Swallow Tail Pass Overnighter 2025

Join us for a bikepacking overnighter in the spectacular Southern Highlands.

The Swallow Tail Pass loop is a firm favourite amongst Omafiets staff. Sweeping gravel descents, steady climbs, jaw-dropping vistas, lush forests, and plentiful wildlife - this ride has it all.

Starting in Mittagong on Day 1, we track Wombeyan Caves Road due west until we hit gravel and drop down to the Wollondilly River, where we break for lunch. Don't overstuff yourself: there are two significant, extended climbs to come! After lunch, we begin the slow and steady ascent towards the Caves campground and Mares Forest. This is a beautiful section of the route which showcases some of the immense ecological variety of the region (and features some stunning views to boot!). Once we climb out of the Caves campground and reach the end of Wombeyan Caves road, we hang a left and break in the gorgeous little country town of Taralga for the evening. 

On Day 2, there are two route options. The shorter route will be following Bannaby Road east through the region's wind farms and rolling fields towards Swallow Tail Pass. The pass itself is a loose, occasionally steep, and moderately technical descent, but a lot of fun to ride - we'll go slow and wind our way down to the Tarlo river crossing. Ascending Brayton Road on the other side, we zip along some delightful gravel roads and rolling hills towards Canyan Leigh and Paddy's River, before an extremely brief stint on the shoulder of the M4 as we roll towards Sutton Forest for afternoon tea. A few more miles down the road, we join some of the beautiful bike paths connecting Moss Vale to Bowral, before finishing up with a well deserved stop at the Eden Brewery in Mittagong.

The longer route is geared towards riders who are keen to test their limits on a light-and-fast sprint to the sea. Leaving bright and early on Sunday, we follow the original route towards Sutton Forest for lunch, before peeling off towards Kangaroo Valley and Meryla National Park. We enter the valley via Meryla Pass - a stunning descent that drops down to Griffins Farm and traces Yarrunga Creek. The descent is loose and very steep in sections - don't be afraid to get off your bike and walk it if need be! There are several gates you will need to lift your bike up and over both before and after the pass. After stopping by the town of Kangaroo Valley, we ascend Mount Scanzi and take the scenic Bugong Road down towards Nowra. Those who are keen to catch the train back at this point can do so from Bombaderry (just note that there's a limit to 2 or so bikes per train from here!). Otherwise, we'll zoom along the coast towards Gerringong and finish our ride in Kiama after nightfall.

Route Details

Day 1: 98.7km, 1717m elevation

Day 2 (Standard): 118km, 1676m elevation

Day 2 (Ultra-Distance): 211km, 2996m elevation

What to Bring

• A bike that can handle gravel trails (40mm tires minimum recommended for the standard route, 2" tires for the ultra-distance route)
• Lunch and snacks
• Water (2L minimum recommended)
• A spare inner tube or two
• A patch kit, tire levers, and portable pump
• If running tubeless, a dynaplug or tubeless repair kit
• A multi-tool
• Navigation device with route pre-loaded (e.g. iPhone, Garmin)
• A powerbank with charging cables

Ultra-Distance Course Notes:

If you're keen on entering the world of long and ultra-distance bikepacking, the longer option on the second day could be for you! However, we strongly recommend clocking some extra kms on more technical roads before venturing out on this option to see whether it's for you. Some excellent options are:

• Completing the Andersons, the Oaks, and the Ingar firetrails in a single day in the Blue Mountains.
• Completing the Newcastle Overnight.
• Completing the Two Pubs Tour in a single day.
• Completing Moss Vale to Nowra in a single day.

The ultra-distance route on the second day will be minimally supervised. It is recommended that you are prepared for any eventuality (mechanical or otherwise), that you bring a powerbank to charge your phone or navigation device, and that you have the requisite level of fitness required to complete the route. With that said, there are a number of bailout options en-route, including the train from Moss Vale and the train from Bombaderry (plus any friends or family kind enough to get you out of a jam ;-) ). You can decide after the relaxed first day of riding whether you're keen to tackle the longer route on the second day.