When Australian MTB Parks Open in 2026: Lift Dates, Seasons and Closures
The lift at Thredbo starts spinning again on 21 November 2026 — the confirmed opening date for the 2026/27 MTB season, with a brand-new jumps trail on day one. The other major MTB park opening dates in Australia for 2026 cluster through mid-to-late November, with Maydena returning from its winter break on 3 October. Here's where every significant park sits on the calendar, what's new when they open, and when to buy your pass before the good dates sell out.
Quick picks
- First to reopen (2026): Maydena Bike Park (TAS) — closed since June 28, reopens 3 October 2026
- Confirmed open date for 2026/27: Thredbo MTB Park — 21 November 2026, new jumps trail on day one
- Expected late November: Falls Creek (VIC) — Blue Dirt shuttle, 600 m vertical
- Expected late November: Mt Buller (VIC) — Northside Express chairlift, 3 hr from Melbourne
- Year-round, shuttle-accessed: Warburton Bike Park (VIC) — 650 m, 1.5 hr from Melbourne
- Year-round, no closure: Omeo MTB Park (VIC), Blue Derby (TAS) — riding now
- Free entry, all year: Mt Baw Baw opens ~late November; Blue Derby open 365 days
What are the 2026 mtb park opening dates across Australia?
| Park | State | Season | Uplift | Day pass | Key 2026 note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thredbo MTB Park | NSW | 21 Nov 2026 – 26 Apr 2027 | 3 chairlifts + gondola | See operator | New 50-jump trail on opening day; DH race line early 2027 |
| Mt Buller | VIC | ~Late Nov 2026 – Apr 2027 | Chairlift + Gravity Shuttle | $82 advance | 2025/26 ran to mid-April; 2026/27 dates TBC |
| Falls Creek | VIC | ~Late Nov 2026 – late Apr 2027 | Blue Dirt shuttle | Package pricing | 2025/26 closed April 29 |
| Mt Baw Baw | VIC | ~Late Nov 2026 – Apr 2027 | Event weekends only | Free entry | DH1 open green season; self-shuttle otherwise |
| Maydena Bike Park | TAS | 3 Oct 2026 – Jun 2027 | Summit bus + lower uplift | $95 uplift + 5 pass | Closed Jun 28, 2026; reopens Oct 3 |
| Warburton Bike Park | VIC | Year-round | Shuttle (daily school hols, wknds) | TBC | Shuttle launched Apr 4, 2026; more trails Sep 2026 |
| Omeo MTB Park | VIC | Year-round | Blue Dirt / GDC | ~$30 | Full 114 km open since Dec 2025 |
| Blue Derby | TAS | Year-round | Commercial shuttles (extra) | Free trails | Blue Tier shuttle-accessed; best Oct–May |
Which parks close for ski season — and when do they reopen?
Four parks sit inside alpine resort boundaries where ski operations take over in winter. When the snow arrives the trail crews knock off, the lifts switch configuration, and MTB access ends until spring.
When does Thredbo MTB Park open for 2026/27?
21 November 2026. Thredbo has confirmed the Mountain Bike Park Opening Weekend as 21–22 November, with the 2026/27 season running through to 26 April 2027.
One new trail opens on day one: an intermediate jumps trail with close to 50 jumps, running from the Cruiser area down to the Merritts Gondola mid-station — the longest dedicated jumps line Thredbo has built. A second new trail, a world-level double-black downhill race line dropping from beneath Merritts Gondola to Friday Flat, is scheduled for early 2027 rather than the opening weekend. Built with Elevation Parks, it carries race-only lines for elite competition.
The rest of the park carries over: the Kosciuszko, Gunbarrel and Cruiser chairlifts plus the Merritts Gondola, 600 m of Snowy Mountains vertical, and Cannonball Run as the flagship descent. Thredbo has not yet published 2026/27 gravity day-pass pricing — check thredbo.com.au or call 1300 020 589 closer to the season.
Thredbo is 6 hr from Sydney and 2.5 hr from Canberra. Budget a minimum of two days; multiple lift zones with a new jumps trail on day one is worth the drive.
When does Mt Buller open for 2026/27?
No confirmed date at time of writing, but the 2025/26 season pattern points to late November or early December 2026. In 2025/26 the Northside Express ran daily 10am–4pm from Dec 27–Jan 11 over the school holiday peak, then every weekend and public holiday through to Easter.
