray to the Mountains or the Great Victorian Rail trail. Excellent surface, outstanding views, heaps of informative signs and many things to see and do off the trail make for a wonderful experience. Approaching Clare, I could smell the pine trees as we rode past! I would be nice to see a few more bridges re installed, especially around Leasinghan and Auburn and a few more toilets as most were around 500m off the trail into the townships. After speaking to the locals, there is a significant push to lengthen the trail and they feel the trail brings a significant tourist attraction to the area. Looking forward to riding the whole length in the future.

I rode on both these trails on 26 February 2014. The Riesling trail has a well-maintained surface.

The Rattler trail from Auburn to Riverton and return is undergoing repairs in some places but was open to bikes on the day I was there. It is a bit rough in places with coarse gravel on the riding surface, so I would recommend a mountain bike for this section. Three of the four bridges on the Riverton section have new steel decking, great to see the work coming along.

Further Information

Information and Links

See Services tab for links to services and businesses along this trail

For more information, or to report problems

Clare Valley Visitor Information 8842 2131 www.clarevalley.com.au

Clare Valley business and Tourism Association – promotional video ‘Clare’

Trail Committee of Management Secretary 8843 0196

The Riesling Trail

Riesling & Rattler Rail Trails brochure / map (2MB)

Clare Valley Business & Tourism Association

Contact Rail Trails Australia

To contact us about this rail trail, email sa@railtrails.org.au

Background Information

Traditional owners

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

Rail history

One of Australia’s early explorers, Edward John Eyre, made his way through the valley in 1839. His favourable reports led John Horrocks to settle there and to found Penwortham, the first settlement north of Gawler. In 1840 Edward Gleeson set up a sheep station and established Clare, named after his native county in Ireland. Copper was discovered at nearby Burra in 1845. Villages were established and roads were built, and by the 1880s and 90s wine growing had taken hold in the region.

The railway reached Riverton in 1864, but the railway did not reach the valley and Clare until 1918, finally stretching to Spalding in 1922, a distance of 86 km. The line closed in 1984 and the track was dismantled in 1989.

The trail is managed by a voluntary committee of management with assistance from the Department of Recreation and Sport (Trails SA).

Development and future of the Rail Trail

Potential Barinia to Spalding trail extension

There is a proposal to extend the Riesling Trail from Barinia to Spalding along the original rail reserve.

Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail

The Clare Valley Wine and Wilderness Trail is a 100 km hiking and cycling trail designed to highlight the wine, food and natural landscapes of the Clare Valley. This trail intersects and occasionally follows the Riesling Trail.

Both the hiking and cycling trails for Stage 1 (Clare Valley Wine, Food ands Tourism Centre to Jim Barry Wines) are complete and open for use. A map of this 20 km stage can be downloaded from the official site cvwwt.com.au

The remaining stages, totalling an additional 80 km, are under construction and due for completion in April 2022.

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