Cycling, including mountain biking, is a popular and healthy recreational activity that can raise awareness, appreciation and understanding of the natural environment.
Cycling can have impacts on a park's environment and must be managed consistent with the relevant legislation and the objectives for which a park is reserved.
Policy
- A range of cycling experiences, including mountain biking, will be provided in parks. The most appropriate cycling experiences in parks are those that foster public appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of nature and cultural heritage in parks.
- New cycling experiences may be developed on existing roads or trails, by constructing new tracks or by modifying existing tracks.
- The appropriateness of cycling experiences will be assessed for a park or for a particular location in a park. Decisions about the planning, development and management of cycling experiences are guided by:
- ecological sustainability
- appropriateness of the location (refer to Appendix A in Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Visitor Use and Tourism in New South Wales National Parks; internal document available to staff)
- the quality of the experience for cyclists
- the need to balance competing visitor demands
- consideration of opportunities and demand for cycling across the region, including on other land tenures
- visitor safety
- the availability of resources to provide and maintain the experience.
- The table below sets out where cycling is usually permitted in parks. Despite these general provisions, cycling may still be prohibited in a plan of management (PoM) for a park, or by signage, to achieve local management objectives.
Roads | Management trails | Tracks | Off a road, trail or track # | |
---|---|---|---|---|
National parks | Yes | Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed | No |
Regional parks | Yes |
Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed |
No |
State conservation areas | Yes |
Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed |
No |
Karst conservation areas | Yes |
Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed |
No |
Aboriginal areas | Yes |
Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed |
No |
Historic sites | Yes |
Yes |
If approved in PoM and signposted as allowed |
No |
Nature reserves | Yes |
If approved in PoM (or by Branch Director where there is no PoM) and signposted as allowed (see paragraph 20) | No |
No |
Wilderness areas | Cycling is permitted on roads surrounded by wilderness areas |
If approved in PoM (or by Branch Director where there is no PoM) and signposted as allowed (see paragraph 20) | No |
No |
Yes – cycling is generally permitted unless signs prohibit cycling for safety reasons
No – where cycling is not allowed
# It is not necessary to signpost that cycling is not allowed off a road, trail or track surface to enforce it, because riding in an area not set aside for cycling is expressly prohibited in all parks under clause 10(1)(e) of the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2019 (NPW Regulation).
- Cycling on management trails in nature reserves and wilderness areas will only be considered where it will not degrade natural or cultural heritage values and is consistent with the objects and management principles of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act) and the Wilderness Act 1987.
- Associated facilities, developments or improvements to accommodate bicycle access and use may be provided in parks other than wilderness areas, in accordance with a park's PoM. Facilities to accommodate bicycle access will not be provided within wilderness areas and will generally not be provided in nature reserves as the management objectives of wilderness areas and nature reserves generally restrict developments in these parks to environmental management purposes.
- The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) considers power-assisted pedal cycles - commonly known as e-bikes or pedelecs - up to the output of 250 watts, to be bicycles for the purpose of riding on management trails in parks. All conditions for cycling and bicycles in wilderness areas and nature reserves also apply to e-bikes.