The Parks website is not very helpful when it comes to detailing mountain bike trails, but when you get to the park entrance, (where you will be asked for $9 for the day) you will get a leaflet on the park, and it shows the tracks and trails. I could only find two for MTBs, Mt McLeod, and Rocky Creek Track and both start from the reservoir car park. If you ask at the gate of stop at the Park Office, you can pick up another leaflet, called "Remote Camping, Mt McLeod" and this has a map with contour lines showing both tracks.

Today I rode the Mt McLeod track, 16km return, which took 2 1/2 hours, including the walk to the top. Most of the track follows the contours, but early on there is a steep downhill as you decend to the saddle at the head of Buffalo Creek, and then a steep climb up onto the North Buffalo Plateau. After that it's relatively level, until you climb up the last 2km to a high meadow beneath the rocky summit of Mt McLeod. I had to dismount on many occasions when the going got really steep, with one involuntary dismount on the way down in a rocky section.

The surface is varied, from very loose gravel (on a dry day) to leaf litter, small branches and rock. Mostly it's loose and I had some trouble getting traction with worn tyres! It's a shady and sheltered route, in the forest all the time, so suitable in most summer weather. I passed a couple of walkers, so it's not completely deserted.

The ride was fun, quite technical in places, very hard work for only 16kms, with a nice variety of up an down in both directions, so it's not just an uphill slog on the way in. Highly recomended, as was a swim in Lake Catani (a little further down the main road)to cool off before the drive home.

Customer Service

Drive into Mt Buffalo National Park, and follow the road until you pass the Parks office on your right. Shortly after that there is an unsealed road on your right to "The Reservoir" You can either park your car at the junction, or drive the 3km to the reservoir where there is a car park. Just before the car park, there is a 4WD track marked on the right signposted "Mt McLeod track" Follow the track for 8km, it's clearly marked all the way. At the end, in a beautiful meadow, is the Mt McLeod camp area, and from there you can walk the last 750m to the summit. Return by the same route you came, but enjoy the downhill!