General News
1 April, 2026
Bold vision
A DARING vision has been presented for Cardwell as a premier destination for mountain bike enthusiasts, hikers and other nature tourists.
It’s part of a plan presented in a report at last week’s Cassowary Coast Regional Council meeting aimed at turning Cardwell into a nationally known destination rather than just a ‘drive-through’ or highway stop-off.
One of the plan’s key elements is the transformation of the town’s underused sports ground into “an integrated tourism and visitor gateway” precinct, leading into a total network of nearly 100km of world-class mountain bike trails, as well as hiking and walking trails.
Part of that would be a ‘trail head’ – or main entry point – proposed to be co-located with the existing Cardwell Pump Track, located about 500m from the town centre and a play space.
The trails are designed to span across three main geographic areas, using the natural elevation of the coastal ranges immediately surrounding Cardwell: The Seven Sisters (Elphinstone Range), Lookout Hill and Attie Creek, the report says.
“The Cardwell Trails project, a key feature of the Gateway Precinct, includes the proposed development of a 94km, 26-trail mountain bike network in picturesque national park and World Heritage rainforest,” the report says.
“Originally conceived in 2019 by the local community, the project has evolved into a broader vision for the Gateway Precinct, which integrates the trails with other activities such as walking, trail running, gravel riding, and cultural tours.”
The bike trails are planned to be diverse, with a mix of styles including a 9.6-kilometre ‘gravity epic trail’, eight flow, airflow and gravity trails for high-speed riding, 16 adventure trails and a wilderness trail for a more traditional cross-country experience.
It’s proposed that visitors will be able to ride directly from their accommodation or local cafes to the trails without needing a car.
“The concept provides for a functional ‘ride-in, ride-out’ experience that connects directly with local amenities and enhances accessibility for a broad range of users,” a summary in the report said.
“It incorporates essential infrastructure such as parking, shaded gathering areas, amenities, signage and opportunities for future commercial activation including bike hire, café, tour hub and visitor information.
“The design reflects Girramay Country through cultural and environmental storytelling and provides a scalable foundation for staged delivery as visitation grows, supporting the project’s long-term operational and tourism objectives.”
While council has developed the broad vision, it does not intend to fund the projects within. Rather, it says its role will primarily be to secure grant funding to complete the necessary planning, design and due diligence work.
“By leading the planning process, and advocating for investment, the council will de-risk future development and create a multi-faceted, investment ready project that appeals to investors and funding bodies, and that may be delivered as a single project or individual elements.”
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