Bayview Conservation Area

Bayview Conservation Area is an outdoor recreation reserve located between the suburbs of Redland Bay and Mount Cotton. At almost 1000 hectares, it has a diverse range of vegetation communities including open forest, Melaleuca wetlands, riparian areas and attractive stands of grass trees and candlestick banksias. Due to this diversity, the reserve also provides a home to iconic Redland fauna including powerful owls, koalas, goannas, glossy black-cockatoos and wallabies.

Visit the park to enjoy:

around 60 km of bushwalking and mountain bike trails
horse riding tracks
events for MTB riders, trail runners, bike orienteers and nature lovers.

A recent $1.3 million upgrade has transformed a vacant grassed area in the reserve into a family-friendly outdoor recreational destination for residents and visitors. The works also included extending the trail network and improved track signage. Visitors to the area can now enjoy a large covered barbecue area, signage, picnic tables and seating, a bike wash-down area, horse and bike stations, toilets, and access to power and water.

Getting there

Enter the Bayview Conservation Area at the following locations:

Main entry and day use area, 487-503 German Church Road - This is the entry point to access the main day use area and facilities including showers, BBQ's, picnic tables and toilets.
Days Road entry - Park at the end of Days Road along the north-east corner of the park. Make sure you leave room for trucks to enter and exit private property.
German Church Road and Sugargum Avenue - Enter through a number of small entrance gates along the south-west edge of the reserve.
Native Dog Road - Follow the Native Dog Road corridor for direct access to the Mudlark trail, Shark Tail trail and Maze trails.This entry point offers limited parking.
Kidd St- Enter through the wooden horse stile or the steel stepover at the end of Kidd St.

If you park inside the conservation area, make sure you exit the park by closing time. The reserve is open 4am-10pm daily. The main German Church Road entry/day use gate to the internal parking area and day use area facilities is open from 6am-dusk. Please ensure your vehicles are outside the gate before dusk.

Find your way around

The map of Bayview Conservation Area [PDF, 442KB] is your guide to the network of unsealed fire trails and single trails in the reserve.

Alternatively, for detail on specific trails, trail information, reviews, trail reports, elevation, videos and photos and ‘current location’ function, visit Trailforks online or download the mobile app.

Shared mountain biking and walking trails (horses not permitted)

Trails in the Bayview Conservation Area are graded as easy or more difficult to help you know what to expect along the way. All tracks are suitable for MTB riders and walkers. Always follow trail etiquette when using the park.

These are wide tracks with slight gradients, firm, stable surfaces and a few small obstacles and bridges. Easy shared mountain biking and walking trails are marked in a solid green line on the map. Tracks of this level include:

Birdcage

Birdcage is one of the easiest trails in the reserve and great for young children on wheels. The 2km trail has a smooth, loamy surface with little rise or fall. Watch for one log pile along the trail. The trail is named after the large wire cage near the northern end of the trail. Ride Birdcage, The Maze and You’re Kidding together for an easy 7.2km long ride.

Calendar Boys

Calendar Boys winds through the low foothills and is an easy trail with a loamy surface. Along the trail, you'll find gentle rises and falls, a few technical features and two log roll-overs.

Chicken Run

Chicken Run is a popular single-track that begins near the Days Road entrance, opposite the shelter. The 1km trail has an easy gradient suitable for all ages and abilities and only has two log rollovers to negotiate. The low-lying eastern end crosses a short bridge and then climbs gently up toward open eucalypt forest. For a short, pleasant loop, follow Puck Road to return to the Days Road entrance.

Flutter

Flutter is a short, mostly easy linking trail with occasional rough surfaces and narrow pinches.

Koolyaknobbies

Koolyaknobbies is an easy trail that winds around Needlebark and Scribbly Gum trees before joining up with The Maze trail.

Kids Loop

Kids Loop is a short easy loop next to the day use area. It's very suitable for young or beginner riders.

Link Track

Link Track is a 40m ridgetop trail that links the Wolf Peach and Sorceress trails, creating a short loop.

The Maze

The Maze is a narrow, sandy, one-way trail, ridden down-slope from north to south. Running almost entirely through Casuarina forest, the 2m wide trail looks like a tunnel carved through tall, thick Casuarina trees. Watch for sand erosion ruts and holes on descending sections, which can lead to boggy ground at the trail's lowest point.

