Gravel riding
Gravel riding opens up a side of Noosa most visitors never see. Leave the coast behind and the landscape changes within twenty minutes: quiet roads, rolling hills, forest edges and small hinterland towns joined together by an enormous network of gravel routes.
What Gravel Riding in Noosa Actually Feels Like
It sits between the easy coastal paths and mountain biking. Not technical, but it asks for more confidence and more endurance than a sealed bike path.
Expect long stretches of quiet gravel road, rolling terrain with steady climbs, ridgeline sections with the views to match, and fast flowing descents. If you want to go further and see more than the coastal strip, this is how you do it.
Who It Suits
- Riders comfortable on a bike for a few hours
- Anyone who has outgrown flat coastal paths
- People who want to get past the tourist areas
You do not need to be an expert. You do need to be ready for the next step up.
Through the Hinterland
This is where Noosa opens out. Routes link historic towns like Pomona, Cooran and Kin Kin, connecting countryside, forest edge and quiet backroad into lines that feel like they were always meant to be ridden.
Navigation Without the Guesswork
Every self-guided ride comes with downloadable GPS route maps. Load them onto your own GPS unit, or use the Ride with GPS app on your phone for spoken turn by turn directions, so there’s no standing at an unsigned junction wondering which way. No way to mount one securely? Quad Lock mounts are $5 per booking if your phone has a compatible case, or hire one of our phones with a Quad Lock mount for $40. Follow the line and ride at your own pace.
Rides That Actually Go Somewhere
The best thing about gravel here is how it all connects:
- A half-day loop
- A point-to-point from the hinterland back to Noosa
- A full-day adventure
- Several routes linked into a multi-day journey
Pick a Route
New to gravel? Start with the top 3 gravel rides under 50km. After a solid day out? See the top 3 under 100km. Ready for something epic? Try the iconic point-to-point rides over 100km. Prefer dirt to gravel? Read about the Noosa Trail Network by mountain bike.
Overnight Gravel and MTB Journeys
The Noosa Biosphere Trails overnight experiences take the same idea further. Instead of one ride, they link several routes across the hinterland into a continuous journey: ride through the Biosphere by day, stay somewhere good, carry on the next morning. More ground covered, more of the region seen, and a far more immersive way to travel than any single day out.
One-way shuttle with By Earth and Ocean
Skip the Suburbs: Get Shuttled Straight to the Hinterland
You could ride out of Noosa to reach the trails, but a good part of your day would go on suburban streets getting there and back. Our sister company, By Earth and Ocean, runs one-way shuttles instead. They drive you and your bike straight into the middle of the hinterland, so almost all of your time on the bike is spent in forest, farmland and country towns. Every ride finishes back at our Noosaville shop.
Start in the best of it
The shuttle drops you deep in the hinterland, so the kilometres you ride are the scenic ones, pointed back toward the coast.
One car, no retrieval run
Doing these routes yourself means juggling two vehicles and an extra hour at the end of the day fetching the second one. Park once, for free, at our shop, and when the ride is done, just relax.
Leaves at 9am
We load you, your bike and your gear and drive you out to the start. Hiring a bike from us? It’s ready at the shop when you arrive.
GPS maps included
Downloadable GPS route maps come with the shuttle. Load them on your own GPS unit, or use the Ride with GPS app on your phone for spoken turn by turn directions.
Phone mounts
Mountain bike routes need a securely fixed device, such as a bike computer or a phone on a Quad Lock mount. On gravel we can lend you a free universal phone holder, but some routes get rough, so we recommend a more secure mount. Quad Lock mounts are $5 per booking if your phone has a compatible case. No secure setup? Hire one of our phones with a Quad Lock mount for $40 (most groups only need one).
Finish with a drink
Ride back into our shop, where your car is waiting. Grab a 2-for-1 drinks voucher and head to Land & Sea Brewery for a locally brewed beer, a locally distilled gin or vodka and a burger. Trading hours vary, so check before you ride.
Where Bike On Ends and By Earth and Ocean Begins
Gravel and hinterland mountain bike adventures start with a transfer out to the start and need route files, GPS and luggage logistics behind them, so they are run by By Earth and Ocean, our sister company within the Element Outdoors Group. Same people, bigger day out.
Bike On covers everything closer to town: bike and e-bike hire delivered to you, the easy coastal and river rides, and mountain bike coaching. Not sure which side of the line your plan sits on? Ask us and we will point you the right way.
FAQs
Common Questions
Multi-day gravel and mountain bike journeys that link different parts of the Noosa hinterland, with the riding and the route planned for you and your luggage moved between the stays you book. They are run by our sister company By Earth and Ocean.
No, but a moderate level of fitness and some confidence on a bike make it far more enjoyable. Routes can be adjusted to suit different abilities, and drop-off and pick-up are available, including getting your luggage to your accommodation so you can ride light.
The shuttle out to the start, downloadable GPS route maps, and bike hire if you need it. The only thing left to think about is the riding.
Downloadable GPS route maps come with every self-guided ride. Load them onto your own GPS unit, or use them on your phone in the Ride with GPS app, which gives spoken turn by turn directions.
Mountain bike routes need a securely fixed device, such as a bike computer or a phone on a Quad Lock mount. Our universal phone holders are not suitable off-road. On gravel we can lend you a free universal phone holder, but some routes get rough, so please use your discretion and use a securely fixed device if you can.
Quad Lock mounts are $5 per booking if your phone has a compatible case. Otherwise, you can hire one of our phones with a Quad Lock mount for $40 per phone (most groups only need one).