Council has allocated $1 million in its 23/24 budget to upgrade the Manly Dam mountain bike trail.
Work is underway to make the trail safer, a better riding experience and reduce environmental impacts to be more sustainable.
The popular track is around 11km long and is a mixture of single track, shared track and fire trail. It is the only authorised mountain bike track through Council bushland.
In 2021 a mountain bike trail audit and rider feedback informed the upgrade works and identified initial priority areas as:
- improvements and potential minor realignments at the 19th hole
- improvements and minor realignments in the vicinity of Manning St and Bantry Bay Reserve
- safety improvements to the entry of Wakehurst Golf Club
- improvements and potential minor realignments to the fire trail descent off the Trig Track
A community working group has been established to advise on the project – including representatives from groups representing riders, the local environment as well as members of the Manly Warringah War Memorial State Park Advisory Committee.
A range of trail upgrades are being planned – environmental assessments will be completed and actions taken in response to outcomes as required for any of the planned upgrades.
Any track closures will be listed on this page, Manly Dam mountain bike page as well as our social channels.
Currently as at December 2023 the trail upgrades planned include the following:
19th hole upgrade at Allambie
December 2023
- Realignment of the trail, changing the straight line to a series of banked turns to slow the approach to the 3m rock drop
- The creation of a ‘green line’ at the rock drop to make it more usable for people who are new to the sport of mountain biking
- Water management above the site to reduce water erosion and to decrease the amount of closures of the section following wet weather events
Manning Street North Balgowlah/Seaforth
January 2024
Completion of the works at 19th hole and start works at Manning Street Nth Balgowlah/Seaforth.
Works include construction of a new section of trail (roughly 400m in length) which will move the current alignment off the narrow footpath across the road from the school and eliminate clashes between riders and pedestrians especially at school drop off and pick up times.
Golf course entry
February/March 2024
Upgrade of section of trail that traverses the vehicle entry to the Wakehurst Golf course which is also a crossing for mountain bike riders. Works will include:
• New carpark lines
• Traffic calming
• Formal crossing for the mountain bike trail
• Completion of Manning Street realignment
Downhill section from Wakehurst Parkway to the fire trail to Manly creek
This section is planned to commence following the completion of the Manning street trail. Other proposed works include:
• creation of green lines on the A/B line sections on the Trig trail (between Bantry Bay Oval and Wakehurst Parkway descent)
• duplication of the path along the edge of Bantry Bay Oval
• new section of trail within the Bangaroo Street firebreak
• water management along the section from Cootamundra Drive to Nyrang Road
These works are part of a broader strategy providing more places to ride and Council is working with the community to deliver on the commitments outlined in the Council’s Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Strategy and Action Plan 2022.
Enquiries
1300 434 434