Capital City Trail (Melbourne)
The Capital City Trail is a 29km shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which circles the Melbourne city centre and includes some inner eastern and northern suburbs. The trail is almost completely smooth, pavement and is a great way of seeing Melbourne, either by cycle or walking.
It is 29km in length, and mostly consists of sections of other trails, such as the Merri Creek Trail, Main Yarra Trail, Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and Inner Circle Rail Trail.
Capital City Trail by Map My Ride
A popular starting point for the trail is at Princes Bridge near Flinders Street Station. The rider can head off in an easterly or westerly direction. If heading off in the westerly direction, either side of the river can be used, but the south side tends to be more popular.
The trail loops around the city. It follows the Yarra River to Yarra Bend Park on the Yarra River Trail and meets Merri Creek at Dights Falls. It follows the Merri Creek Trail up the Merri Creek to Rushall Station, where it follows the former Inner Circle rail reserve and Royal Park. It then meets the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, which continues back to Docklands and Southbank. At its farthest, the trail is 5 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne.
Some Tips for the Trail -
- Signage can be a big problem on the trail, especially at the city end.
- A number of people have recommended the following route because the signage is less confusing. Start at the boat sheds area near Swanston Street Bridge and start by riding away from the CBD on the South side of the Yarra. Cross the Yarra to the North side at the McRobertson Bridge.
- The South Bank section in the CBD is very crowded on weekends with pedestrians. Either go very slowly or wheel your bike in this section during the busy times.
- The trail gets very crowded and you will avoid the crowds by going earlier in the day.
- Bikes can be rented at various places including Federation Square
- There are some water fountains along the way but definitely bring a water bottle.
- There are very few public toilets along the way.
- It is mostly flat but there are a few challenging hills
- There are some staircases you need to carry or wheel your bike down
Web Links
→ Capital City Trail (Map My Ride)
