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Trailflix: Glenrock, Newcastle - Trail Description |
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Note: there are multiple hiking and bike trails across Glenrock State Recreation Area; this description covers the popular perimeter trail
1. Park along Gun Club Road, alongside the large Newcastle Water tanks and Telecom tower next to the Pacific Highway
2. Head across Gun Club Road. Go through the gate and turn left into the trail heading downhill and left. This is the start of Upper Kenny.
3. Head along singletrack for about 20m and turn hard left into a steeper descent, which continues for 100m through dense bush
4. The trail splits: go left to a steep 25m technical downhill or right for an easier descent.
5. 30m later the singletrack is interrupted briefly when it opens out onto a transmission pylon path. The narrow but well marked trail continues downhill after that.
5. About 100m thereafter the bush opens out to grassy field, below a main road (Scenic Drive) up on your left.
6. Continue through the second field (Baileys Paddock). Cross the intersection of trail (left takes you up to Scenic Drive, right takes you down a different trail)
8. Sprint through High Roller to another gap where you cross a wide firebreak heading all the way up and down the hill.
9. After the gap, the base turns to clay and is rutted in sections as you follow a well-marked trail line (Suess Land) almost on the ridge of this section of the hill. The bush is more open as tall trees spread their canopy.
10. The section finishes with a rocky, steep 30m downhill that bounces you around until you open out just next to a main road.
11. Inside the gate on your right is a tarseal road, leading to the next section of trail all the way to the bottom. It’s wide and long so you can give it your all.
12. Halfway down the road you can take another path on the left – Shaft – into the bush which ends up in the same place. At the bottom is a fenced off area - Hunter Water Waste Treatment. The trail to your left is Shaft, so take the one to your right, along the fence line.
13. The trail narrows considerably and you’re pushing through bush until it opens out into a short decline before heading into taller bush again. Look up to see the firebreak you rode across further up the hill. You can alternatively choose to ride that fire break down, but it’s called Shit Happens for a good reason apparently.
14. After all that downhill it’s time to pay back and the trail now becomes a steady uphill for a while
15. At the next intersection turn left along the rocky incline towards the coast.
15. You eventually reach the ridge line and smooth rocks and may glimpse the sea and the first view of a small beach. The pathway along the beach is the beginning of the Great North Walk, a 250Km hiking trail from Newcastle to Sydney which takes some of the trails you’ll be riding, so watch out for hikers.
17. You can turn into the bush off the path and head up Snakes and Ladders which is a steep tight singletrack. But it’s better to do that downhill at some other time and continue to the coast
18. The path opens out to spectacular views of the Ocean and you continue following the sandy gravel around the headland and inland for 2Km
16. This is flat and easy going, turning into clay above the Glenrock Lagoon. Above and to your right there are several trails which are best taken coming down – Dippers, Greek Gap, Garden Path and Lower World Cup. They come down from Gun Club road. Right now, we’re about halfway
17. The climbing starts again as you head down another pylon break and back towards the coast where you will get a better view
18. About 2Km along you turn right into the bush up Surfers Walk, a steep rocky uphill that’s usually got to be walked at some stage.
19. At the top is the start of another great singletrack decline. Log On and Little Borneo. About 3 Km of narrow, tricky, manoeuvring-through-dense-bush track, ending in an uphill. It’s seemingly endless – but punctuated where it brushes briefly with Scout Camp Road - and very satisfying. Would likely be good at night if you didn’t mind wearing armour: it’s that tight.
20. At the end you come out into Burwood Road, at the Bus Stop.
21. Turn right and head along Burwood Road until you get to a Bowling Green, opposite Paterson Close.
22. Cross the road and head down Paterson turning right into Brock Place.
23. On the other side about halfway is a concreted walkway that leads down to a bikeway. Turn right and go 3 Km this will take you back to the Pacific Highway where you turn right and head back to the car park.
24. Alternatively, continue along Burwood Road until you find the next Glenrock entrance and head into that. Keep left and you’ll eventually hit Gun Club Road but it’s mostly uphill. |
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