Rail Trails are disused railway corridors that have been converted to paths for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Discover the Otways in a different way and explore our stunning rail trails.
Enjoy this 50km scenic trail in sections or plan a full day or weekend traversing scenic farmland and pockets of pine and wet eucalypt forest between Colac and Beech Forest.
The trail follows the original alignment of a narrow-gauge (2’6″/762mm) railway that played a key role in opening the western Otways to settlement. Innovative interpretive signs along the route describe the history of the railway and the area.
Prior to exploring the Old Beechy Rail Trail please contact our friendly team at the Colac and Apollo Bay Visitor Information Centres’. Trail updates and closure notifications are also listed on the Colac Otway Shires’ website. An alignment map of the Old Beechy can also be found on Rail Trail Australia’s website.
PLEASE NOTE: The Old Beechy Rail Trail passes through both public and private land. Users of the trail are asked to respect the private landowners’ rights to use their land. Many private landowners use their property on a daily bases for farming activities. Cyclists are asked to reduce their speed whilst travelling through the private property sections of the Old Beechy Rail Trail.
The Forrest ‘Tiger’ Rail Trail is a short 6km trail situated in the Otways township of Forrest. It is a family-friendly ride or walk that provides an alternative to the many mountain bike trails in the area.
The trail is well maintained and has interpretative signage along the way. The trail’s “Tiger” name comes from the days when trains stopped running between the towns and a converted Dodge sedan, painted black and yellow, ferried passengers instead – resembling a tiger.
Commence your ride or walk opposite the Forrest Brewing Company. the trail winds through the Yaugher State Forest on its way towards (but not all the way to) Barwon Downs. The shared trail is a popular route for mountain bike riders who are traveling to the Yaugher MTB network and horse riders and walkers.
When on a shared trail riders need to give way to both horse riders and walkers.
Download the Visit Forrest Trails brochure to learn the detailed history of the Tiger Rail Trail. This brochure also has a self guided tour map for the Forrest History Walk.
Make sure you pack your water and sun protective gear, and make sure the full trail is open by visiting colacotway.vic.gov.au or calling the Visitor Information Centre for the latest.
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Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Great Ocean Road region the Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar & Gunditjmara. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise and respect their unique cultural heritage and the connection to their traditional lands. We commit to building genuine and lasting partnerships that recognise, embrace and support the spirit of reconciliation, working towards self-determination, equity of outcomes and an equal voice for Australia’s first people.
