Tracks and Trails
When it comes to recreational opportunities, the City of Victor Harbor has multiple advantages over other areas in South Australia. Our extensive coastline, rolling hills and accessible river corridors provide the perfect landscape for outdoor experiences.
Victor Harbor Mountain Bike Strategy
The Victor Harbor Mountain Bike Strategy was adopted during the November 2021 Ordinary Council Meeting.
Following public consultation in March and October 2021, it was evident that a mountain bike trail network could provide significant benefits to the community. Almost all respondents in our survey (97%) supported the vision outlined in the Strategy. Consultation also highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship to enable sustainable trails, the potential for trail connections to provide a complete network across our region, and the need to undertake further stakeholder consultation to determine public/private partnership arrangements.
Incorporating these factors, the Strategy will guide the collaborative planning, development and activation of mountain biking experiences in the Victor Harbor area with links to the broader Fleurieu Peninsula. It contains nine signature projects and approximately 85 kilometres of trails, including recommended developments in Hindmarsh Valley, Inman River, Brown Hill and Rosetta Head (The Bluff).
It is expected that the Strategy will provide more than $23 million in social, economic and health benefits over a 10 year period once implemented.
Read the Victor Harbor Mountain Bike Strategy
Victor Harbor Bicycle Strategy
The Victor Harbor Bicycle Strategy was adopted by Council in 2016.
Increased cycling has much to offer Victor Harbor: a healthy lifestyle for its residents, increased tourism for its businesses and relief from road congestion. The City of Victor Harbor has ideal characteristics for cyclists, including flat land along the coast between The Bluff and Hindmarsh River, beautiful coastal and countryside scenery, and a road network that offers alternative routes to busier main roads.
The Bicycle Strategy recognises the importance and benefits of providing provisions for cycling in the City of Victor Harbor and provides a conceptual framework to guide future decision making.
Walking Trails
The City of Victor Harbor has an abundance of scenic trails to suit hikers and walkers of all kinds. You can experience rugged coastline, dramatic cliffs, country roads and farm views as you embark on some of the most spectacular walking trails in South Australia.
Council plays a role in maintaining many of our local trails and identifying new recreational opportunities for the community. Some of our most popular local trails include the Encounter Bikeway, the Town Centre Heritage Trail, the Hindmarsh River Trail, and the Heysen Spur Trail.
View the Walking Trails Brochure
Encounter Bikeway
The Encounter Bikeway is a multi-purpose path that follows the spectacular coastline between Victor Harbor and Goolwa. The Council continues to enhance and improve sections of the Encounter Bikeway to increase safety and maximise user experience.
A review of the existing on-road sections of the Encounter Bikeway from Bridge Terrace through to the Council boundary in Hayborough is currently underway. The Council is considering a number of options including using coast-front reserves, the rail corridor or retaining the existing road alignment. The final outcome could also be a combination of options.
The City of Victor Harbor recently engaged with the community to gain feedback on the Encounter Bikeway from Hindmarsh Road to the Council boundary. The findings from the consultation can be found in the Encounter Bikeway Consultation Report. No further action will be taken until the outcome of Alexandrina Council’s Encounter Bikeway consultation is available for consideration.
The Council recognises the Encounter Bikeway as a valued asset for both the local community and our visitors. Improving this asset will provide significant benefits in terms of community wellbeing and economic boost.
