Capital City Trail

For the trail in Wisconsin, see Capital City State Trail.

Capital City Trail

Capital City Trail at Princes Park looking west

Length| Approx 29 km
Location| Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Difficulty| Easy
Surface| Shared use concrete or bitumen
Hills| Minor hill at Rushall Station
Water| Drinking fountains every 2km approx
Train(s)| Going clockwise: Flinders Street, Southern Cross, Flemington Bridge, Rushall and Heyington stations
Trail map

The Capital City Trail is a shared use path in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which circles the city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs.[1][2][3] It is 29km in length, and mostly consists of sections of other trails, such as the Merri Creek Trail, Main Yarra Trail, Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and Inner Circle Rail Trail.[4]

A popular starting point for the trail is at Princes Bridge near Flinders Street station. The rider can head off in an easterly or westerly direction. If heading off in the westerly, either side of the river can be used, but the south side tends to be more popular, particularly amongst walkers and runners.

The Capital City Trail uses the same path as the Main Yarra Trail up to Dights Falls, where it continues, using the same path as the Merri Creek Trail, as part of its loop around the city.

## Following the path

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The trail follows the Yarra River to Yarra Bend Park on the Yarra River Trail and meets Merri Creek at Dights Falls. It follows the Merri Creek Trail up the Merri Creek to Rushall Station, where it follows the former Inner Circle rail reserve and Royal Park. It then meets the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, which continues back to Docklands and Southbank. At its farthest, the trail is 5 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne.

### Construction

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Recently[when?] completed improvements to the trail include a footbridge crossing Manningham Street in Parkville (which removes a flight of stairs and a road crossing), and re-paving of the path and landscaping on the section that passes under the Hurstbridge railway line. Lobby group Bicycle Network continues to advocate for improvements to the trail, notably the removal of a staircase that interrupts the path at Gipps Street in Abbotsford.

## Landmarks

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Map of the Capital City Trail, highlighted in yellow.

The trail passes by the following attractions and landmarks:

* Southbank
* Alexandra Gardens and Royal Botanic Gardens
* Melbourne Park and Melbourne Cricket Ground
* Yarra River
* Yarra Bend Park
* Collingwood Children's Farm
* Hardy Gallagher Reserve
* Merri Creek
* Rushall Garden, a community garden in North Fitzroy.
* Princes Park, location of the Ikon Park football stadium
* Royal Park
* Melbourne Zoo
* Moonee Ponds Creek
* Marvel Stadium
* Docklands

## Connections

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The trail acts as central hub and has many spokes. Starting in the north and going clockwise there is the Upfield Rail Trail, Merri Creek Trail, Yarra River Trail, Gardiners Creek Trail, Sandridge Trail, Maribyrnong River Trail & Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail (via the Footscray Road path at Docklands) and finally the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.

The Princes Bridge starting point is at 37°49′11″S 144°58′07″E﻿ / ﻿37.819744°S 144.968516°E﻿ / -37.819744; 144.968516.

## References

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1. ^ VicRoads – Principal Bicycle Network Map
2. ^ Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Maps
3. ^ "Melbourne and Geelong's shared paths in Google Earth". Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
4. ^ Victoria, c=au; o=Visit. "Capital City Trail, Attraction, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia". Visit Victoria home. Retrieved 27 June 2023.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

* Bike rides around Melbourne 3rd edition, 2009, Julia Blunden, Open Spaces Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9752333-4-4
* Bike Paths Victoria sixth edition, 2004. Edited and published by Sabey & Associates Pty Ltd. pp111, 119–122. ISBN 0-9579591-1-7
* Revealed – Melbourne's Best Green Secret GEOFF MOSLEY for The Age. 11 May 2010

## External links

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* Bicycle Victoria – Manningham St Bridge
* Inner Circle Railway Trail – description of the trail
* Route map and trail guide is on Cyclewayz app
* Capital City Trail notes at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 September 2007)
* Geographic data related to Capital City Trail at OpenStreetMap

