Collie to Darkan Rail Trail

Follows the old Collie-Narrogin railway (the Collie to Darkan section opened 1907, closed 1986-97) through the South West's karri and jarrah forest country into wheat and sheep farmland around Darkan, with wildflowers a big drawcard each spring. IMPORTANT for trip planning: the trail's current western trailhead is at Buckingham, not Collie itself - the old formation between Buckingham and Collie is currently the site of an active open-cut coal mine, so there's no rideable/rideable link back to Collie town along the old line (RTA hopes to eventually extend the trail once mining ends, or provide a road-based link along Coalfields Hwy). Buckingham is a rural locality with no services of its own - it's reached by an 18km drive from Collie. THERE ARE NO SUPPLIES ANYWHERE BETWEEN THE TWO ENDS - food, water and fuel are only available at Collie (before the trailhead) and Darkan (at the far end), so riders need to carry 2-3 days of supplies for the full one-way trip, or arrange a vehicle shuttle/pickup. Bowelling, roughly the halfway point, has a water tank and bench seating but no toilets and no shop. Popular as a 2-3 day multi-use trip for cyclists, hikers and horse riders; can be ridden as a single very long day by strong cyclists. Note: baiting for feral animals (1080 baits, poisonous to cats and dogs) occurs periodically in the state forest sections - keep pets on lead/under close control.

Buckingham to Muja siding: initially runs parallel to (not on) the remnant old formation, joining it more faithfully from Muja onwards. Muja to Bowelling (approx. 18km): largely parallel to Coalfields Hwy through farmland; Bowelling Station doubles as a small museum with interpretive signage and an overnight stop (water tank, seating, no ablutions). East of Cowcher, the trail leaves the highway to cross a floodplain via Cowcher Bridge, then crosses Coalfields Hwy twice more before reaching Bowelling. Bowelling to Darkan (approx. 26-28km): continues through farmland to Dardadine Siding then on into Darkan, with an extension beyond Dardadine noted by riders for its wildflowers.