Castlemaine to Maldon Trail

Connects two of Victoria's best-preserved goldfields towns, Castlemaine and Maldon (Australia's first Notable Town, heritage-listed since the 1970s), running alongside the historic Victorian Goldfields Railway. IMPORTANT: RTA's own page states plainly this is 'not a rail trail but a railside one' - the original railway formation is still in active use by the heritage steam trains that run between Maldon and Castlemaine most weekends, so the trail runs beside the line rather than on it. Because it isn't on the old formation, it has steeper, more undulating sections around cuttings and embankments than a typical rail trail, and a rougher, mixed surface of gravel service roads, bush track and some rocky/sandy patches - a mountain bike or hybrid with wider tyres is recommended over a road bike. Passes through box-ironbark forest and open sheep paddocks, with kangaroos and birdlife along the way. Built 2016-2017; can be badly affected by wet weather. It's possible to ride one direction and take the heritage steam train back (bikes can be carried) - check the Victorian Goldfields Railway timetable.

Starts behind Castlemaine station (near Gingell St), signposted from Langslow St, initially following the Campbell's Creek trail out of town before joining the railway corridor. A steady climb for much of the way to Maldon (it's mostly downhill in the Maldon-to-Castlemaine direction). Muckleford Station sits roughly at the halfway point, in open countryside with a picnic table - its toilets are only open when tourist trains are running. There are no other toilets or drinking water anywhere along the trail. Finishes near Maldon station; reviewers note the trail's own end point is a couple of kilometres short of the historic town centre itself, so allow extra distance/time if your destination is central Maldon rather than the station.