Glenrock Lagoon

From YouWiki

View of Glenrock Lagoon from the north.

Glenrock Lagoon is a recreational forested area located just south of the Merewether Baths in Newcastle. It is a popular site for Mountain Biking and trail-blazing. A major cub-scout outpost is also located there.

1 Trails guide
2 Naming of the trails
3 Surfing
4 Location
5 External Links

[edit] Trails guide

A Mountain Biker's map of Glenrock Lagoon

The most notable mountain biking trails at Glenrock include (note - refer to the trails map to the right):

[edit] Upper Kenny and Lower Kenny into Bailey's Paddock

An approx 2km piece of single track (with a short technical downhill option--access this by taking the first right hand fork into a densely forested, winding track) that runs from just near gate to Gunclub Road (take the left-hand fork as you enter near the mountain biking billboard), then runs parallel to Scenic Drive/City Road before following the border of Glenrock towards a fire trail which runs up to City Road and down towards Snakes and Ladders. Quite a fun ride to take at high speed.

Difficulty level: Easy

[edit] High Roller

is a piece of cross country single track beyond Bailey's Paddock which takes you up to Suess Land towards Scenic Drive, Merewether Heights.

[edit] BJ's Surprise

is a fun piece of Downhill track, and is the right option when the track through Bailey's Paddock forks left and right (left being High Roller). Consists of no jumps, gaps, or ladder bridges, only several berms and a rock garden or two.

Difficulty level: Intermediate

[edit] Jumping The Gun

is a short section of single track that runs parallel to Gun Club Road and includes several jumps (one log jump, the rest track jumps) leading up to Twisties n Dip. A nice entry to the downhill section and the jumping area.

Difficulty level: Easy (chicken options exist around the jumps)

[edit] Twisties n Dip

is a short downhill track following on from "Jumping the Gun", but can also be accessed from Gun Club Road. Just a few berms, nothing too exciting.

Difficulty level: Intermediate

[edit] World Cup

is the first track on the RIGHT hand side (excluding fire trails) as you ride along Gun Club Road. It is a downhill track, though I have not yet ridden it. Stay tuned for a report. Please edit these details if you have ridden this track.

Difficulty level: Unknown.

[edit] Garden Path

is a nice intermediate downhill track, second to the right when entering from Gun Club Road. You enter through an inconspicuous piece of single track disguised by a few trees, roll over a hump, and begin tearing down a long decline, followed by several berms, a log jump, and two large-ish track jumps. This is succeeded by a jump into a berm to the right, a berm to the left, then a technical section through a rock garden to finish. An exhilarating ride!

Difficulty level: Intermediate to Hard (depending on which options you take).

[edit] Creek Gap

is an exhilarating and flowy downhill track, with almost every feature essential for a great DH experience. It begins with a few smooth berms and large jumps, log jumps, and then there is a ~1.5 metre drop into a steep piece of technical rock garden. The left hand option takes you down a very' steep rocky river, where only the most dialled riders can actually distinguish and follow the main line. Requires great skill to negotiate this option.

Difficulty level: Hard to Insane.

[edit] Dippers

This is my favourite of the downhill tracks at Glenrock, featuring several nice track jumps and berms to start, followed by a high-speed drop off a rock platform (before which is a second option which takes you down a really sketch, technical, rocky creek) and a steep rocky decline which even the best have trouble mastering.

Difficulty level: Medium to hard.

[edit] Buckshot

(requesting verification on the name... I've always called it Buckshot for some reason?) is a nice slight downhill (more of an XC track) from around the back of the quarry (at the end of Gun Club Road) to the lookout over the ocean (located at the triple-junction just south-east of Snakes and Ladders on the map). An exhilarating ride with a few small drops, a nice rocky trail weaving through a tunnel of salt bush. A very fast-paced XC track ending up with splendid ocean views. A video of this track is below:

This track is one of my favourites.

Difficulty level: Intermediate.

[edit] Little Borneo

This is one of the most epic tracks in all of Glenrock. It is accessed by turning left off the Fernleigh Track into Burwood Road, then turning left into the Scout road at the top of the hill. Follow this road until you reach the car park, then go over the little wire fence. Take the track to a T-intersection (left goes to Surfer's Way--see map) and go right.

The track starts off with about 3km winding downhill with great flow through dense forest, which changes into a saltbush/lantana tunnel. You cross over a small creek then begin the payback for the long downhill. This is a climb up past Dudley beach, and you only intersect 2 fire trails on the way. It is almost pure single track.

The track consists of small sections of technical downhill (or uphill, depending on which way you take the track) dispersed through fast-paced winding singletrack that never seems to end. Definitely recommended. Picture gallery for Little Borneo below:

The track is nice and cool as you are covered by a leafy canopy

Seemingly endless winding singletrack

Tight corners are best negotiated during daytime

Difficulty level: Intermediate to Hard (depending on the speed you take it at).

I haven't ridden the rest of the tracks on the map very recently, so I'll report on them later on.

[edit] Difficulty levels

The difficulty levels used above from easiest to hardest are:

Easy
Intermediate
Hard
Insane
Godlike

- Difficulty level: Hard.

[edit] Naming of the trails

The names of these trails were derived by the genial work of the Glenrock Trail Alliance. The epic thread from which these names and this map arose is located here.

[edit] Surfing

I haven't bodyboarded or surfed at Glenrock yet, but I plan to. There seem to be quite a few surfers just off the lagoon every time I go on my bike, and there's always an OK break near the rocks. Feel free to add your own experiences.