Sock Puppet East

Sock Puppet East is a low gradient trail with long sections of gentle climbs and descents. The trail includes a technical challenge about 400m from the southern end where it passes a difficult rock garden and rock drop. An attractive group of Grass Trees is located at the southern entry point.

Sock Puppet West

Sock Puppet West offers several technical challenges along an easy, flowing trail. Check your handlebar width between two tight trees, negotiate tricky tree roots and log rollovers and ride across a narrow log bridge. Along this attractive trail, you'll pass a forest of large Scribbly Gums, before passing through Casuarina trees and stands of Paperbarks in the low wetlands. The trail connects with Sock Puppet East to create a 3.6km combined trail.

Wolf Peach

Wolf Peach is a one-way, easy, flowing trail. The trail gently climbs to its highest point, before it descends with switchbacks. It then flows along the valley floor to connect with Puck Road.

You’re Kidding

You’re Kidding is 3.2km long and is the most attractive trail in Bayview Conservation Area. The trail winds through thick Casuarina forests and crosses low-lying wetlands, opening out to a huge sunlit area of lush green Grass Trees. The narrow, sandy trail weaves between the Grass Trees, and has some fallen logs and a rock garden to add interest. Look for an unusual feature where two large fallen trees are joined by a ramp.

More Difficult tracks are more challenging than other tracks in the park. These tracks narrow in places and may have variable terrain and gradients, uneven surfaces, and natural or purpose-built technical trail features and obstacles. Difficult tracks are marked in blue on the map. Tracks of this level include:

Benson and Binkley

Benson and Binkley is an interesting, contoured trail that 'surfs' up and down the side slope (steeply at times) for 1.5km. This more difficult trail is very narrow with embedded rocks, many log rollovers and a short bridge to negotiate. The trail is set largely among Dry Eucalypt forest, with some Casuarina trees and ferns also present.

Blow

Blow has a gentle gradient with easy climbing turns and technical features, such as low logs and small tree roots. Blow can be used to connect to Flutter, Doom Hippy and Calendar Boys, or as a link to You’re Kidding.

Doom Hippy

Doom Hippy is best ridden from north to south, as it has several sweeping berms that are challenging to ride or walk up. The trail mostly follows the contour of the park. It's very narrow in places, with occasionally exposed roots, making it a lot of fun. For a circuit of 2.5km, combine Doom Hippy, Calendar Boys, Blow and Flutter - these trails are similar in style and good for trail running, bushwalking and mountain biking.

Grass Trees

Grass Trees is a short but challenging link to Benson and Binkley. The climbing trail leads to a magnificent stand of Grass Trees at the western end that includes steep, tight-radius turns that can be ridden only by the strongest legs. Many mountain bikers will walk this section; however, the lower half is very enjoyable.

Grass Tree Link

The Grass Tree Link is a challenging, narrow trail that you can use as an alternative to the steep, gravel fire road. The trail uses contours to gain elevation and can take the sting off an otherwise steep fire road climb.

IO

IO is a short, eroded trail that crosses a ferny gully before rising up meet a fire trail. The dense ferns hide the trail in some sections and make it challenging to see the handlebars of a bike. The entrance at one end of IO is eroded so take care when riding.

Shark Tail

Shark Tail is a one-way trail ridden from south to north that is often used as a return trail for riders coming off The Maze. Both ends of Shark Tail are easy to ride, but you'll find many challenges toward the middle, where the sandy soil has eroded to form deep ruts and holes. Exposed roots also cross the trail, creating step-ups and drops, especially along the sections that descend towards a creek crossing, where a dense sea of ferns are a highlight of the trail. This challenging trail is ideal for more advanced riders. Walkers should watch for mountain bike riders in places where the trail is very narrow. The link between Shark Tail and The Maze is an old trail, originally ridden west to east to form a circuit. Watch out for erosion ruts and exposed roots on descending sections.

Sorceress

Sorceress is a one-way trail, ridden from the hill at the top of Vegie-mite toward the Main Day-use Area entrance. This more advanced trail rises and falls, and 'surfs' the terrain with climbing turns and descending berms.

Vegie-mite

Vegie-mite has more difficult terrain to negotiate. The climbs and descents are steep in places and the surface often has many loose rocks. Mountain bikers seeking a challenge will enjoy climbing to the trail's highest point in the west. Views from the hilltop look out toward Surfers Paradise in the south and Moreton Bay in the east. Descending is easier and offers more downhill sections. Halfway, Vegie-mite intersects with the Flutter trail, providing a link to Doom Hippy.

