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MTB riding in Cessnock
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If you’re new to Cessnock then our advice is to connect with the Kurri Mongrels via their fb page. They ride four times a week and are a very sociable crew of riders.
There’s also a Cessnock MTB and Gravel social riding group on fb. They also are very social riders, but ride less frequently. Most weeks there’s a social gravel ride on Thursday mornings at 7.30am from the Zoo on Lomas Lane in Nulkaba. Always check the fb page to make sure it’s on.
If you want to explore solo, Cessnock and Kurri are a rider’s paradise and my advice to all MTBers is to use Strava’s Heatmap to find the most popular trails.
The heatmap won’t tell you which are the best though, and from experience I’d say you’ll need 2 or 3 years of regular riding to cover this map. You can see that Cessnock and Kurri are MTB towns!
You can find a cycling map here but there’s very little MTB coverage in it because it’d be pretty much impossible to include the detail required. Here’s two popular spots that will fill a weekend.
HEZ Singletracks can be found easily from the HEZ road off Leggett’s Drive at Pelaw Main, or from behind Kurri Hospital. It can also be accessed from the Cessnock side through the bush from Duffie Drive.
You can see from the heat map there’s enough single track out here to ride an entire day. Your Strava will be filled with segments like Scooby Doo, Creaky Knees and Pallet Moto. If you want to climb then there’s a few ways up Tumblebee to the south.
Werakata State Conservation Area is another all-day riding opportunity, you can get at it from Pelton or from Kitchener (across from the Khartoum Hotel) or travel in from Cessnock Racecourse. There’s old railway lines, heaps of single track and some fast downhills. There’s also lots of well-maintained fire roads, so this is good for graveleurs as well. Make sure you visit the famous Ashley’s Tower while you’re there.
There’s a stack of other places to go, find these options in Maps or Strava:
Werakata NP on Lomas Lane.
Brokenback Range from Mt View Rd.
Sawpit Rd at Sweetman’s Creek
Watagan Range from Heaton Rd
Abernethy Dam from Ferguson St