Glide 120km through Victoria’s High Country, from Wangaratta to Bright, at your own pace.
The first thing you notice on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is the silence. Not eerie. Just the relaxing hush that comes from swapping car engines for bike chains and deadlines for downhills. The second thing you notice is that you’re pedalling through a region that feels like it’s been curated by someone with a fondness for autumn leaves, good wine and the gentle pleasure of arriving somewhere slightly hungry.
Stretching more than 120km through Victoria’s High Country, the Rail Trail links a constellation of towns – Wangaratta, Beechworth, Rutherglen, Bright and Myrtleford – like bunting strung between old stations. It’s sealed, off-road and an absolute pleasure to navigate: you can do it in digestible bites or swallow the whole thing over a few leisurely days, depending on your legs, your appetite and your tolerance for Lycra.
Bright is the stand-out. In autumn it glows with the confidence of a town that knows it photographs well, its trees turning theatrical shades of copper and gold. From here, the riding is gloriously choose-your-own-adventure: a cruisy roll to Porepunkah, a leafy detour to Wandiligong, or a longer pilgrimage toward Beechworth with an overnight pause in Myrtleford, where the Ovens Valley spreads out in vineyards and hop farms like a well-set table.
Beechworth, meanwhile, is history with good posture. Gold-rush grand, but very relaxed about it. The newest section of trail runs downhill from here to Yackandandah, a ride so obliging it feels like the landscape is helping you along. Locals will also steer you toward the long descent to Everton, with the option of extending to Milawa – a route best attempted with an empty stomach and a loose schedule. Because this is a trail where food is not an afterthought; it’s the point. In Milawa, the rail trail sidles up to the Milawa Gourmet Region, where pedalling becomes a civilised means of transport between cheeses, mustards and cellar doors. A five-course lunch at Brown Brothers Winery is entirely achievable without anyone needing to argue over who’s driving, especially if an e-bike and a return shuttle are involved.
Rutherglen offers a different rhythm: flat, generous riding through one of Australia’s great wine regions, where Muscat and reds are poured with the confidence of people who have been doing this for a while. Loop rides dip in and out of welcoming cellar doors, while the trail to Wahgunyah unfurls like a polite invitation to linger.
Nature, of course, is the constant companion. Rivers flash silver beside the trail, poplars stand to attention in Myrtleford, and in autumn the ride from Beechworth to Bright becomes a slow-motion confetti cannon of leaves. You’ll pause often. Not from exhaustion, but because your phone’s photo storage fills faster than your water bottle empties.
Logistics, pleasingly, are a non-issue. Bikes, e-bikes, tandems, tours and shuttles appear exactly when you need them, as if summoned by the squeak of a brake. You can arrive with nothing more than curiosity and leave with sore calves, a camera roll full of colour and a quiet conviction that this is how travel should feel: unhurried, well-fed and just a little bit smug.
On the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, the journey doesn’t merely connect towns. It connects appetites – to landscape, to history, and to the simple joy of moving through a place slowly enough to notice it.
Bikes, Shuttles & Tours
The Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is easy to navigate with strong on-ground support along the route. In Beechworth, The Bike Hire Company is the go-to for bike and e-bike hire, shuttles and full logistical support. Elsewhere, Myrtleford Cycle Centre has a fleet ready for exploration, while Bright riders can choose from All Terrain Cycles, Cyclepath or Bright Electric Bikes. Rutherglen offers tandems, standard bikes and e-bikes via the Visitor Info Centre and Rutherglen E-Bike Hire. For those seeking a more indulgent experience, Tour de Vines delivers guided and self-guided gourmet cycling tours – ideal for tasting your way through the High Country with every detail taken care of.
For more information or to book your next holiday to Victoria’s High Country, visit www.victoriashighcountry.com.au
All images: Victoria’s High Country
