Old Timberline Trail
Nannup
Directions - Located in the outskirts of Nannup, the Old Timberline Trail starts from the Nannup Foreshore Park, where the pedestrian bridge crosses the Blackwood River. Officially it's a one way trail, finishing near Cambray Siding, but for the purpose of this post, I have linked up with the Sidings Rail Trail/Munda Biddi to loop back into Nannup.
The Ride - The Old Timberline Trail is a ride that I have been looking forward to completing ever since hearing about it, and getting a brief taster of it at the Kondil Wildflower Park in 2020, along with riding through on the Munda Biddi in 2020 and 2021. The idea of a half day loop through the mixed forests of the South West is a lovely one, with the option to hike it and stay overnight at Sleeper Hewers Hut if you wanted to make a weekend of it.
There is great potential for every town along the Munda Biddi to have it's own loop but for now Nannup is the best option, given the Waterous Loop near Dwellingup takes you mainly on roads and through scarred mining land. Saving this one for late winter, it's my favourite time of year to explore the South West, thanks to the moist forest, cooler weather, and the crossover period where the fungi are still out, and the wildflowers/orchids are starting to appear. Selecting a free weekend in late August, I invited my Dad along on the journey, as he is now an avid cycler in his old age, and enjoyed the time he joined Aron and I cycling from Crooked Brook Forest into Donnybrook on the Munda Biddi. I drove down to Funbury on the Friday afternoon before doing this trail so I wouldn't be rushing, and had fun walking at Manea Park in-between heavy showers.
The weather forecast was showing more showers for the Saturday, and given Dad only has an urban bike with relatively skinny tyres, he elected not to join me for the ride. He did however cook me pancakes before I set off, fuel I would need for the ride given how little riding I had done in 2024. Driving through a few showers on the trip down to Nannup, it was all sunshine and rainbows when I arrived in one of my favourite towns in the South West. I have fond memories of this place from multiple visits over the years, and I was here today to add another one. Unloading the bike at the Foreshore Park, checking tyre pressures, and getting my drink/fuel supply ready, I was soon ready to go and explore a trail that promised to be a good one. The start is very familiar to me, having ridden this section of the Munda Biddi a few times, the bridge over the Blackwood River is a fantastic place to begin.
The trail between the pedestrian bridge and Vasse Highway still has the old railway sleepers embedded in it, and this is a nice reminder of the old railway line. Passing a small farm, I do enjoy photographing the grassy hill, as there is usually a few animals having a graze. Spotting the wooden sign for the Old Timberline Trail, this is where I would leave familiar territory and start enjoying some new trail. After passing a bigger wooden sign, I was on a wide gravel road, that unfortunately for me, was a short 30m climb. With my riding fitness being close to non-existent, this would be the first indication that maybe I should have done at least a couple of training ride before coming out here. Luckily there were wildflowers and orchids on the side of the road to distract me, as I wandered over to photograph the first of the Little Pink Fairy Orchids and Honey Bush I would see for the day.
Surviving the first hill, at the top you reach Barrabup Road, where the Kondil Wildflower Park is located. This is where I made my first and only navigation error of the day, as I headed straight into the car park, and not to the left where the Old Timberline Trail continues. Looking at it on Google Street View, it's quite easy to spot but for some reason I thought different. After faffing about looking at the signage within Kondil Wildflower Park, I decided to take the walk trail I knew linked up with the Old Timberline Trail, and I was soon on the right path. The whole trail is shared with walkers but this area you need to be extra careful in, as it's the section you'll most likely to see other people. I remembered this area being fun to walk, and on a bike it was even better, with the slight undulations through the forest creating a flowing ride, couple with the excellent scenery.
Leaving the Kondil Wildflower Park behind, from here until reaching the Munda Biddi in 20 kilometres time would be all new trail. It continued to be excellent, as the single trail was wide enough to still be able to appreciate the scenery, and I was loving just meandering a gentle pace. The sandy trail was nice and compact due to the recent rains, and I was about to find out that it doesn't drain as quickly in some places. I stopped to take some photos of the stunning forest through here, and looked ahead to see reflections in the trail ahead. It's quite common to get puddles at this time of year but this one was an extended lake, and not the first one I see today. Having a blast as I rode through it, the water level reached up to the crank at times, and of course my shoes were drenched by the time I reached dry land.
