Out near Cotter Dam was an idea that came to my mind... and then it seemed I wasn't the first to come up with it :whistle:
Good parking and facilities, an established camp site. I imagine a long trail out towards Tidbinbilla.
Would be good to get some traction on this, and I'd be happy to contribute.
Now wouldn't that be grand...
As much as we dislike the scale and pace of the clear fall harvest in East Kowen, Sparrow (and soon Majura), it has helped us realise that we rely too much on plantation areas for our trails and that in doing so we will face the disruption of harvest cycles again and again into the future. This reliance is something we need to change if we are to grow the total trail network in the ACT region, insulate ourselves against trail loss moving forward and seek to become a market leading destination for MTB tourism. We need to have more trail in native areas, at the urban fringe, through suburban green belts and in nature reserves. This way the bulk of the trail network is sustainable and any trail lost to plantation harvest has less overall impact (and can be better managed).
The whole process has had us staring at maps anew and chatting with our fellow trail builders. We have looked at a number of areas and have identified some promising locations, but the absolute stand out for the long term is Cotter/Brindabella. We've done a great deal of riding out in the Brindabellas over the years (on dirt and tar) and have ridden through the Cotter about a million times. It got us to thinking... why not Cotter? The more we think about it, the more we like it. It was a special place growing up as a kid (family bbqs, camping trips with friends and even a few Scout camps). Cotter is a great recreation destination, it has excellent infrastructure and would make a fabulous trail head/gathering point for mountain biking. And the riding opportunities in surrounding ranges are exciting, almost limitless. There is world class recreation potential here.
Cotter/Brindabella, has outstanding potential (on and off-road) and proposing this location is more about positioning Canberra as a top tier destination for mtb tourism. This would be a slow burn outcome, but if ACT Government has aspirations of turning the Canberra region into a must-visit destination for mountain biking (on a domestic and international scale) — a key aim of the Cycling Strategy — then I think Cotter and Brindabella would have to be at the heart of the offer.
It would serve as a central drawcard to pull visitors to the region with other ride locations Majura. Bruce, Stromlo, etc rounding out to create a compelling offer. So many places to ride… Canberra appeals a 365 days-a-year destination and has the potential to draw tourism for mtb throughout the year (unlike resort towns like Whistler, Squamish, Queenstown, Thredbo and Buller etc). This is its strength… but of course a brew pub/cafe at the Cotter would have to be a given
HERE is a concept I threw out there a while back.