Recreation and Tourism

Capital City Trail

Trail Map | Sites of Interest | Victoria's Rail trails

Thanks to the foresight of our early planners, major tracts of open space in and around Melbourne remain undeveloped. The Victorian Government's vision to link the existing parks and river trails with a continuous pathway is commonly known as the Capital City Trail.

You can walk or cycle this link of diverse landscapes, using the Capital City Trail as the means to explore inner Melbourne.

Melbourne - The Liveable City Melbourne's reputation as a "liveable city" can be attributed in large measure to its heritage of gracious central city parks, leafy boulevards and river corridors. Much is now being done to build on this reputation and to enhance inner-Melbourne's image as an outstanding "green" city, endowed with extensive parklands of high environmental quality. The Capital City Trail arose out of a Government policy to create a "Circle of Parks" around inner Melbourne that encompasses parks and open space, entertainment centres, and other natural features. The 29 km trail follows the Yarra River to Yarra Bend Park and Merri Creek in the north-east, the former Inner Circle rail reserve and Royal Park to the north, and Moonee Ponds Creek, The Docklands and Southbank. The trail provides a continuous linear link around central Melbourne, offering a unique recreation opportunity, with the furthermost point on the trail being only 5 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne. Melbourne's existing parks and open space corridors provide the basic form work for the Capital City Trail, (855 hectares of open space in total). These parks display individual styles ranging fom the "near wilderness" experiences of Yarra Bend Park, to native landscapes at Royal Park, and to the European traditions of the Botanical gardens - collectively reflecting the diverse origins, cultural heritage and landscapes of Melbourne. The final segment of the trail has now been completed, providing Melburnians with a unique recreational experience.

Diverse Recreational Experiences An important feature of the Capital City Trail is the diversity of recreational experiences on offer for tourists, locals and recreators. These include the developments alongside the Yarra in the central city, the traditional formal parklands of the Domain and nearby Yarra Banks, the pleasant suburban settings of the Yarra River, Merri Creek, Yarra Bend Park and its boathouses, the railway artefacts along the old innercircle railway line, the Melbourne Zoo, the exciting transformation of Royal Park, and the potential for new parks and wetlands in the lower reaches of Moonee Ponds Creek. Ride a Tram The Capital City Trail can be reached from many points in the central city and inner suburbs. You can enjoy a pleasant journey to or from the Capital City Trail on one of Melbourne's inimitable trams. Cycle the Trail Bicycles are a great way to get around the Capital City Trail. Ride your own, or hire one from near Swan Street Bridge, near Como Park, or at Studley Park.

Improvements

Further improvements to the trail have now been made including better signage, new drinking fountains, trail construction and new links to other metropolitan trails such as the Gardiners Creek, Merri Creek and Moonee Ponds Creek trails.

A number of drinking fountains such as that shown in the photo to the left have been placed around the trail approximately every 2 kilometres, to provide users with the opportunity to have a drink and rest before continuing their journey.

Related Web Sites

• Bicycle Industry Australia
• Bicycle Victoria
• Parks Victoria
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (USA)
• SUSTRANS for cyclists and walkers (UK)