This stretch of forest was one of the best of the entire day, with plenty of mature trees, a settled undergrowth, and plenty of early season orchids including Little Pink Fairy Orchids, Jug Orchids, and Snail Orchids. After stopping at an intersection for a drinks break and a spot of orchid photography, I started the first of the two main climbs of the loop, with this one gaining about 70 metres of elevation. It's a gentle climb, with the gradient never getting above 10%, so you can settle in and enjoy the lovely single trail. The route does pass a weird little patch of what looks like plantation hardwood but for the most part, it's through classic Jarrah forest that made for wonderful riding. Reaching an old rail formation, there is a sign pointing you in the right direction, as you head along the wide track that has the distinctive raised banks that indicate it was once a railway line.
Now on a wider road, I could get the average speed up, and enjoy some proper country touring in the morning sunshine. The average speed increase was halted for a moment when I saw some wildflowers growing on the raised banks but I was soon off and away. The climbing has subsided when I reached the old rail form, and from here you rise gently to the highest point you'll reach for a while, before starting a long descent. Taking a left turn, you run parallel to Mowen Road as you build up speed through yet another stunning piece of forest. This fun blast down the hill was in stark contrast to my slow pace so far, and I was having so much fun that I almost missed the right turn taking you to the Mowen Road crossing. The main road linking Nannup and Margaret River, it was a different feeling being on tarmac for a while but I was on the other side in no time and finding my way onto the next section of single trail.
There was a distinct change in scenery after crossing Mowen Road, with the appearance of Kingia Australis living up proceedings. I love these plants, often mistaken for Xanthorrhoea, and I find it interesting they aren't even in the same order in the plant world. Heading downhill, I figured I would eventually run into more inundated land, and it wasn't long before I was parting a continuous puddle with my front wheel. With wet shoes already, there was no option but to channel my inner child and embrace the fun of splashing through puddles on my bike, what a horrible life it is to lead. I didn't stop too much through here due to the puddles and rocky, downhill terrain but was happy to see the excellent scenery continue. Eventually things flattened out, and the single track continued until you reach an old vehicle track that is used to cross a tributary of St John Brook.
There was a lot of water flowing as I crossed over, and the jaunt on the vehicle track was short lived, as a marker pointed you back onto single trail leading towards Workers Pool. Passing through a significant bit of flooding, luckily it was mostly off the trail, and I was left to enjoy the various Drosera that were growing in this area. Crossing over Barrabup Pool Road, the scenery changed once again, with a thicker undergrowth and more Banksias. The rains and winds yesterday had caused some damage through here, and there were plenty of overhanging branches and debris scattered everywhere. That slowed progress but it wasn't long until I popped out at the Workers Pool area. I was greeted with the sound of distant thunder and dark clouds in the distance. With no phone reception I couldn't check the weather radar to see if it was going to hit me, so I had a decision to make. Barrabup Pool was about two kilometres away, where I knew there was a decent sized shelter, or I could huddle under the small information shelter here and hope for the best.
I decided to risk it for the biscuit and race the oncoming rains to Barrabup Pool. Still wanting to see Workers Pool, I made the quick detour down the side path to go see them, and after taking a few photos, I was back up the hill ready to continue on. Racing along the single track, this added a fun element to the ride, and after dodging more overhanging branches, I felt the first drops of rain starting to hit about halfway to Barrabup Pool. It then started to get much heavier, and I had to stop to put my camera away in a dry bag, and eventually huddled myself under my wind jacket while the heavy shower (and hail) passed on through. I had expected it to rain at some point today, and was fortunate to have made it this far without getting wet, at least from water falling from the sky. It eventually passed, and I was back on the bike with my camera out again, albeit with a slightly spotty lens that kept fogging up. The single trail leading to Barrabup Pool was narrow and overgrown, meaning every time I wanted to brush a branch out of my path, I got wet again.
I eventually made it to Barrabup Pool and the dry gazebo I had dreamt of back at Workers Pool, only I wasn't very dry myself. Parking up the bike, the first thing I noticed (not that it was hard) was that the lower viewing platform over the pool was underwater. There must have been a significant amount of rain over the past couple of days to cause this, and was a nice contrast to the historically hot and dry autumn we had just experienced. Keeping my wind jacket on to help retain body heat, I decided to take my lunch break here. Walking around to keep warm, I had a good look around the edge of the pool, and watched the fairy wrens flitting about on a large branch that had come down in the recent storms. As another shower passed through, I retreated to the shelter and moved onto dessert, a packet of lollies that I was hoping would boost my legs for the rest of the ride. With the shower clearing, I was packing my gear away to get going again, when another rider passed by the gazebo.
