Epic Victorian Bikepacking Routes

ByVince Masci

PostedAugust 12, 2024

Victoria offers some wonderful bikepacking routes and with an excellent rural transport network that is affordable and extremely bike-friendly, most of it is highly accessible. Here's a few great places to explore:

Otway Rip Overnighter
→168km +3263m, 60% Gravel
Ride all year!
Intermediate

Taking inspiration from The Otway Rip, The Otway Rip Lite Loop aims to eliminate the need to commute from the finish of the route back to the start whilst still exploring the magic of The Otways and shredding a few km’s also.
You'll experience a fantastic sample of The Otway Hinterlands.

Gippsland Gold Overnighter
→232km +4023m, 64% Gravel
Ride all year!
Hard

A terrific overnighter taking you through the Gippsland, stopping in the towns of Boolarra & Mirboo North with the halfway point in Foster.
You'll experience the magical gravel roads of Gippsland and the reason why this route is featured as one of the best gravel rides in Victoria.

Frostbites Gravel Loop from Omeo
→180km +3700m, 76% Gravel
SEP to MAY (Avoid Winter)
Very Hard

A really wonderful overnighter in a lesser-explored region of Victoria and the East Gippsland region.
You'll experience three rather challenging climbs, amazing gravel roads, scenic vistas and some really remote riding.

Bendigo Graveleur
→164km +1790m, 70% Gravel
Ride all year!
Intermediate

A great overnighter within transport's reach of Melbourne that explores some of Bendigo's finest gravel roads.
You'll experience a sample of the Goldfields Track, the surrounding towns of Bendigo and the O'Keefe Rail Trail.

The Great Forest Way
→295km +5850m, 60% Gravel
SEP to MAY (Avoid Winter)
Intermediate

Bikepacking through the central highlands notable for it's majestic forests and tallest trees in the Southern Hemisphere.
You'll experience some of Victoria's most famous routes including the Acheron Way, Reefton Spur and the Warburton Rail Trail.

Melbourne to Bendigo
→240km +2362m, 28% Gravel
Ride all year
Intermediate

An great way to escape Melbourne out through the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine & upwards to Bendigo.
You'll experience Woodlands Historic Park, some pretty cool bike paths out of the city, foresty roads through Macedon and some cool trails between Castlemaine & Bendigo.

The Otway Rip
→257km +3487m, 57% Gravel
Ride all year!
Hard

A famous bikepacking right of passage in Victoria, the Otway Rip encounters a series of country roads, rail trails, hinterlands and ocean views.
You'll experience a sample of the Goldfields Track, the surrounding towns of Bendigo and the O'Keefe Rail Trail.

Winter Solstice Ride
→311km +4434m, 58% Gravel
Ride all year!
Hard

A fantastic events that runs in Winter (as you may have guessed) that winds through The Otways from Warrnambool on the regions finest gravel offerings, culminating just outside of Geelong.
You'll experience the majority of Victoria's southwest, coastal hinterlands.

The Otway 500
→494km +9734m, 73% Gravel
Ride all year!
Hard

A fantastic loop around The Otways and Surf Coast covering both coastal and inland Hinterlands.
You'll experience the best roads in the entirety of The Otways, Colac & Surf Coast.

Fools Gold 420
→420km +4484m, 90% Gravel
Ride all year
Very Hard

A challenging mountain bike bikepacking ride through Goldfields Country.
You'll experience the rugged roads and outback towns of Victoria's goldfields region.