After starting the day riding the MTB trails at Glenrock I headed north to Nambucca Heads in search of Jack’s Ridge. NSW riders are spoiled for choice with great destinations dotted along the coast but there seemed to be a unique online vibe surrounding the trails at Jacks Ridge. Stopping over at Nambucca Heads also fitted in perfectly with my travel plans so it was a done deal.

Arriving at Nambucca Heads late in the day I was a little concerned about being able to find the trails before dark.  Turning off the Old Coast Road onto Jack’s Ridge Road though it wasn’t before I came across the trail head, made obvious by ‘No Motorcycles’ signage and a few local guys unloading MTB gear from their car. Sweet!  The guys were keen to put in some laps and it was going to take me a while to get sorted, so with a few pointers they headed off leaving me to enjoy my first look at the trails solo.

First impressions? The trails at Jack Ridge remind you of why you love mountain biking. Pure FUN. You feel like a kid again, hollering as you hurtle along rollercoaster single track set in lush forest at ~55km/h, endlessly flowing in and out of trees, around berms, over structures. Corner after corner, it just works. At the end of the first lap I wanted to ride it again ASAP.

While there are plenty of goodies like small jumps, log rides and even a seesaw these are trails pretty much all riders can enjoy. Ride it as fast or slow as you want, and no worries about finding your way around the loop – it’s all very well marked.

It turns out one of the local guys was the main trail builder. We headed back out to ride the trails at dusk and chat along the way. Three years in and the local MTB community have a 10km loop with plans for more. 10km isn’t much you say, but it’s 10km that flows beautifully from start to finish. The trails at Jack’s Ridge also remind that huge amounts of vert and distance isn’t everything when it comes to fast trails that flow. Huge props to all involved!

I returned early the following morning for one more Jack’s Ridge sugar fix before continuing north to Mt Joyce in Queensland.

Check out the MTB trails at Nambucca Heads if you get a chance – they’ll leave ya smiling!