Daylesford/Hepburn Springs trails?

dunndog

dunndog

Eats Squid
Hey guys n gals, the good wife is going for a bit of spa retreat action in Hepburn springs this weekend, so I'll be out there with 4 or 5 hours to kill on Sunday. Can anyone point me in the direction of some trails around this area? Am somewhat familiar with Wombat, but that's a little distance away anyway. Anything around the immediate area that's worth a roll? Happy with anything, xc, singletrack, tech, whatever. Got a 140mm trail bike that loves anything from xc to enduuuro. Any info greatly appreciated. Hugely appreciated. Because the option is a pub. Cheers!
 
stoo

stoo

Likes Dirt
I can't help with trail suggestions but since Daylesford is just up the road I'll keep an eye on the replies!
If you do go with plan B, make it the Farmer's Arms, it's ace...
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
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Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
There is also a leg running to Creswick through the Lerderderg NP, but I believe part of that is now off limits to bikes.

If you feel like driving to Castlemaine, there's a fuck-ton of riding to be had.
 
dunndog

dunndog

Eats Squid
Thanks Knucks, looks the goods! So you reckon from Castlemaine to Hepburn springs same route as you have mapped, about 3.5-4 hrs easily? Looks to be a reasonably flatish ride on average? Is it pretty self evident whilst riding or could I get lost?
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
dunndog said:
Thanks Knucks, looks the goods! So you reckon from Castlemaine to Hepburn springs same route as you have mapped, about 3.5-4 hrs easily? Looks to be a reasonably flatish ride on average? Is it pretty self evident whilst riding or could I get lost?
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Its well sign posted, as it is an offical trail pretty hard to get lost. Castlemaine back is slightly more climbing than the way we went (we nutted this out before deciding which way to go). You should get it done in that time frame pretty easily, neither of us were at our peak performance levels, and I had a leaky bladder in my hydo pack on a warmish day so we weren't pushing. There's a nice rest spot at Vaughn Mineral Springs not far after the Castlemaine water races. The only place its hard to rejoin the ST is after Vaughn Springs heading towards Castlemaine, there is some road riding, but as you are heading the other way, just ride into the springs and cross the bridge and you'll be back on track.

Just follow these little suckers...

Dry-Diggings-014-300x225.jpg
 
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dunndog

dunndog

Eats Squid
Cheers Knuckles that is absolutely perfect. time frame is spot on, good k's. 14 and sunny isn't bad either. Awesome.
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
dunndog said:
Cheers Knuckles that is absolutely perfect. time frame is spot on, good k's. 14 and sunny isn't bad either. Awesome.
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Dry Diggings Track Entry Points

Entry points for the Dry Diggings Track are located at:

Daylesford Visitor Information Centre in Vincent Street, south of the Post Office. CLICK HERE for photo and directions.
Lake Daylesford – on the embankment adjacent to the spillway, access via Central Springs or the cark park near the ‘Boat House’.
Hepburn Springs – in the Mineral Springs Reserve south car park. CLICK HERE for photo and directions.
Vaughan Springs – at the picnic ground on the Loddon River. CLICK HERE for photo and directions.
Fryerstown – at the Burke & Wills Mechanics Institute.
Castlemaine Railway Station.

http://gdt.org.au/dry-diggings-track-entry-points/

You can buy a paper copy of the map at the Castlemaine Information Centre, however if you are under 30 years of age, you may have difficulty working out how to turn it on.
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
Starting at Castlemaine, park at Western Reserve, and ride up Wheeler Street to the start of the Water Race single track. Cuts out all the unnecessary town riding from the station.

Zoom in on the google maps link I posted to find it.
 
dunndog

dunndog

Eats Squid
nice. these were my next questions. that's awesome. Mrs can drop me at Castlemaine, then proceed to HS for dayspa shizz while I get muddy. Win win. Is this a walking track or shared use track?
 
Knuckles

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
dunndog said:
nice. these were my next questions. that's awesome. Mrs can drop me at Castlemaine, then proceed to HS for dayspa shizz while I get muddy. Win win. Is this a walking track or shared use track?
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All shared use. Doubt you'll see much in the way of walkers this time of year. We rode it in November, and didn't come across anyone til Vaughn Springs, even then it was swimmers. Plenty of wallabies though.
 
M

MelbRod

Likes Dirt
dunndog said:
nice. these were my next questions. that's awesome. Mrs can drop me at Castlemaine, then proceed to HS for dayspa shizz while I get muddy. Win win. Is this a walking track or shared use track?
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Are you planning one way or return? If one way, you may like to start in Daylesford and ride to Castlemaine, and get picked up from there. The overall elevation is a drop in this direction.

Signs are good. We saved the Google screenshots to my phone, and used those. Pretty shitty 3G along the way. The signage Daylesford to Castlemaine was good except for one sign just around the Chocolate mill, where it was ambiguous. It seemed to point straight ahead/veering right up a hill, but was actually the left fork. You could just see a building to the left at this point, and hear (occasional) road traffic.

Vaughan Springs was also a little weird, but if you were to cross the old (closed) bridge, you would turn right as you came off it.
 
dunndog

dunndog

Eats Squid
I am planning one way, and I am planning on going Castlemaine-HS. Is it really that much worse than the other way?
 
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