Cycling the Kidman Trail
Cycling the Kidman Trail
Words and Images - James Raison
The Kidman Trail was initially designed for horses before being opened up for walkers and cyclists as a reminder that humans are inferior all-terrain-vehicles to our equine overlords. This will make sense later on. It traverses 260km from Willunga, South of Adelaide, around to Kapunda in the Northeast. There’s no right direction to ride it but I’d posit that Kapunda to Willunga is the best way to do it. Willunga is much closer to the city and has a nearby train line for tired legs, plus riding Adelaide to Kapunda is a lovely day on the bike. You can ride the Kidman Trail all in one day if you’re bonkers and enjoy riding in the dark (I know people who have) but 2 days is plenty challenging.
It’s overshadowed by the jewel in South Australia’s offroad cycling crown; the Mawson Trail but the Kidman Trail offers some truly fantastic gravel riding without the need for a full adventure rig or the time commitment. I love the Mawson Trail, but I’d say the Kidman Trail is more efficient with its awesomeness to length ratio. It packs a lot of great riding into its 260 km with little filler. Put it on the list!
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TERRAIN
The Kidman is gravel/light adventure riding a-la-carte with basically everything from nicely cured gravel, to slushy sand, rocky paddock bashing, to forest access routes, and some chunks of hike-a-bike Kidman Stitch-ups explained below. The one thing in short supply is tarmac, making up a low percentage of the trail. The majority is lovely gravel road goodness.
It’s basically perfect for the burgeoning gravel riding scene. Difficulty depends on your ability and fitness. It’s got some technical sections and there’s frequent punchy climbing that gradually wears you down. Generally it should be within most people’s ability if you allow enough time.
KIDMAN STITCH-UPS
There’s several sections of the Kidman Trail that are some rough paddocks, or trails between paddocks around Wistow and Macclesfield. They can be slow walking, even in good conditions. In bad conditions they can be horrid. I got through most of them without much fuss because they looked to have been recently maintained because of the approaching fire season. I just got lucky.
You’ll get horror stories from those who went through when they were waist-to-chest high grass with no discernable track. I’ve marked them on the Kidman RideWithGPS file below. You need to look deep into your soul and decide whether you’re a hardened completionist, or someone who prefers riding their bike to walking it. It’s easy to avoid them and ride around via nearby gravel roads.
EQUIPMENT
This is certainly a CX bike or greater kind of operation. As always the ideal setup depends on your ability but a CX bike, gravel bike, hardtail MTB, or short travel XC are going to see you through. The sweet spot is definitely a gravel bike.
My trusty Grove R.A.D was a great partner in crime for the Kidman Trail
My setup was my gravel party bike the Grove R.A.D (read the review of the Grove R.A.D) shod with 650b Hunt Adventure Carbon wheels (read the review of the Hunt wheels) and 48 mm Panaracer GravelKing SK tyres (read the review of the GravelKings). It was an excellent setup with a good mixture of grip, solid comfort, and rolling speed.
ACCOMODATION AND SUPPLIES
The Kidman Trail is not remote but supplies (especially water) can be slightly inconvenient if you’re packing light, or the weather is hot. The trail skirts a few kilometers around many towns rather than going through them so you need to make the most of your trips close to supplies. The best towns for for supplies are Mt Pleasant, Nairne, and Macclesfield.
The Kidman Trail passes close enough to several towns to find accommodation where you want it, and there’s camping options through Mt Crawford Forest and Prospect Hill.
Town gaps from Kapunda:
27 km to Stockwell
77 km to Mt Pleasant
70 km to Nairne
35 km to Macclesfield
60 km to Willunga
NAVIGATION
The Mawson Trail has spoiled South Australian Cyclists with its copious and well-maintained signage. The Kidman Trail makes a solid effort but there’s some tricky spots to navigate because the markers might be hidden or the trail might be overgrown.
I used a Garmin Edge 830 and RideWithGPS phone app to keep me on track. I recommend people have a main nav, and backup for their trip.
DAY 0 - KIDMAN PROLOGUE - 135 km, 2,200 ascending
I rode North-to-South to add in a first day of gravel goodness along an altered version of the Mawson Trail. Both the Kidman Trail and Mawson Trail share sections of road into/out of Kapunda, so you’ll get some dejavu.
We adapted the Mawson Trail to avoid the first section along Stone Hut Road and instead climbed Norton Summit and connected with the fantastic Blockers Road to Fox Creek gravel sequence. Stone Hut Road has its place, but it’s slow going and the novelty can wear off once you’ve ridden it a couple of times.
The gravel in the Barossa Valley is pretty darn fantastic
Our course connected with the Mawson near Fox Creek and we followed it into Lobethal where there’s plenty of supplies and the deluxe Emma & Ivy cafe. The following 20 kms are delicious compacted gravel roads that lead you to Mt Crawford Forest. Following your forest fling there’s some more undulating gravel roads that take you to the mega view from Steingarten road and the flying descent down into the Barossa Wine region. You roll through Tanunda with plentiful supplies, through Nuriootpa a couple of kilometers later, and back out onto the Mawson dirt.