* v
* t
* e

Bicycle trails in Melbourne

* Anniversary (Outer Circle)
* Baxter Trail
* Bay (Bayside)
* Ringwood–Belgrave
* Blind Creek
* Box Hill to Ringwood
* Broadmeadows Valley
* Brushy Creek
* Bushy Creek
* Capital City
* Carrum to Warburton
* Craigieburn Bypass
* Dandenong Creek
* Dandenong South
* Darebin Creek
* Diamond Creek
* Djerring
* EastLink
* Edgars Creek
* Eumemmering Creek
* Federation
* Ferndale Park
* Ferny Creek
* Findon Creek
* Frankston-Baxter
* Gardiners Creek
* Gawler Chain
* Greengully
* Greensborough Bypass
* Hallam Bypass
* Hallam Valley
* Hendersons Road Drain
* Hobsons Bay Coastal
* Koonung Creek
* Kororoit Creek
* Laverton Creek
* Lilydale to Warburton
* Longbeach
* M80
* Maribyrnong River
* Maroondah Aqueduct
* Merri Creek
* Moonee Ponds Creek
* Mornington
* Mullum Mullum Creek
* North Road
* Northern Pipe
* Peninsula Link
* Plenty River
* River Gum Walk
* Rosstown
* Ruffey Creek
* Sandridge
* Scoresby Road
* Scotchmans Creek
* Skeleton Creek
* South Morang
* St Clems
* Steele Creek
* Stud Road
* Syndal Heatherdale Pipe Reserve
* Tarralla Creek
* Taylors Creek
* Toolern Creek
* Upfield Bike Path
* Waverley
* Wellington Road
* Wellness Trail
* Werribee River
* Western Port Bay
* Wurundjeri Walk
* Yarra River
* Yarraleen
* Yuroke Creek

* Bicycle paths in Melbourne
* Cycling in Melbourne
* Cycling in Victoria
* Segregated cycle facilities

* v
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Rail Trails in Victoria

Melbourne & Region|

* Belgrave
* Bellarine
* Box Hill to Ringwood
* Djerring
* Hawthorn to Kew
* Inner Circle
* Lilydale to Warburton
* Outer Circle (Anniversary)
* Powelltown
* Red Hill
* Rosstown Heritage
* Sandridge
* Waverley
* Yarra Valley (Lilydale to Healsville)

Gippsland|

* Bass Coast
* Drouin to Warragul
* East Gippsland
* Gippsland Lakes Discovery
* Gippsland Plains
* Grand Ridge
* Great Southern
* Moe to Yallourn
* Moondarra
* Noojee Trestle Bridge
* Rokeby to Crossover
* Tarra
* Tyers Junction
* Walhalla Goldfields

North Victoria|

* Castlemaine to Maldon
* Dookie
* Great Victorian
* High Country
* Marysville
* Mount Samaria
* Murchison-Rushworth
* Murray to the Mountains
* O'Keefe
* Plain Creek
* Say G'day

Western Victoria|

* Andersons Mill
* Ballarat-Skipton
* Bunny
* Camperdown-Timboon
* Domino
* Grampians
* Great Divide
* Old Beechy
* Port Fairy to Warrnambool
* Tiger

* v
* t
* e

Landmarks in the Melbourne central business district

Note: this includes landmarks in the Melbourne central business district and its immediate surrounds, not the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area

Precincts|

* Arts
* Chinatown
* Docklands
* East End
* Government
* Greek
* Little Italy
* Paris End
* RMIT Quarter
* Southbank/Wharf
* Sports & Entertainment
* University of Melbourne

Entertainment|

* Aquarium
* Arts Centre
* Convention & Exhibition Centre
* Crown Entertainment Complex
* Luna Park
* Sidney Myer Music Bowl
* Theatre District
* Zoo

Shopping centres|

* Block Arcade
* Cathedral Arcade
* Collins Place
* DFO South Wharf
* Emporium
* GPO
* Melbourne Central
* Myer Flagship Store
* Queen Victoria Market
* QV
* Royal Arcade
* St Collins Lane
* The District Docklands

Public museums|

* ACCA
* ACMI
* Chinese
* Hellenic
* Ian Potter
* Immigration
* Melbourne
* Observatory
* NGV Australia
* NGV International
* Old Melbourne Gaol
* Old Treasury Building
* RMIT Gallery

Institutions|

* Government House
* Town Hall
* Parliament House
* State Library
* Supreme Court
* Victoria Barracks

Notable structures|

* Arts Centre
* Australia 108
* Eureka Tower
* Federation Square
* Royal Exhibition Building
* Shrine of Remembrance
* St Patrick's Cathedral
* St Paul's Cathedral
* Young and Jackson Hotel

Sports venues|

* Docklands Stadium
* Grand Prix Circuit
* Icehouse
* Lakeside Stadium
* Melbourne Cricket Ground
* Melbourne Park (John Cain Arena \- Kia Arena \- Margaret Court Arena \- Rod Laver Arena)
* Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park)
* Sports & Aquatic Centre
* Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre
* Parkville Stadium
* Royal Park Golf Club

Parks and gardens|

* Albert Park
* Alexandra Gardens
* Birrarung Marr
* Carlton Gardens
* Fitzroy Gardens
* Flagstaff Gardens
* Kings Domain
* Queen Victoria Gardens
* Royal Botanic Gardens
* Royal Park
* Treasury Gardens
* Yarra Park

Transport|

* Bolte Bridge
* Capital City Trail
* City Circle tram
* CityLink
* City Loop
* Flinders Street station
* Melbourne Central station
* Princes Bridge
* Southern Cross station
* Trams
* West Gate Bridge
* Yarra River

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