Northern Rivers Rail Trail & DogPacking Australia

NSW’s Dog Friendly Rail Trail

This blog was written in partnership with Dogpacking Australia.

Two bicycles with attached trailers and gear parked at a rest area on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with a dog resting nearby. The scene is surrounded by lush greenery and a vibrant tree in full red bloom, with fallen petals across the ground, benches, and a curved gravel path highlighting a shaded and pet-friendly stopping point along the trail. Person riding an orange bicycle along the Northern Rivers Rail Trail with a dog seated in a front-mounted crate attached to the bike. The scene shows a smooth shared-use path bordered by green bushland, highlighting a pet-friendly experience for cycling, walking, and other trail users.

Trail overview

You can tell a lot of thought was put behind the planning and construction of this rail trail because it’s impressive from the rail trail parking lot… yes, I said parking lot.

This shared path is made mostly of sealed road with compacted dirt sections, and stays pretty flat from our start to finish over 2 days.

Labelled the Tweed Section of the rail trail, this section officially finishes at Crabbes Creek (another 5.2kms from where we finished) and is always busy with runners, walkers, cyclists and their dogs. We saw lots of well-behaved dogs (the bike shop even had bike trailers for hire encouraging people to bring their kids and dogs).

Person adjusting bags on an orange bicycle at a Northern Rivers Rail Trail trailhead, with two dogs seated in front-mounted crates attached to the bike. The scene includes a smooth shared path, signage, and shaded bushland surroundings, highlighting a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience. Close-up of two dogs riding in front-mounted bike baskets on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with one dog resting its paws over the edge of a crate attached to a bicycle. The background shows soft-focus greenery and trail surroundings, highlighting a pet-friendly and shared-use trail experience. Close-up of a dog sitting in a front-mounted bike crate on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with a cyclist wearing a helmet in the background checking a map. The shaded bushland setting and smooth shared path highlight a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience suitable for cycling and walking.

Trail tails

The Rail Trail experience starts the second you park your vehicle. Every rail trail we’ve cycled before this didn’t have a designated parking lot, so finding parking, knowing your vehicle is safe and unloading and gearing up the bikes and dogs was a breeze.

It starts at the state heritage listed Murwillumbah Railway Station equipped with a bike shop, toilets, first aid station, a cafe and multiple places and spaces to sit. A beautiful send-off and welcome-home station that can get busy with bikes, walkers, kids and dogs.

The trail begins with a stunning scenic ride out of Murwillumbah. This part of the trail gets super busy, so sticking to your left, calming excited dogs, and overtaking politeness goes a long way. Crowds start to thin out from here.

The Rail Trail has a few drinking stations with dog bowls available so we made sure we filled up when we came to one. The first drinking station is 2.2kms in at the Gallery Connection, the next 16.5kms away at Burringbar Station, and if you’re continuing on, the last is 2.2kms along at Mooball Station. You can also detour to a cafe along the trail in between the drinking stations. You’ll find multiple signs along the rail trail advertising cafes and businesses off the trail. We took a short detour off the trail in Stokers Siding to fuel up the Hosanna Farmstay.

Person standing beside an orange bicycle on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with multiple dogs nearby including some seated in front-mounted bike crates. A bike trailer is visible in the foreground, and the scene is set against green bushland with a wide, shared-use path, highlighting a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience. Dog resting on a gravel section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail beside a loaded touring bicycle fitted with pannier bags and a bike trailer. The scene shows open green countryside with trees and signage in the background, highlighting a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience suitable for walking and cycling. Close-up of a dog resting inside a bike trailer attached to a bicycle on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with its head leaning over the side. The smooth shared path and bushland surroundings highlight a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience suitable for cycling and walking.

We stopped at a few seating areas for a rest and to let the dogs stretch their legs and have a drink. All dogs were kept on leashes. We never came across any off-leash dogs.

The trail was mostly shaded and a nice cruise passing through farm land and small villages. Some cows and horses come right up to the fences along the RT. Our dogs tend to leave them alone as we pass, but it’s still something we’re mindful of when passing through private farmlands.

We came across a few road crossings at Dunbible, Stokers Siding, Upper Burringbar and one other. Traffic is basically non-existent, but it’s still something to be aware of when crossing with kids and dogs.

The ride from Stokers Siding to the Burringar Tunnel is an unassuming gradient which you start to feel when carting 2 dogs. Reaching the Burringbar Tunnel became a refreshing section after the stretch. The Burringar Tunnel is the longest tunnel on the Casino to Murwillumbah line, approx. 524m in length, so you must have a bike light to enter.

Trail highlights

What we and the dogs loved along the trail. We may have spent a little TOO much time at these spots….

  • Honestly, the Rail Trail parking lot (not kidding)
  • Murwillumbah Station – The Platform Cafe, toilets, first aid station, Better By Bike shop, and a selection of chill out areas
  • The long stretch along the farm field near Murwillumbah Station
  • The trail through a farm valley before you reach Dunbible Station
  • Burringbar Tunnel – 524m long. The longest tunnel along the Casino to Murwillumbah line. A single-track concrete tunnel 7m high and 3.7m wide. Microbats and glow worms call it home. Maybe don’t open your mouth and look up.
  • Hosanna Farmstay – fantastic service, good coffee, iced drinks and delicious food

Person standing beside an orange bicycle on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, holding the handlebars while multiple dogs are positioned in front-mounted bike crates and nearby. The scene is set in a shaded area with dense green foliage, bamboo, and a trail structure in the background, highlighting a pet-friendly and multi-use trail experience suitable for cycling, walking, and outdoor recreation. Dog wearing a harness drinking water from a collapsible bowl beside a paved section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with green grass and natural vegetation in the background, highlighting pet-friendly amenities and rest stops along the shared-use trail. Dog sitting in a bike trailer attached to a bicycle at a Northern Rivers Rail Trail trailhead, positioned in front of a large green welcome sign that reads “Welcome to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail” with a map of the route. The scene includes paved and roadside surroundings with trees and signage, highlighting a pet-friendly access point to the shared-use trail.

Original article available on the Dogpacking Australia site. 

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