Shared walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails (fire roads)

These trails are great for horse riders and are also popular with MTB riders and walkers. Shared walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails (fire roads) are shown as dashed lines on the trail map (green or blue dash depending on difficulty). They are generally graded as easy, although gradients in some sections may not be suitable for all horses or bike riders. Where this is the case, this is shown as a dashed blue line on the trail map.

Shared walking, mountain biking and horse riding (fire road) trails include:

Filling Rattler: Filling Rattler is a narrow fire road that is eroded and 'rooty' in places. This can be a fun challenge for mountain bike riders and walkers. Horse riders may need to be cautious when riding here.
Days Road Main Trail, Snake Road, Mudlark and Black She-oak: The fire roads between Days Road and Teviot Road are very popular with horse riders. Named Days Road Main Trail, Mudlark and Black She-oak, these well-maintained trails are wide enough for two or three horses to be ridden abreast. With no steep sections, this route also offers easy mountain biking and walking. Of note is the dense forest of tall Black She-oaks along Mudlark and the beautiful riparian vegetation where the trail crosses Serpentine Creek.
Mudlark: Mudlark steeply descends to cross Serpentine Creek then continues along gently undulating terrain passing Grass Trees and Wallum Heath to eventually reach Native Dog Road. This well-maintained, wide trail is very attractive for walking, cycling and horse riding.
Native Dog Road: Native Dog Road is virtually a flat, wide gravel road. However, the freshwater lagoon towards the south-east end has remarkable Swamp Paperbarks fringed with wetland reeds. A beautiful sight, well worth seeing.
Days Road Main Trail: Snake Road has three hills to the north-west, two of which are very steep which make this route tough for mountain bikers, walkers and horse riders. The southern section, running east to west, has a gentler gradient.
Straddie Pipe Pump: Straddie Pipe Pump is an undulating, wide trail which provides a moderately easy route to Kidd Street. Be aware there is a very steep climb at the western end and a boggy area near Kidd Street.
Puck Road: Puck Road is a very pleasant fire road, but leads to a steep climb and descent on the north-west end of Snake Road. The best route is to turn onto Vegie-mite and Sorceress, making an out-and-back ride or walk between Days Road and the Main Day-use Area and Trailhead.
Crinkle Bush: Crinkle Bush is a multiuse fire management trail that meanders its way along Serpentine Creek. Crinklebush now connects Native Dog track with Mudlark trail creating an extra 3km loop suitable for walking, cycling and horseriding.
Stone Hut Multiuse trail: This is a dead-end trail linking the Crinklebush trail to the back of the stone hut. It allows trail users to access this piece of Redland's History, read the interpretive signage and walk around the ruins. Horses can be tied up at the rails close to the hut.
Kidds Corner: The trail starts at Kidd Street at the eastern boundary gate and horse stile and goes through to the mudlark trail This is a quite serene trail with great vistas across farmland to the east.

Facilities and amenities

You can find the following facilities at the Days Road entrance and at the southern end of The Maze and Sharks Tail trails:

bike racks
horse hitching rail (on bike rack)
water tank and horse trough
two shelters with maps
seat.

The German Church Road main day use area has a large covered barbecue area, signage, picnic tables and seating, a bike wash-down area, outdoor shower, horse and bike stations, toilets, and access to power and water.

Events and rides

Riding groups

Contact the following MTB club about group rides in the Bayview Conservation Area.

RATS Cycling Club: The RATS Cycling Club hosts group social rides every Saturday at various venues, including the Bayview Conservation Area. Find out more about RATS Cycling Club club rides on the RATS website or the Rats Cycling Club Facebook page.

Events

Bayview Blast: The National Series Bayview Blast MTB race event offers something for all ages and abilities - whether you're a competitive or recreational MTB rider or riding your first bike.
Brisbane Trail Running Series: The Brisbane Trail Running Series hosts a race at Bayview Conservation Area as part its multiple race series. The series forms part of the larger South East Queensland Trail Running Series.

Host an event

To host a nature or recreation-based event in the Bayview Conservation Area, email our customer service or call 3829 8999.

Events must be compatible with our guidelines for using parks and conservation areas.