Dwellingup and Collie named WA’s premier Mountain Bike Trail Towns in tourism boon

Dwellingup has been named a WA top trail town, continuing its trajectory to becoming one of the State’s best holiday destinations.

The top trail town initiative aims to boost WA’s regional centres by promoting towns as tourism hot spots and showcasing their strong connections to local bike trail networks.

Dwellingup, last year crowned Australian’s Top Tiny Tourism Town at the Australian Tourism Awards, was on April 19 named WA’s premier mountain bike trail town alongside Collie.

Achieving WA trail town status is expected to bring numerous benefits to the South West towns, including by drawing and making it easier for destination trail users and holidaymakers to visit.

The accreditation — a collaboration between Trails WA, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries — will provide expert assessments and personalised support so the areas can improve their trails tourism offering.

Regions must meet trail town standards to earn the title, which include trail infrastructure, landscapes, tourism marketing, maintenance and community engagement, and display the logo in promotions.

Trails WA chairperson Suzanne Hillier said it promised a bright future for the selected towns.

“The trail town initiative goes beyond mere recognition, it focuses on transformation,” she said. “By embracing these standards, towns can reimagine themselves as vibrant activity hubs, attracting visitors, driving commerce and fostering community pride.”

Sports and Recreation Minister David Templeman said the State Government’s growing investment in developing a world-class trails network was “gaining momentum for recreation and tourism”.

“This initiative aims to connect people and communities, foster partnerships and business networks, and offer authentic experiences of regional Western Australia to both locals and visitors from afar,” he said.

The $8.4 million Dwellingup Adventure Trails Project — jointly funded by the Federal and State governments and the Shire of Murray — opened in June 2023, which which saw the installation of the 35km Murray Valley mountain bike trail network, a Dwellingup mountain bike trail network around the town site, new canoe launching facilities and sealing of 9km of previously gravel roads.

The small town saw a 390 per cent increase in visitation between 2020 and 2023.