Head to the Hills for some mountain biking fun at Aston Hills trail park in Mount Barker.
by Katrina Gogel
Aston Hills trail park opened in 2019 and is an exciting collaboration between the Mount Barker District Council, Lanser and TrailScapes. The mountain bike park was designed to respect and fit its environment and provides users with a network of mountain bike trails that are suitable for all ages and riding abilities. As well as trails, there is a pump track and skills zone on offer, and also a playground surrounded by lawn right next door.
After saying we must visit for well over a year, we finally loaded the bikes onto the back of the car and went to check it out. Here’s all the info you’ll need for a fun day out…
Aston Flow trail
There is one main mountain bike trail in the park, called the Aston Flow.
The Aston Flow starts at the top of the park, and descends the hillside in a series of switch backs, wooden bridges and berms. The trail is designed to be “sessioned” over and over again, and after spending a morning riding it with our family, we guarantee that you won’t want to stop after just one go. It’s heart-pumping fun!
The trail is signposted as being suitable for ‘skilled mountain bikers with a good standard of fitness’. We certainly aren’t skilled mountain bikers, but if you have a mountain bike and know how to use your brakes correctly- you will be fine. Our four-and-a-half-year-old wanted to give this trail a go too, and capably rode it a few times with only a minor stack on one of the wooden berms.
Tip: If you have little ones and they want to try this trail, we recommend that a parent walks/runs alongside them- especially if they are not confident with using the brakes on their bike. Also, make sure that there is no one queued up behind you before you start!
To get back to the top of the hill and ride again (and again!), there are two paths to take.
Easy Climb trail
The easy climb trail is a scenic one-way up track that gently ascends to the top. My husband, seven-year-old and I found this trail easy to ride (as the name suggests), and generally opted for this track over the other to get back to the start of the Aston Flow. Master four needed some assistance to reach the top.
Lower Path trail
The Lower Path is an outside track that runs along the perimeter of the park and also takes you back to the top. This track is rather steep and is a two-way trail, so beware of others riding down towards you if you opt to take this one back up the hill.
Skills Zone and Pump Track
Situated at the bottom of the mountain bike park is the Pump Track and Skills Zone.
The skills zone is an area of raised wooden platforms that children and adults can practice riding around on to try and perfect their balance. There is also a seesaw type apparatus which is fun to ride your bike across – teaching the skill of momentum and when to apply your brakes, to safely make it over the other side.
The pump track is right next door and is great fun for little ones to ride around on.
There is a sheltered picnic table in this bottom area of the park, which is the perfect spot for a snack break, or vantage point for parents to sit back and watch their children ride.
Tip: The skills zone and pump track are quite far away from the top of the hill and car parking area. The easiest way to access both is to ride the Aston Flow trail, or walk down the two-way Lower Path.
Playground
There’s also a playground at Aston Hills, and no doubt the kids will want to spend some time playing here either before or after your mountain bike outing.
The play space is modern and bark-chipped underfoot, and consists of two slides, two rockers, a large climbing net and a swing set. It is surrounded by a lovely, open lawn area.
A large shelter with picnic table overlooks the playground with lovely rural views towards the Mount Barker Summit.
We had such a fun family morning at the Aston Hills trail park, and it’s fair to say that the adults enjoyed riding here just as much as the kids did! Definitely add this to your list of places to visit.
Facilities:
- There is no public toilet, which is a real shame. We recommend making a pit stop on your way here to empty bladders.
- Car parking is available along Seymour Drive in the Aston Hills housing estate.
- There are two sheltered picnic tables and a bin is located near the playground.
Things to consider:
- Little ones will need adult supervision at all times as the park is quite large, and only partially fenced.
- Be sure to bring a backpack with drinks/snacks and carry it with you, as the walk back to the car is quite far from the bottom of the mountain bike park.
- Pack jumpers/jackets! It can get rather cold here.
Location:
19 Seymour Drive, Mount Barker (in the Adelaide Hills, approx. 30 minutes from Adelaide).
Click here for all the Best Playgrounds for Toddlers
See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide here.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Aston Hills website here
What: Mountain bike park
When: Daylight hours
Where: Aston Hills estate in Mt Barker
Who: Bike riding fans
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: All photos by Katrina Gogel
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