First settled in 1827, Ipswich is the one of the oldest towns in Queensland. At one stage it was a prime candidate to become the capital of Queensland due to its easy access to the wool suppliers of the Darling Downs and proximity to the coast. Nowadays, Ipswich is a real taste of the country on Brisbane’s doorstep, but also a rapidly growing city in its own right with one of the fastest growing populations in Australia.
The Greater Ipswich area was a bit of a grey area for me before visiting. I knew Hidden Vale Adventure Park (HVAP) is the biggest privately owned trail network in Queensland with 117km of singletrack there currently and plans for more in the future, but I didn’t know that Ipswich has the most trail on offer of any local government area in Australia! Where are all these trails you might be asking? Who do they cater for? I had the same questions, and the answer is that Ipswich has something for everyone. HVAP is the jewel in the crown, but there’s also the weatherproof Castle Hill trails, plenty of riding at White Rock and Spring Mountain, a great trail loop at Hillview
