Belgrave Rail Trail

__NOTOC__MelbourneBikePath


DESCRIPTION=Belgrave Rail Trail in Upwey
NAME=Belgrave Rail Trail
LENGTH=19.1km
DIFFICULTY=Easy to medium
HILLS=First 5km around Upwey is steep
HAZARDS=Numerous road crossings
WATER=None
PATH=Bitumen and gravel
BUS=
TRAIN=Belgrave line
TRAM=None

The Belgrave Rail Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Belgrave railway line from Ringwood Lake to Belgrave railway station in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [ [http://maps.vicroads.vic.gov.au/website/bikes2b/viewer.htm VicRoads - Bicycle Facilities Map] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/gmaps/vicbiketrailsgmap.html?slct2=2 Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps] ] [ [http://www.bigyak.net.au/bike/bike.html#melgel Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth] ]

The trail is particularly useful as it connects to quite a few trails and is close to public transport at all points.

Following the Path

The path starts east of Eastland Shopping Centre where the path branches off the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail. It travels under the Ringwood Bypass, along Larissa Ave with a crossing at Maroondah Highway. The path then travels through Ringwood Lake with an easily missed right turn to a crossing of the Lilydale railway line.

The trail then follows the gravel access road to Bedford Road where you cross at the lights and then travel down the dead end Lena St back on to the bitumen path.

It follows the length of the railway line to Belgrave with road crossings at every road except for Forest Road. Here a high, scenic overpass crosses Forest road, just south of Fern Tree Gully station.

Connections

Travelling downhill, from south to north, the Ferny Creek Trail is encountered first, then the Blind Creek Trail, then the Dandenong Creek Trail and finally the upper Mullum Mullum Creek Trail.

The start of the Birds Land Reserve to Lysterfield Park Trail starts near the Belgrave Rail Trail. Leave the trail at Tecoma railway station and head south down McNicol Rd, arriving at the reserve 2.5 km later. Alternatively leave from Belgrave railway station and head south, down the Belgrave-Hallam Rd. Turn right (west) at Kaola St. 600 m later cross the very small reserve to Apsley Rd. Continue down Apsley Rd and turn left at McNicol Rd, cross the bridge and arrive at Birds Land reserve. 3 km all up.

North end at coord|37.810814|S|145.233744|E.South end at coord|37.909461|S|145.354609|E.

References

* "Bike rides around Melbourne" 2nd edition, 2006, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 0-9752333-2-7

External links

* [http://www.railtrails.org.au/states/trails.php3?action=trail&trail=5 Belgrave Railway Trail - description of the trail]
* [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mdahbug/paths.htm Maroondah BUG - Ringwood Lake area]