Run Forest Run!

Needing a longer pure trail Riverhead route? This one is a good workout with great variety and almost zero forestry roads (we love that). Around 450m altitude gain to get the thighs working. Can you spot 'Snowy' the dog??

Starting at the Barlow Rd entrance run about 200m straight and then look for the trail entrance on your right. This is great trail that undulates through the forest with easy up and down sections lasting for 3km. Eventually you will cross onto ‘Strip Rd-Skid 2’ being a gravel road section. It immediately forks to the right for a few hundred meters before you turn left back into the forest trail.

Now you’re on the famous ‘Baconator’ trail that takes you a couple of kilometres to meeting with Barlow Rd again. It’s a short steep climb up to the road. Turn right and in a 100m turn a sharp left almost back in on itself and you will be on a long stretch of open trail. This can get very slippery when wet as it’s a clay-based track called ‘Pink Bits’.

We are around the 6km mark now, out in the open with great views following the clay trail down and straight across Hansons Rd. Just before the 8km mark you will turn hard left and cross a small stream. There’s no bridge so you’ll get a bit wet. Follow the trail to the right here as it winds its way up through the forest – be careful to follow your GPX map here as there are multiple turns and other trails. Cross over ANZAC Rd at 9.5kms.

The trail takes a north-west turn here until 12kms when you will shortly turn hard left onto Campbell Rd heading back towards the main road. Just before you reach the edge of the forest turn left off the road and onto the trail. Normally this is the final stretch back to Barlow Rd entrance however after just 500m you will turn left and up a rough-formed road to the 14km mark. This next stretch that turns south-west is again a very nice undulating trail with some good altitude gains throughout.

Be careful around the 15km mark as it’s easy to end up climbing a grueling bike track rather than the parallel running track. Don’t worry if you get it wrong as they both converge at the top anyway.

The last two kms are mostly downhill where you’ll finish back at Barlow Rd.