Top End gears up for Mountain Bike tourism

The new map covers trails in Charles Darwin National Park and Casuarina Coastal Reserve and is part of a $1 million investment by the NT Government.

Department of Tourism, Sport and Culture Deputy CEO, Andrew Hopper, said the new map would help spread the word about the Territory'st mountain bike offerings.

“Mountain biking is growing in popularity both as a pastime enjoyed by locals and as a reason for tourists to visit a destination," he said.

"The NT Government is investing in the sport to improve the liveability of the Territory and attract more tourists, which will create jobs.

“Research shows mountain bikers tend to be high-yield guests who often spend more when visiting a destination, which means more money entering the local economy."

The new map includes the expansion of trails at Charles Darwin National Park and Casuarina Coastal Reserve, which have recently received upgrades. It also includes trail names, descriptions of the trails, difficulty rating and helpful information.

The new map is available online here and from Tourism Top End.

A Central Australia map will be developed to cover the East and West Alice Springs trails. Further maps will be developed to cover new mountain bike and shared-use trails planned for Litchfield National Park and Nitmiluk National Park.

The maps are being produced in collaboration with Parks and Wildlife, Darwin Off-Road Cyclists (DORC), Central Australian Rough Riders (CARR) and Outback Cycling.

For more information go to www.northernterritory.com/mtb