He was keen to stop for a chat, and I found out that he had ridden over 300km on the Munda Biddi in the past three days, and was meeting some friends at Workers Pool to finish his long ride. Having sore legs after 12km felt pretty silly in comparison but this is where I was at in my fitness journey. Saying farewell to the traveler, I hopped on my bike and continued on. Crossing St John Brook on the lovely wooden bridge, I took a few photos and moved on, knowing I would see it later on. On the other side of the brook something caught my eye, and it turned out to be a Midge Orchid, an orchid I had only seen once before, but in 2024 I ended up seeing quite a lot on my various travels. Rising up the hill, you join another old rail formation that will be home for the next kilometre. With the sun shining bright, I pedaled along, enjoying the narrow tunnel of Jarrah trunks leading down the road that ended up being the cover shot for this post. Passing through more puddles, I made sure to ride through them for extra points, before reaching the turn-off for a section of single trail.
The switching between single trail and old rail form had been fantastic so far, a mix of both where you didn't feel like the old rail form was just a compromise. This new section of single track is only brief, but does a good job of connecting you back to the brook, which looked more like a typical river you'd see in the South West in terms of girth and valley size. Joining back up with the same rail form you were on before, there was a little side quest here to view a submerged section of the forest, which I decided to follow. Back on the bike, the riding through here was super pleasant as I dawdled along the rail form and enjoyed the forest. Of course I encountered more puddles, some more sizeable than others. At one bend I was happy to see the first Pineapple Bush of the day, yet another favourite of mine that I associate with this region between Crooked Brook and Nannup. Along with the Pineapple Bush, the thick boi trees were an impressive sight, loving life near the well fed water source of St John Brook.
The lactic acid was starting to build up by now, a real worry given how few kilometres I had ridden, and still had to ride, but I soldiered on as I encountered a small pinch climb. Knowing there was a break coming up, I focused on enjoying the ride, as the route made another turn. Following the old rail form as it's guided by the bends and contours of the brook means the riding never gets dull thanks to a direction change or new view. Heading downhill on single track after the small climb, the lush undergrowth provided a new element to the riding, and served to keep me adjusting my line with overhanging branches appearing quickly. At the bottom of the hill you meet up with another rail form, this one with the remnants of an old rail bridge to your right. It's an obvious detour given the mossy, wooden fence that keeps people off the crumbling remains of the bridge. I think it has been out of action for quite some time given the vegetation has grown up and blocked the view of whats left, which from what I could see was not much.
The high banks of the rail form were some of the tallest of the route, and reminded me of some of the monsters along the King Jarrah Walk Trail near Dwellingup. It's only 200m along this rail form before you see the large wooden sign for the Sleeper Hewers Camp side quest. A 400m return journey, the trail leads down to the Sleeper Hewers Hut, located near the banks of St John Brook, this is an official campsite for use by hikers and bikers to turn this into an overnight trail. The forest around here is magnificent, and I was soon staring at the back of the wooden hut. Whilst looking relatively similar to the Bibbulmun Track shelters, thanks to the wooden planks on the exterior, this is a fully enclosed hut with a door and everything. You occasionally see these legacy huts at other car camping sites around the state like Fernhook Falls and Shannon National Park, but I always call them murder huts, as they give off dark and creepy vibes.
Parking up the bike, I had a bit of a look around, checking out the inside of the hut that I can assure you looks a lot brighter in the photos than it does in real life (along with the open door letting in the light). To me, an open style Bibbulmun shelter would turn this area into a much better campsite that I'd happily hike to. I might do that in the future now I know how good the Old Timberline Trail is, but I'd most likely stay in my tent. Wandering down to the edge of the brook, this really is what draws people to the location. A peaceful section of the brook with mature trees, and a wide pool to have a swim in, if it wasn't so cold already I would have been tempted to ice my aching quads in the water. After taking a few photos, I returned back up the slope to the hut, and hopped on my bike to continue along. Returning to the main trail, it was back to the rail form, which would be home right until the meeting with the Munda Biddi at Cambray Siding.
Having spent a lot of time getting to this point, due to the rain, my poor fitness, and taking a lot of photos of this stunning trail, having some long and straight rail form was a good way to increase my pace. Getting into a rhythm, my pace still wasn't going to light the Strava segments on fire, but it was good enough for me. It's about three kilometres of excellent riding through the forest, with occasional views down into the valley, before you reach what ordinarily might not be anything but a small dip and rise. Spotting a warning sign for a dangerous crossing, I continued down the hill and had a big laugh when I saw what was at the bottom. Having had my share of large and lengthy puddles today, this was next level, as it was a crossing a tributary flowing into St John Brook that is located not far away from here. The rider I had met at Barrabup Pool mentioned a significant amount of water but I thought I'd crossed that earlier. Assessing the situation, the water wasn't flowing excessively but it looked deeper than anything I'd seen so far.