The uplift infrastructure is now locked in, so 2026/27 should follow the same structure. Day Gravity Uplift Pass: $82 adult advance, $66 child. A two-day pass runs
Three hours from Melbourne, it's the most accessible lift-access alpine park on the Victorian mainland. Check mtbuller.com.au from October for the 2026/27 schedule.
When does Falls Creek open for 2026/27?
Falls Creek runs no chairlift in summer — all uplift is via Blue Dirt shuttle from Howman's Gap and the village to the summit. The 2025/26 season closed April 29, and Blue Dirt now says the bike park and shuttles are back late November 2026.
The headline at Falls Creek is three flow trails: Skyline, Downtown, Heavy Metal. They're graded blue but ride fast — proper banked corners, long rhythm sections, very little of the loose surface that still turns up on older alpine trails. They are the park's most repeatable laps and its best-finished build. The mountain is 4.5 hr from Melbourne, 1 hr 15 min from Bright. Advance booking is essential for school holiday windows. Blue Dirt packages cover single runs, half-day, and full-day options.
For the full head-to-head, the Mt Buller vs Falls Creek guide covers both parks in detail.
Mt Baw Baw: Melbourne's closest alpine riding, no pass required
Free entry, 2.5 hr from the CBD, and DH1 — a double-black run that's been collecting experienced riders (and the occasional overconfident one) since the resort started opening for bikes. Green season runs end of November through to late April.
The trade-off: no commercial uplift on regular days. DH1 riders self-shuttle most weekends. The resort runs shuttles only on select event weekends, and most food and beverage closes in the green season. Full-face required on DH1; body armour is wise. For anyone who doesn't mind packing a sandwich and sorting their own shuttle car, the price of admission and the quality of DH1 makes Baw Baw one of the better-value days in Victorian gravity riding.
Which Australian MTB parks are open year-round?
Several significant parks run twelve months, though some take a planned winter break or scale back to a reduced schedule outside peak periods.
Maydena: closed June 28, reopens 3 October
Maydena isn't year-round — it takes a winter break. But at 820 m of vertical and 85+ trails, it sits in a category of its own regardless. The 2025/26 season closed 28 June 2026, and Maydena has published its 2026/27 Opening Weekend as 3 October 2026.
Off-peak, the park runs Fri–Sun; it expands to 5–7 days during Easter and Christmas school holidays. The summit uplift bus runs 9:30am–4pm in spring and summer (9am–3:30pm in autumn). From 3 October 2026 the Mountain Pass is unbundled from uplift, so a day costs $95 Summit Uplift plus a separate
Maydena is 1 hr 15 min from Hobart. For the Maydena vs Derby breakdown, the Top 5 MTB Parks in Tasmania guide covers the whole island.
Warburton: shuttle launched, network growing
Warburton Bike Park added shuttle uplift on 4 April 2026, and at 1.5 hr from Melbourne it's now the closest shuttle-accessed gravity park to the city — well inside Buller's three-hour drive.
Over 80 km of trails are currently open across the park, with 650 m of vertical from Mt Tugwell accessible via daily shuttles during school holidays and weekend runs outside peak periods. Pick-up at Warburton township and Wesburn Park Trailhead. A second trail release is scheduled for September 2026, adding more technical content; the full 125 km Southern Network completes in 2027.
The park is still a work in progress — riders expecting Falls Creek's polish or Buller's lift infrastructure will find it rawer than either. But 80+ km of purpose-built terrain at that proximity is a strong case for a Melbourne day trip, and the September 2026 drop will be worth watching.
Omeo: 114 km, year-round, opened December 2025
Opened on 5 December 2025, fully open, running every day. At 700 m elevation, Omeo sits below the snow line — Dinner Plain skiers can lap the alpine trails in the morning and ride Omeo's singletrack the same afternoon.
Blue Dirt and Gravity Dirt Co. both shuttle to the Sam Hill summit — about $30 for a single uplift, with Blue Dirt picking up at 174 Day Avenue in Omeo. Blue Dirt runs Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 10am–4pm, with a Friday service from midday to 5pm; book ahead for school holiday weekends. Flomeo is 5.5 km of blue freeride flow with jumps the whole way down; Bangarang is 800 m of double-black descent. Krank Dog, at 9.68 km, is the intermediate climb that meanders back up to the summit if you'd rather earn your laps than buy them.
Omeo is 5 hr from Melbourne via Bairnsdale, or 1.5 hr from Bright on the Great Alpine Road — the logical add-on to a High Country road trip.
