Discover Greater Geelong City

Trails between the river, bay and railway line

Greater Geelong City brings together several distinct trail themes and urban cultural attractions. One trail follows the Barwon River, another the Corio Bay; others run alongside a creek or along a former railway line. If you are looking for hotels for your trip, you can start planning by considering whether you are most interested in a riverbank, coastline, a connection between two places, or art and urban history.

The Barwon River Trail offers more than 20 kilometres of paved paths along the Barwon River. The 35-kilometre Bellarine Rail Trail connects South Geelong with Queenscliff and follows the route of the former Geelong–Queenscliff railway line. The Bay Trail runs along the shore of Corio Bay from Rippleside Park in Drumcondra to Eastern Beach.

The 6.37-kilometre Waurn Ponds Trail runs along Waurn Ponds Creek. The endpoints provide a point of reference for the Ted Wilson Trail: it follows the route of the Geelong Ring Road from Broderick Road in Corio to Church Street in Herne Hill. The lengths also offer a comparison: at 35 kilometres, the Bellarine Rail Trail is considerably longer than the Waurn Ponds Trail; the Barwon River Trail is listed as having more than 20 kilometres of paved paths.

Art, a museum and getting there

In Geelong, the Waterfront Bollards Trail offers a self-guided, 30-minute walk along public artworks on the waterfront promenade. Jan Mitchell’s Geelong Bollards project is a vibrant expression of the city’s history and cultural heritage. If you are weighing trails associated with waterways or a railway line against an urban focus, this walk brings art and urban history together.

The National Wool Museum adds a specific museum visit to your time in Geelong. Visitor information updated on 22 June 2026 lists opening hours of 10 am to 5 pm on all seven days of the week, as well as daily V/Line train services from Melbourne Southern Cross to Geelong. From the museum, you can reach the station on foot in about ten minutes. Check the timetable before setting off and plan your museum visit around the listed opening hours.

Granite landscapes and mountain bike trails

The You Yangs Regional Park is located in the wider Greater Geelong area. Distinctive granite peaks rise abruptly from the flat plains there, and more than 200 bird species have been recorded in the park. There are also more than 50 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails for beginners and advanced riders. The landscape, recorded bird species and stated experience levels offer different points of reference to help you make your choice.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Leopold, Yarra Ranges Shire, Greater Bendigo City, Bass Coast Shire, Hobsons Bay City, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Nillumbik Shire, East Gippsland Shire.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.