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Upper Mangrove Creek Road
I've been wanting to ride along Upper Mangrove Creek Rd from the Dubbo Gully end for a while now so this afternoon I did. As it turns out it doesn't go all the way to Mangrove Creek Dam as the map suggests, however, after travelling about 4km and jumping a few gates (no keep out signs), the road ends at a dilapidated off the hinges opened gate, with a small sign off to the side saying "do not enter 6 German Shepherds running free", yeah right?
So there is a field in front of me with more broken down cars and trucks in it than your average Car Wreckers yard and not a house in sight so I think the sign might be a bit dated and decide to keep on going. Well about 100m further along the road dogs start to howl and bark, I can't see them but their howls and barks are echoing off the valley walls and it sounds more like 20 dogs than 6, my first thought was, The Hills Have Eyes, then I'm pretty sure I heard banjos starting up, so being by myself I thought it might be best to get out of there and head off on a more sedate ride up to Ten Mile Hollow, which I did.
Has anyone else ridden along Upper Mangrove Creek Rd in recent times?
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Hi Geoff,
After this year's Convict 100 I was keen to take a friend new to MTB to the same area but couldn't redo the 70km Convict loop due to the small private property blocking access up the hill climb so I sketched out an anti-clockwise loop on the east side of the OGNR and talked it through with a very helpful ranger from the area. He told me the link between the wooden bridge across Mangrove Creek and Blue Door Point Rd isn't accessible due to private property as you seem to have discovered.
The loop we ended up doing was a good one; three good climbs and descents and a sample of a section of the OGNR that could be extended north and/or south to take more of it in. We just went south enough on the OGNR to fill up with water from our Buddhist friends at the retreat then back north to head east on Simpsons Track.
Thanks Matt,
I was wondering if it was possible to go beyond the end of Waratah Road, so I'll do your loop in the near future sometime. So how did you go along up Blue Door Point Rd, I've ridden it and it's pretty steep both sides of the creek and no issues with private property anywhere?
Cheers
Geoff
We parked our car at the gate on the left at the beginning of the BD trail about 1km down Mangrove Ck Rd. It seems to be a normal rocky firetrail. Fairly steep down and then steep back up to meet the northerly end of the OGNR. Nice warm up, all rideable. I don't think there is any private property problems on that one; it was good to have had the trail vetted by the ranger so I was fairly confident there would be no issues though I was relieved when we popped out on Kyola Rd at the end without any issue. Close to Waratah Rd I was just following the gpx line on my Garmin and had to thrash through about 20m of long grass to skirt round a farm and that had me wondering but soldiered on and lo and behold on the other side was a very nice firetrail that looped back down to the floor and then over a creek and up the other side to the end.
I am looking forward to doing it again but you really need a good steady stint of sun prior as it's quite damp in the valley - real marshland.
Hi geoff, i'd be keen to do that ride also if you wanted some company.
Hi John,
When do you want to do it?
Any weekend would be good. Saturday or Sunday doesn't matter to me which day.
We can have a chat about it on Sat, see you at the shops.
Cheers
Ok see you there