The Queens Domain (Hobart)

The Domain XC track is a pleasant little 2.5km shared used trail, constructed by Dirt Art in 2016 with mountain bikers in mind.  It provides a great reason to head up to the Queens Domain for a quick burst with your friends when the trails call and the Meehan or Mt Wellington is too far away.  While all levels of riders will enjoy this trail, it makes for a great introductory ride with friends and family who are new to mountain biking.  You can just drive up and enjoy this short trail or you can combine it with Soldiers Walk and many other trails around the Domain for an hour or more of exploration.  

GETTING THERE

 If you just want to ride the MTB track, then your best bet is to drive up and park in the Soldiers Memorial Oval car park near the junction of Cleary's Gates Road and Upper Domain Road. 

If you don't know Hobart well, then the easiest way to get there is to head out of the CBD on Macquarie Street as though you are heading over the Tasman Bridge and then as you leave town (well before you cross the river) look out for the signs to the Cenotaph/Domain or Aquatic Centre on your left).  Turn left down here and then follow the road as it goes past the Hobart Aquatic Centre and then heads up the hill onto the Domain.  It is about 1km from where you turn off the Highway to the car park and you will pass the Domain Tennis Centre on your left and then just before you come to a junction you will see a big oval (twin ovals) on your right.  Turn right at this junction  (onto Upper Domain Road) and there are large car parks about 75 metres down the road on both your right and left where you can park. 

If you're riding your bike from town, just head down to the waterfront and follow the Hobart City Cycleway (running along the river side of Davey Street) out of town towards the Cenotaph. 

As you head out of town you will see the pedestrian and cycling overpass in front of you so just make your way to the base of that and use it to cross over the highway.  As you come off the ramp take a sharp right and cross the road onto the really obvious multi-use gravel track (Soldiers Walk) which heads off across the domain in front of you.  Be careful crossing this road as there's lots of distracted drivers pulling out of the aquatic centre here.  Follow this gravel track for 1.4kms until you come to a junction just below an oval to your left (you'll see some steps steps heading up onto the oval).  This is just before the track drops out onto the road, so if you come to the road, just backtrack 100 metres.  Turn left onto the track that runs up onto the oval (besides the steps) and then just follow the gravel track right around the oval and you will find yourself at the carpark mentioned above.

FACILITIES

There is a public toilet over in the Athletics oval building, and another one down by the Cenotaph.

ROUTE OPTIONS

The main circuit is about 2.5kms in length and can be ridden in either direction.  I personally find it easier to ride in a clockwise direction, but to be honest it's such a short track you may as well ride it both ways and make up your own mind.

The easiest way to extend this track is to ride up from the Cenotaph via Soldiers Walk, but there is a range of tracks (of various quality and legality) on the domain and so it can be a fun place to explore by just following you front wheel or check out the various options on trailforks.  I've also mentioned the Joggers Circuit (signed the infinity loop) in the options below, because although a very basic ride, it is a nice safe area to take kids.

WARNINGS

This is a multi-use trail and is used by walkers (I know not why) and families with young kids, so always expect a walker around the next corner or a young child on a bike not paying attention.

If you want to do some serious riding head to the Meehan Ranges or Mt Wellington.

ROUTE DETAILS

If you parked on the car park on the left, then the track is right in front of you and very obvious

Just jump on this track and turn left and follow the track as it gently switchbacks its way up to the top of the Domain Hill about 1km away.  Enjoy the views and then head back down around the other side.  Several times around the loop there are exits onto the road and various car parks.  Most are fairly obvious, but there is one junction at about the 2km mark, where you need to take the left fork (the right fork just takes you 20 metres onto the road above the water tank so it is no real problem).  You then go through a few more switchbacks until about 2.3km where you come to another junction.

Going right will drop you out onto the joggers loop circuit which (after another 250 metres) will take you back to the start of the circuit at the junction.

Going left at this intersection drops you down a couple more switchbacks and then out onto the joggers circuit loop a bit further along.  From here you can either just turn around and head back up the trail to do the loop in reverse, or you can continue to follow the gravel track around to the left (250m) until it drops you out onto a closed road (this is the joggers loop).  This is a fairly flat loop which goes around the hill and drops you back out at the junction again.  It's about 1.8km from where you drop onto the road to the junction this way.