Melrose: Trails, Cycling Routes and Cultural Heritage

Melrose lies at the foot of Mount Remarkable. From here, visitors can walk into Mount Remarkable National Park. For your trip planning, this makes the town a starting point for two distinct areas of interest: outdoor activities and exploring Melrose’s history. The routes differ in length, duration and character; cultural sites and recurring events provide further specific reasons to visit.

Choose trails to suit your itinerary

The Remarkable Epic Trail is a 39-kilometre loop that starts in Melrose. The Black Range Trek offers a different kind of hike: this challenging 26-kilometre walk takes two days and runs from Mambray Creek to Melrose. The trek is therefore a challenging two-day hike, while the Epic Trail is a loop. Their different lengths, durations and route types give you different points of reference for planning your activities.

The Melrose to Wilmington Rail Trail runs 22 kilometres north from Melrose. This cycling and walking trail is mostly flat to gently undulating and is suitable for beginners. This offers a clear contrast with the challenging Black Range Trek: here, gentle terrain and suitability for beginners are set against an explicitly challenging, two-day hike. The Heysen Trail also passes through Melrose. If you want to go mountain biking, Melrose and the foothills of Mount Remarkable, along with nearby areas, offer about 80 kilometres of singletrack trails.

The Melrose Nature Hike passes through the foothills and is shared by walkers and mountain bikers. This lets you distinguish between a shared-use trail, the singletrack trails and the Heysen Trail, which passes through Melrose. The different types of routes can help you organise your activities to suit your own interests, without treating the individual trail descriptions as a single combined route.

Local history and cultural insights

The Melrose Heritage Walk leads to historic buildings and landmarks. The Melrose Courthouse Heritage Centre explores early justice, policing and the region’s pioneers; it also shares Nukunu legends and stories. The Nukunu are the Traditional Owners of this area. The topics therefore range from early justice and regional pioneering history to the stories of the Nukunu.

The Melrose War Memorial commemorates those who died in service during the First World War. The Melrose Mine, where mining began in 1848, is located on the Melrose Nature Walk. These sites offer further historical points of interest for exploring Melrose, alongside the buildings and landmarks on the Heritage Walk.

Events and places in the town centre

If you’d like to plan your trip around a set event date, the Melrose Strawberry Fete is held annually on the first Sunday in November, from 10 am to 4 pm. The programme includes market stalls and strawberry products. Check the dates before your trip if you’re planning to attend the Fete. The Off the Deck Melrose Market is held monthly on the deck of the North Star Hotel.

In the town centre, Melrose Paradise Square has a well-maintained lawn, a garden and picnic areas. Tickets for the Melrose Museum Ghost Tours must be purchased in advance. Ticket requirements may change, so check them beforehand if you’re planning a tour.

Discover more destinations: Wirrabara

Return to the main travel guide: District Council of Mount Remarkable.