Your Guide to the Best Wanaka Mountain Bike and Gravel Trails

Wanaka isn't just about mind-blowing scenery. We also have a brilliant mountain bike park, plus epic single tracks and scenic gravel trail rides. But if you’re just visiting the trick is knowing where to find them – and we’re asked for directions at our bike stores in Wanaka many times every day. So here’s a guide to finding the trails and the kind of biking adventure you’re in for.As always if you have any questions we’re here to help –get in touch with us here. 

Sticky Forest is a mountain bike trail network in the heart of Wanaka, and the locals love it. The hillside terrain has trails for all levels of mountain bikers and is under 20 minutes ride from Bikes by Outside Sports. 

To get there head down from the shop to the lake and turn right towards the roundabout, where you turn left onto Lakeside Road. Go along for about 500 metres and then turn right up the hill into Beacon Point Road. Head along until youget to Hunter Crescent on your right. Follow that street for a short distance to Forest Heights. Turn left and go up until you get to Platinum Ridge on your right, where you’ll find a car park and the entrance to Sticky Forest. 

Bike Glendhu is a purpose-built mountain bike park on a working high-country sheep station (aka very large farm) and is a mecca for locals and visitors alike with trails to suit everyone from beginners to pros. The base area has an awesome cafe and shop in a idyllic spot close to Lake Wanaka.

You can either ride your bike along the lake on the Wanaka to Glendhu Bay Gravel Trail described below, or drive from Wanaka along Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Road to Glendhu Bay. 500 metres past the entrance to the Glendhu Bay camping ground you'll seen the sign for Bike Glendhu where you turn left. 

This is a beautiful out and back ride alongside Lake Wanaka that heads west to the lovely Glendhu Bay campground. It’s achievable for most riders but there are a couple of very steep sections where you might prefer to get off and push your bike for 50 – 100 metres, plus a couple of technical rocky sections with very steep, tight turns. Also look out for other bikers and walkers – especially at the many blind corners. 

You can start your ride to Glendhu Bay anywhere along the lake at Wanaka town and head to the left as you’re looking at the lake. You’ll pass the famous ‘That Wanaka Tree’ as you head out and pick up the lakeside trail a bit after that. Be extra careful for the first 2 or 3kms as this trail is very popular with walkers and runners as well as bikers.

In the opposite direction to the Glendhu Bay Trail you’ll find the Wanaka Outlet Track. This is a beautiful scenic ride that first hugs the lake and then the Upper Clutha River, ending at the road bridge at Albert Town. This two-way trail is suitable for everyone in the family – just be extremely careful of walkers and runners who’re also using the track and have right of way. It’s very, very popular and there are lots of tight, blind corners and you don’t want to ruin everyone’s day by crashing into someone. 

You can start anywhere along the lake front at Wanaka and head off to your right passing through Dinosaur Park, and the boat club to reach to trail. From there just follow the clearly marked track alongside the water all the way to the Albert Town bridge. You can either turn around there or continue across the bridge to tackle the Dublin Bay track.

This a technical mountain bike flow track that takes you on the opposite side of the Upper Clutha from the Albert Town campground to Dublin Bay. It climbs a lot higher than the Outlet Trail and you’re rewarded with stunning views of the river and surrounding area. But unfortunately, this trail is not for everyone. There are some sections with very steep tight corners making it suitable only for experienced mountain bike riders. 

The start point is in the Albert Town campground on the Hawea side of the Albert Town bridge. Head all the way through the campground to the back left corner and look for the sign indicating the trail entrance. Note the trail is one way in places so make sure to follow the signs. There is no Google map available for Dublin Bay as it's all off road on public reserve land, but the button below shows driving directions to the Albert Town camping ground from our bike store in Wanaka.

If you need to hire a bike to enjoy the trails we have the Southern Lakes best quality bikes available for half day, full day, or multiday hire – including the latest premium downhill and enduro mountain bikes from Whyte, Mondraker, and Scott, and Scott gravel bikes. You can book your bike online now. 

$2.50 from every bike hire at Outside Sports goes to support the work of trail building and maintenance organisations throughout the Southern Lakes region.