The Royal Ramble: First Night Out
Sydney, Australia · Feb 13, 2024
An easy introduction to dirt riding south of Sydney, and the pick for an accessible first bikepacking overnighter for a new visitor to the area. The route threads Royal National Park, Australia's first national park, linking cheeky singletrack, the carriage-road firetrail of Lady Carrington Drive along the Hacking River, and a climb up to the campsite at Uloola Falls. At around 68 percent unpaved with train stations at both ends, it is as welcoming as Sydney gravel gets.
If you are new to gravel around Sydney, or want to test the waters with a first bikepacking overnighter, the Royal Ramble is the gentle way in. It runs through Royal National Park, Australia's first national park, less than an hour south of the city on the train. Hop off at Loftus Station and warm up with a few easy minutes of non-technical singletrack in the trees across the road, then a stretch of powerline access trail leads onto the bitumen and swoops you down the pavement curves to a pretty causeway across the Hacking River.
The heart of the ride is Lady Carrington Drive, a former carriage route now closed to cars that follows the Hacking River upstream through towering blue gum forest and bushy cabbage tree palms, called dharawal by the local Dharawal people whose country this is. It undulates gently and stays popular with walkers, kids and the occasional roadie, so a bell is worth carrying. Around 68 percent of the route is unpaved, but the surface here is friendly and the gradients forgiving, which makes it ideal for a first loaded ride. This route is one of Matthew Crompton's picks from his Sydney gravel guide.
The work comes after the forest. Roughly 4 km of strenuous, sweaty on-road climbing carries you up toward Waterfall Station before you turn back into the park onto the Uloola Falls firetrail. This stretch is the most fun of the day, fast going on decent track with just enough chunk to keep it interesting, until the trail tips sharply downhill and dead-ends above the falls. A short, steep carry down rocky ledges drops you to Uloola Falls itself, where a book-ahead campground sits among the trees, perfect for pitching a tent to the sound of parrots and trickling water.
Come on 38c tyres or wider and you will be comfortable on the firetrail, though there is enough loose and rocky going to reward something a touch cushier. A little coffee kiosk sits beside the causeway near the start for a top-up before you commit to the forest, but beyond that you should carry your own water and food, and book the campsite ahead since spots are limited. The ride starts at Loftus and finishes the next morning back at Waterfall Station, both on the line straight into Sydney Central, so by mid-morning you can be back in the city tucking into dumplings in Chinatown. It rides well year-round, which makes it an easy first night out whenever the mood strikes.
