Railway Reserves Heritage Trail, Perth Hills (Top trail)

Great bike trail, not too steep and plenty of places for a stop, even a drink. So many things to see along the way and plenty of room for walkers and bikes. Completed 3 times now looking forward to doing it again.

My husband and I really love walking these trails, they are great for all fitness levels. The only thing you need to look out for are cyclists who by large, unfortunately seem to lack the courtesy of slowing down or using their bells for trail hikers, which can really detract from the experience.

My first time to do it today, amazing trail, took me 3.5 hours, the up hill was a bit hard but enjoyed every moment.

This is a great trail for walkers and riders. It's always in excellent condition and there is plenty to see along the way. The best part in my opinion is the section between Swanview and Parkerville, overlooking Jane Brook and its waterfalls.

Such a beautiful ride! Did the whole loop which took me roughly 3.5hrs by bike with a couple of pit stops for photos and snacks. Started at Swanview and rode in a clockwise direction. Incline is ever so slight, but was knackered by the end so will probably start in Bellevue next time to avoid that last little climb! Took a map with me but the track is easy to follow, with plenty of markers along the way. Plenty of water fountains along the way too which surprised me.

The BIKE: Did this anti-clockwise as hills first. Started at Swan View. Took 2.5 hours and was my first proper MTB trail so if I can do this at that "speed" then anyone can!!! Such an awesome trail.

PS. I meant to give the walk a 5* but didn't change the automatic 3*

The Hike: We started at John Forrest with the intention of having a well deserved pint at the Tavern at the end!! (great idea except the park entry fee was $12)They do brekkie apparently. We started at 7.30am clockwise and stopped for coffee at Mount Helena, lunch (20km / half way mark) at Mundaring (and blister fix from chemist as well as Coles, etc. Few places for a bought lunch). Coffee at Glen Forrest (30km) and home run to the tavern. Was the most amazing day. Great scenery. Lovely people to chat to enroute. Lots of bikes come soaring past you so be careful. Not many toilets. Water refills at start but not much else unless through towns. I bought a 1L bottle and was fine. Not much incline or decline. Very easy walk with gravel underfoot. It was the length that is the challenge. An hour's car ride. Longer than a marathon (we clocked 44.3km) and the length of time. We finished at 7.20pm which included stops so 12 hours in total. But the actual walk took 8.5 hours. I would absolutely recommend it but my friend had only walked 15km max so was very tough for him. In fact he lost a toenail! I am a big walker and walk 6-18km regularly so 44km whilst a challenge, was no big deal the next day except for a couple of blisters. I would do this again at the drop of a hat. Absolutely not in summer / heat due to the length you are on the trail. You must start early to be back before dark. We walked a good pace. I think 8-10 hours would be reasonable. I still have yet to meet anyone who has walked this far in one day. It truly is an amazing thing to do. Oh and another tip: Do it with someone who won't whine about length of time and someone who has good conversation!!!!

This trail is a great beginner trail. Mostly flat gravel through the entire 50 km's. I started in Bellevue and worked my to north of the trail. I believe this is best way as you get good practice and speed on the return trip. A great place to get used to gravel riding and learning to control your bike at higher speeds. Also - look for 4 - 5 smaller skill trackers on the side of this trail, they are great to play on as well. Very fun trail, just remember the food because the gradual incline of the ride will wear on your quickly!

Whats happening about the dog problem around Darlington ? On a few occasions I have encountered dogs off leads and not in contol by owners ?

Wonderful ride through the Perth Hills! There's easy vehicle access points along the entire trail, so it's easy to pick and choose where to start and finish.
There's a wonderful variety of scenery - I particularly loved the old railway tunnels and bridges, as well as the sweeping views in Boya. Whether you complete it all at once or break it into smaller sections, the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail is excellent ride for nature lovers of all skill levels.

Fantastic bush trail close to the city with plenty of options to complete the sections and cafe as well as a pub stop along the way! Part of the trail goes through John Forest National Park and there's scenic views, an old rail tunnel, bridges and waterfalls in winter. Parking at Swan View and Mundaring sculpture park is good. This trail is a good introduction to off road cycling and also because of the loop it makes for good cross country training. Keep an eye out and you may see the odd Kangaroo. No singletrack action, just a mellow social relaxing chance to ride your bike! The trail also acts a nature corridor for the local wildlife to coexist in an urban area - this is special!

I really enjoyed this trail, we rode it in a clockwise direction it wasn't very technical, on wide rail trail gradually sloping up so it wasn't a difficult climb. Make sure you take a light if you want to ride through the tunnel! Got a bit lost going to Sawyers Valley but was easy enough to find the way back onto the trail. Great time of the year to ride it, saw lots of walkers and parks in the towns are full of kids! Pullled in for a coffee in Mundaring before a great descent back to the Bellevue RSL. A very leisurely 40+km with great scenery.

This is a lovely half day ride on a mostly gently trail. The southern side of the loop has some looshish pea gravel and a few washouts on it, but they are very manageable. I rode this in a clockwise direction which made for a gentle and steady up hill climb (north side), followed by an enjoyable downhill coast (south side). It is reasonably popular with walkers and the odd horse rider, so please expect to see them and be respectful and share the trail.

I have to disagree with the indication that this trail is somewhat lacking in excitement, or challenges for that matter. Im a firm believer that your experience of anything changes with both your skill level and what you are willing to get out of your ride. However, a cross country or downhill track this is not. It is simply a very enjoyable, long distance ride over mostly smooth and low grade gravel. But it is certainly not devoid of excitement. On my maiden run yesterday I did find an assortment of jumps, technical drops, lots of fast, 30-35 km/h downgrades, and even some scary out of control corners. They are there if you have the skill level and are willing to keep your eye open for them. Enjoy this for what it is - a fun day out on the bike rolling through lots of scenery.

Just as a side tip if you are not fully experienced in long distance rides make sure you are well prepared. Take at least 2 litres of water, puncture repairs, and chocoloate bars or energy gels. Know when to take your rest stops.

40km of very basic low gradient rail trail is what you should expect here. Nothing technical, nothing challenging, but with many moments of breathtaking scenery (Hovea Falls in particular) and opportunities to stop for a coffee, lunch or a pint at John Forrest Tavern and Mounties (Mt Helena) on the north side or sundry other locations along the southern section. When ridden clockwise you have a nice long descent from Sawyers Valley to Bellevue which, if ridden counter clockwise, makes for a reasonable training loop with some effort required if you want to maintain a decent pace. You'll find little to excite you, but it's nonetheless a pleasant trail.

A favourite of mine is the Pechey Rd and 6kms east through the national park. Great view of Perth, waterfalls, jarrah forrest and the 400 m old railway tunnel.