The last 20 km are a civilised jaunt through paddock-intersecting roads and tracks. Depending on time of year you’ll find this stretch to be glowing yellow and green with canola and wheat, or a burnt brown of their dried remnants. It’s a dusty run-in to Kapunda where there’s a devastatingly long wait for pizza on Friday nights.
KIDMAN PROPER - KAPUNDA TO NAIRNE-ISH - 170 km, 2,700 ascending
Our first day gobbled up most of the Kidman from its beginning to a conveniently-placed relative’s house in the Brukunga/Nairne area. The towns are awkwardly spaced with Mt Pleasant after 100 km and then nothing until Nairne around 175 km where the flashpackers can sleep.
It’s a relaxed start to the Kidman, rolling out through the farmland with some gently undulating roads and plenty of right-angle turns taking you into Stockwell after 30 km. Out of town is where the Kidman throws its first challenging section at riders with a hilariously bumpy and rock-strewn paddock. Sheep will flee unnecessarily as you crawl along the fenceline before plunging into a creek crossing. The next couple of kilometers involve skirting fallen trees, dodging rocks, and pushing hard through some slushy sand before you pop out onto Roberts Road and the gravel makes a welcome return.
This section was STEEP
The Kidman Trail will pitch you back into rough trail from Gnadenburg Road before sending you back through some beautiful farmland and a brief date with the Mawson Trail. The entire first 70 km or so is a gradual uphill and you crest the highest elevation before dropping down towards Mt Crawford forest. In there you’ll find gorgeous tree-lined and a horrific (and unnecessary) wall that averages 20-25% for about 200 metres. It’s easily avoided by going around. The following kilometers have a couple of climbs before you bomb into Mt Pleasant and gorge on pastries at the bakery.
Get used to opening and closing gates!
The next 70 km are tough as you slowly lose elevation down into Rockleigh. It’s a gorgeous place, stacked with quality gravel roads, but it’s tiring. You’re constantly climbing or descending with almost no flat stretches. A true delight is the Hoads Fire Track/Bottroff Hill Road stretch with mega views across the vast open space. Don’t get distracted though because the trail deviates off for some paddock bashing and sand churning action. It’s slow but still hilarious. I happened to ride the first day with international road and CX racer Nat Redmond who enjoyed riding these parts and watching me suffer.
Steep Hill Road is way more fun going down
You’ll hit the lowest point for the day before facing the longest single climb: Bondleigh Road. Enjoy the view at the top because you immediately lose almost all of your gains descending the aptly named Steep Hill Road and the climbing begins anew.
Soon after we diverted the trail for our accomodation but the trail heads into Nairne.
KIDMAN - NAIRNE TO WILLUNGA - 98 km, 1,600 ascending
This stretch of the trail is brilliant, with less distance and climbing than the previous day. There’s far more Kidman Stitch-ups though.
The gravel section out of Nairne is arguably the best of the Kidman, dropping down gorgeous Vonstone Range Road. The gravel feels different here; much shiftier and ball-bearing-esque which makes the steep drop to the Freeway Underpass very exciting. There’s wonderful views through this stretch which was a dramatically toasted brown in the December warmth.
Toasty!
Soon you’ll come upon the most significant Kidman Stitch-up after turning off Lakeview Drive into someone’s driveway. Watch out for the trail markers and take care plunging down into a creekbed before a decent walk out and along the fenceline. It’s a tough stretch, and one I’d recommend avoiding if the grass is long or it’s been wet because of the creek.
I had an AWESOME time on this day
The following stretch alternates between gravel roads and more narrow tracks with multiple walking sections and misplaced “I can probably ride that” enthusiasm. You know you’re in for a treat when you come upon a section doesn’t appear on any maps. You’ll have earned your vittles when you hit Macclesfield soon after.
The remaining 60 kms have some phenomenal gravel roads; the stretch along Hack Range Road and the drop down to Razorback road being particularly nice. Tree-lined streets also make for a refreshing change after the exposed dryness of the preceding Trail. You’ll duck in and out of the plantation forests for the following kilometers. Prospect Hill provides some phenomenal tracks surrounded by tall pine trees.
Adam Gully Road to the top of the Willunga Range, and the brilliant drop down Thomas Hill Road are the swansong of the Kidman (if you’ve ridden from the North). You’ve earned the ocean vistas and they’re more satisfying than the Sea and Vines bike path that takes you to the Kidman Trail finish in Willunga. On the plus side, Willunga is loaded with places to eat all the things and congratulations for finishing the Kidman Trail!
GETTING BACK TO ADELAIDE
Those who finish the Kidman in Willunda can get back to the city on a train from Seaford aboard the Seaford Line. It’s roughly 20 km from Williunga to Seaford, or you can be extra badass and ride back to Adelaide. Those riding South to North will find returning from Kapunda is less convenient. Ride the Mawson Trail. That’s the only way I know to get to and from Kapunda! Good luck!