Blue Derby: open year-round, no entry fee
The Derby network is open 365 days a year, no booking needed, no pass required. That hasn't changed since the network opened in 2015.
The best window is October–May — autumn and spring particularly, when the myrtle beech canopy hits its peak colour and the loam firms up after summer. Winter is cold and sometimes wet, but the trails drain well. One caveat on the 365-day framing: an annual winter closure takes Blue Tier and Big Chook out from July to late September, so both are shut right now and reopen in early spring, weather depending. The Blue Tier descents — 22 km point-to-point through old-growth rainforest down to the Weldborough Pub — are accessed via paid commercial shuttles run by Vertigo MTB and Bark Off Biking. Trail access itself is free regardless.
Derby is 90 min from Launceston. The Tasmania trails guide covers the full state.
What's new at Australian MTB parks in 2026?
Thredbo is the headline update. A 50-jump intermediate trail opens with the park on 21 November 2026, and a new double-black DH race line follows in early 2027. If you're planning a Snowy Mountains trip for the new season, the opening weekend is the time to book — just don't come for the race line yet.
Warburton Bike Park adds its next trail tranche in September 2026, including technical and gravity content. The current network is already worth the drive from Melbourne; the September drop closes the gap on more established parks faster than most new destinations manage.
Omeo MTB Park opened its full 114 km in December 2025 and is still largely undiscovered outside Victoria. For anyone yet to ride it, 2026 is the year.
Mt Buller carries its Northside Express uplift into another summer. Watch the mtbuller.com.au site from October for the 2026/27 uplift schedule and pricing.
When should you book?
For the alpine parks, buy your lift pass before you leave home. Both Thredbo and Mt Buller sell passes online ahead of the day, and Buller publishes its gravity uplift from $82 adult. Peak school holiday dates — Christmas/New Year and Easter — fill out weeks ahead for desirable Saturday slots.
Thredbo's 2026/27 Gravity Pass pre-sale is open now, from $779 on a $49 deposit, with the balance due 7 October 2026. Worth locking in if you're planning a November trip around the opening weekend.
For Maydena, book shuttle passes at least four weeks out for December, January, and Easter long weekends. The park sells out on-capacity on peak Saturdays, and pass-holders who didn't pre-book miss out.
For Warburton and Omeo, book shuttles a week ahead for regular weekends, further ahead for school holiday blocks. Year-round XC parks — Blue Derby, most non-alpine networks — need no booking. Just show up.
The Victoria trails map covers all Victorian parks in one view if you're planning a High Country road trip.
FAQ
When does Thredbo MTB Park open for the 2026/27 season? Thredbo Mountain Bike Park opens 21 November 2026 for its opening weekend, with the full season running through 26 April 2027. One trail is new on day one: an intermediate jumps trail with close to 50 jumps — Thredbo's longest dedicated jumps line. The new double-black DH race line opens in early 2027, not on opening weekend.
When do the Victorian alpine bike parks open for 2026/27? Blue Dirt has published late November 2026 for Falls Creek's shuttle service. Mt Buller's Northside Express chairlift is expected late November or early December, though Buller hasn't confirmed 2026/27 dates — in 2025/26 it ran daily Dec 27–Jan 11. Mt Baw Baw's green season opens end of November. Check operator websites from late October.
Which Australian MTB parks are open right now (late July 2026)? Warburton, Omeo, and Blue Derby are all open, though Derby's Blue Tier and Big Chook descents are shut for their annual July–late September closure. Maydena closed on June 28 and reopens 3 October. The alpine parks (Thredbo, Buller, Falls Creek, Baw Baw) are on their winter ski break and reopen from late November.
How much do Australian MTB park day passes cost in 2026? Maydena: $95 adult summit uplift plus a separate
Is Maydena Bike Park open in winter 2026? No. The 2025/26 season closed June 28, 2026, and the park is shut now. The 2026/27 season opens 3 October 2026 with Opening Weekend. Maydena runs Fri–Sun outside school holiday peaks, expanding to daily operation over Christmas and Easter.
Which Australian MTB park has the most vertical drop? Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania — the operator markets up to 820 m of vertical, served by a gravity bus running 9:30am–4pm in spring and summer. Warburton Bike Park, which launched shuttle access in April 2026, offers 650 m from Mt Tugwell. Thredbo, Falls Creek, and Omeo each reach approximately 600 m.