Can you ride a horse or bring a dog on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail?

Riding a horse

Horses are welcome on the trail. Transport and Main Roads' trail map calls it an adventure trail to tackle by horse, bike or foot, and one section brochure says it plainly: "Horses are welcome on this section of the trail." The trail is multi-use and non-motorised, for walking, mountain biking and horse riding.

TMR's guidance, in the archived copy of 24 November 2025, says horse riders must ride in control of their horses, strongly recommends a helmet, and recommends horses be shod or wear boots; the Linville to Blackbutt brochure says horses must be shod. Young or inexperienced horses are best introduced to bike riders and walkers before they come to the trail, and horses should not be left standing in natural watercourses.

The Linville to Blackbutt brochure describes the trail there as excellent for experienced horse riders, with good horse facilities at Linville, Benarkin and Blackbutt.

If you are setting out with a horse float at the southern end, Borallon is the place: the trail guide lists a parking area there for riders beginning their journey, with ample parking, a horse water trough and hitching rails. At the far end, the last section ends with a holding yard at Harland Park on Cooyar Creek.

The gentlest riding is the pair of easy-grade sections in the middle of the trail, Toogoolawah to Harlin and Harlin to Moore, 27 km together, counted from the trail map’s two lengths.

Horse troughs and yards

The department's own pages are the place to see what is on the ground for a horse, section by section. Holding yards sit at the towns: at Lowood; in Esk; in Toogoolawah; at Moore; at Linville, and at MacNamara's Camp between Linville and Benarkin; and at Harland Park on Cooyar Creek. Troughs and shade shelters sit between them: at Borallon, where riders can start with a parking area, a water trough and hitching rails; at the old Yimbun Station site; on the southern side of Emu Creek; at Coal Creek Bridge and Morden Road south of Toogoolawah; and at Cooragook and Sandy Creek Bridge. The Linville to Blackbutt brochure adds good horse facilities at Benarkin and Blackbutt.

Counted across the department's lists, every one of the eleven sections has a trough, holding yards or good horse facilities on it, and Moore and Linville each add showers for their riders.

The department's trail map lists the same provision in its own words, with holding yards at Lowood, Esk, Toogoolawah, Moore and Linville, water for horses at Coal Creek Bridge, Morden Road, the old Yimbun station site and the southern side of Emu Creek, and a holding yard at MacNamara's Camp between Linville and Benarkin.

Bringing a dog

For dogs, the trail's code of conduct is one line long: keep them under control and on a lead, and clean up after your dog.

In the Somerset Regional Council area, the council's animal management sits behind that. Pet owners must follow the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008, as well as any local laws. The council lists the habits of a responsible pet owner: a lead, unless the dog is in a designated off-leash area; a bag or container for droppings; and picking those droppings up in public. An animal in a public place must be kept under effective control by whoever is handling it, and a breach can bring an infringement notice or an on-the-spot fine.

The rail trail and the Bicentennial National Trail both run through Benarkin State Forest. Dogs are allowed overnight in Clancys camping area in Benarkin State Forest, provided they are under control and restrained on a leash at all times. Camping there needs a permit and fees apply.

The code of conduct

Transport and Main Roads publishes a code of conduct for the trail, grouped by who is on it. For bike riders: keep left where you can and give way to walkers and horse riders; watch for corners and blind spots and be ready to stop; alert the people ahead when passing, and pass slowly. TMR's safety information adds that bike riders must wear an approved helmet.

Passing a horse has its own rule: slow down and speak to the rider before you come up on them, and do not ring a bell. If the horse is upset, be ready to stop.

For walkers: keep left where you can, and give way to horse riders.

For everyone: stay on the trail; leave gates as they were found; take your rubbish home; no fires; camp only in designated areas; clean bikes, boots, gear and horse hooves before and after the trip, to help stop weeds and disease spreading; avoid riding on tracks that are soft, wet or muddy; do not approach pets or livestock in neighbouring properties, and if you meet livestock on the trail, move quietly and with care; keep your dog on a leash and clean up after it; and do not disturb the native plants or animals.

Two more rules from the brochures: cyclists and horse riders dismount at road crossings, and the trail can be used at a pace no faster than jogging.

Who else shares the trail

The traffic is walking, cycling and horse riding, and the give-way order runs one way: bikes give way to walkers and horses, and walkers give way to horses.

The trail is closed to motor vehicles, motorbikes included, with motorised wheelchairs the one exception the department names; and its surface is not suitable for road or racing bicycles, personal mobility vehicles or horse-drawn vehicles.

One more user joins near the northern end: the rail trail meets the Bicentennial National Trail at Staines Road, Benarkin.

For where the easiest going is, and where it is not, see the guide to the easiest sections.