It was a long way back to Nannup the way I had come, so I decided it was okay to cross but would require getting wetter than I already was. Putting my camera in the clip on my shoulder strap, I walked the bike across, making sure to keep upstream of it as the water level got higher and higher. In the end it only reached to above the crank, and I had a laugh thinking about how my Dad wouldn't have spoken to me for a while if I'd dragged him through the puddles, creek crossings and hail today. With super soggy shoes, and a slight relief from the cold water, I was safely on the other side and ready to continue my journey. Rising up a small hill, it was back to the old rail form that sees you all the way to official end of the Old Timberline Trail. There is what looks like a car park where you find the last of the information boards, an odd place to designate as the trail start/finish. As I was doing the full loop back into Nannup, I continued along the road, thankful that the last crossing of St John Brook was on a proper bridge.
Reaching the intersection with the Munda Biddi, this was back to familiar trail, and it was a nice feeling to be back here again. I remember stopping here in 2021 when coming through on the Munda Biddi, seeing the signs for the Old Timberline Trail, and telling myself I'd be back. I had returned but still had 15km of riding to get back into Nannup. While this was definitely a highlight of the northern section, I knew there was a sneaky hill coming up. After a quick lolly break, I was back on the bike and staring at some dark clouds in the distance once again. Knowing I would eventually cross paths with them, I decided to keep riding, and deal with the rain if/when it arrived. It didn't take long to reach me but thankfully I was near one of the many old bridges found along this section of the railway line. I took shelter underneath the wooden structure, cosplaying a grumpy troll waiting for unsuspecting Munda Biddi riders. It was actually quite peaceful to sit down and listen to the rain pitter patter away against the forest, as the creek flowed by my feet. It didn't last long, so I extracted myself away from the bridge and hopped on the bike. Enjoying the long curved straights of the Sidings Rail Trail, I was checking off favourite locations along the way, including a section of original sleepers, and the emergence of Pingle flowers that you'll only see in one small section along here.
The sun was back out, so they looked spectacular in the afternoon light. Stopping in the open area you'll find at one point, Rocky Creek runs parallel to the rail form, and had some nice rapids flowing at the time. Pushing myself to keep going, from here there is a 100m climb that doesn't look like a climb given the relatively gentle gradients but your legs know it's a climb. Even after getting here in 2021 with 500km in my legs already, they weren't fooled then either. The straight trail doesn't help, and neither did the light shower that rolled through, but I eventually made it to the She-Oak section that marks the end is near. With nothing but downhill to go, I could settle in and enjoy the rest of the ride into Nannup. Passing a section of farmland, the increased pace from going downhill was welcome, along with not having to pedal all the time. Reaching the crossing of Vasse Highway, I love the forest of the other side, and is always a sight for sore eyes. Another shower rolled through, a bit heavier than before and I made the decision to keep going until the end, increasing my pace to knock out the last couple of kilometres. Stopping to enjoy the moody clouds over the last bit of farmland, the shower stopped as I crossed Vasse Highway again and rode over the Blackwood River. Back at my car, covered in dirt, wet, sore, and tired, I would count that as a fair exchange for such a wonderful experience.
Final Thoughts – This was a long time coming, and I was sure I would return in 2022 but it wasn't the case.
Making the time to mark this one out in the calendar well in advance was a good decision, and was a throwback to the days when planning for a single trail weeks ahead meant I had something to look forward to, rather than visiting areas to take in multiple trails for efficiencies sake.
Having already completed a good chunk of this one, I was really impressed with the bits I hadn't done. I think the "new" section was much better than the Sidings Rail Trail, so much so that if I was doing another Munda Biddi End to End, I would sacrifice the shorter route into Nannup for a more enjoyable riding experience.
As a bike trail, this is a perfect day ride, possibly a short overnighter if you're driving down from Perth, and returning the following day.
As an overnight hike, this would be enjoyable, and would largely avoid the shortfalls of most dual-use trail (too much vehicle track). Ironically the least enjoyable section would be the single trail that forms the Sidings Rail Trail, given how long and straight it is.
While the weather was a bit temperamental, and the trail water-logged, that just added a fun element to the ride. Would do again.
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