Brisbane · Mount Glorious and Somerset Loop
A 167 km loop
Open this ride in the planner →
Why this ride
Rainforest corners, dam water and breakfast bikes. A 167 km loop that starts and ends near Highvale, about 3 h 13 of riding. It goes by way of Somerset Dam and Esk. Mount Glorious is the high point. The passes are the reason to go.
Roadbook
- Mount Glorious
pass
Mount Glorious is the high point of a good day out of Brisbane, a small settlement strung along the crest of the D'Aguilar Range where the air is noticeably cooler and the forest is rainforest rather than bushland. Brisbane's riders have used this road for generations, and on a weekend morning you will see bikes parked outside the cafe on the summit in numbers that suggest a quiet agreement among the locals about where to be.
The approach from Samford is the classic. Samford Valley sits below, full of paddocks and horse properties, and then the road starts to climb and does not stop. The bends are tight, tree-lined and often damp, with palms and strangler figs closing in over the tarmac and the light turning green. The surface has patches and the occasional fallen branch after storms, so ride it like a road, not a circuit. Descending on the other side towards Wivenhoe Dam, the road opens up a little, and you can see the lake that supplies much of south-east Queensland.
What is interesting here is how different the world is at height. Cloud forest, tree ferns, the sound of whipbirds and the smell of wet leaves, all within a short ride of a city of two million. The national parks around Mount Glorious are protected for good reason, and there are short walking tracks if you want to break up the riding. Wildlife is a hazard as much as a pleasure, with wallabies and birds at dawn and dusk, which is another reason to avoid pushing too hard.
Fuel is not up here, so top up before the climb. Samford Valley and Ferny Grove, the larger suburbs on the Brisbane side, are the places to do it, and the cafe at the top is the thing to look forward to. Ride it early on a clear day in the cooler months, between about April and October, and you will understand why people come back week after week.
- Somerset Dam
swim
Somerset Dam holds back the Stanley River in the hills north-west of Brisbane, and its wide, quiet lake is one of the best-kept secrets of the Brisbane Valley. The dam was begun in the 1930s and finished in the 1950s, partly to supply water and partly to control flooding, and it forms Lake Somerset, a long arm of blue water winding among forested hills. Brisbane suffered badly in the great flood of 1974, and a bigger dam, Wivenhoe, was built downstream afterward to protect the city.
The area is popular with locals for fishing, boating and picnicking, and the lake has a number of recreation areas where families gather. Swimming is allowed in designated areas, but should be approached with sense, since dams have sudden drop-offs, submerged timber and cold water below the surface. Check signs before getting in, and do not jump from heights. Bass and golden perch are stocked in the lake, and the fishing is well regarded.
The riding on the way is good. The roads from Brisbane, through Samford and up Mount Glorious, are winding and shady, with views across the rainforest, and the surface is generally good. The Mount Glorious road is one of the best motorcycle roads near the city, a tight and twisty ride through subtropical forest, so it is popular and often busy with riders at weekends. Police patrols are frequent. Further on, the road passes through Kilcoy and across the farmland of the Brisbane Valley, with rolling pastures and gum trees. Lyrebirds and brush turkeys scratch in the forest, and in the early morning, the air smells of eucalyptus and damp earth.
Weather in south-east Queensland is warm to hot, with summer afternoon storms that can be fierce, with heavy rain and lightning. Check the sky before setting off, and avoid exposed spots during storms. Winter is mild and dry, and the best time for riding. Spring brings wildflowers.
Services around the dam are limited. There is a small township, and a few cafes may be open at weekends, but fuel is a matter of planning. Esk, Kilcoy and Toogoolawah all have stations within twenty kilometres, and are the usual places to fill up. Bring water, sunscreen and insect repellent, and be prepared for the heat.
- Esk food stop
food
Esk is a small country town in the Brisbane Valley, about eighty kilometres north-west of Brisbane, and a handy place to stop on a day in the hills. It sits on the Brisbane Valley Highway, with fertile farmland all around, growing lucerne, grain and vegetables, and grazing cattle. The town has a classic main street, with a pub, a bakery, a few shops, and a war memorial, and the pace is pleasantly slow. The district was settled in the 1840s by pastoralists, and the town grew with the railway, which brought the produce of the valley to the city.
The railway is gone, but the old line has been converted to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, a long cycle and walking path through the countryside. The valley, with its soft hills and the broad green flats beside the Brisbane River, makes a gentle contrast with the rainforest roads of Mount Glorious. Nearby, Lake Wivenhoe, the large reservoir built after the 1974 floods, holds much of Brisbane's water and acts as a flood buffer. Its shores have parks and walks, and the area is popular for fishing and kayaking.
The riding around Esk is easy and enjoyable. Roads such as the Esk-Hampton road and the road to Toogoolawah run through rolling pasture, with long views and light traffic. Corners are mostly open and flowing, and the surfaces are good, though cattle grids and the occasional pothole call for a little care. Kangaroos and wallabies feed along the verges at dawn and dusk, and cattle sometimes cross the road. In summer, heat can be intense, and storms build quickly in the afternoon.
For a rider, the town is a service stop with a rural flavour. Fuel is available in the main street, and there are places for a meal or coffee, with a bakery that is a traditional stop for pies. Parking is easy, and the locals are friendly to travellers. Gatton, thirty-eight kilometres to the south, is a larger town with more choice.
Winter and early spring are the nicest times, with cool mornings and clear skies. On a Sunday, the town fills with riders on their way to and from the lakes and hills.
- Back to Mount Glorious
finish
Back to Mount Glorious closes the day.