Smithfield doesn’t have a beach, and it doesn’t care. The Northern Beaches’ junction suburb has the region’s biggest shopping centre, its university, the turnoff up the Kuranda Range, the Skyrail terminal on its doorstep, and, carved into the rainforest hills behind it, one of the great mountain bike parks of the world. Every visitor ends up here eventually; the smart ones bring a bike.
The mountain bike park
Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is the genuine article: rainforest single track that has hosted UCI World Cups and the World Championships (1996 and 2017), plus the Crankworx festival era and masters world titles since. The public network runs roughly 35 kilometres of cross-country and downhill through the hills behind the university, free to ride, maintained by the local club, with a major expansion underway. Trails range from beginner-friendly flow to the kind of famous tech that ended world champions’ race runs; hire and lessons operate locally, and riding rainforest before breakfast then reef after lunch is the flex the whole sport knows Cairns for.
The practical stuff
Smithfield Shopping Centre handles the region’s big shop (supermarkets, cinema, everything else), the Captain Cook and Kennedy highways meet here (city south, beaches north, Kuranda up the hill), and the Skyrail terminal at Caravonica is five minutes away. Just north, the Cattana Wetlands offer free boardwalks, bird hides and lagoons reclaimed from cane country: the region’s best easy birdwatching and a genuinely lovely quiet hour.
Things to do in Smithfield
Smithfield is a junction rather than a destination, which is exactly why so much sits within five minutes of it.
- Australian Armour and Artillery Museum. The Honest Local Guide.
- Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Gliding Over the Wet Tropics.
- Skypark Cairns. Australia’s Only Bungy Jump, Reviewed by Locals.
Book tours and experiences
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Where to stay near Smithfield
At the junction of everything
Smithfield is the turnoff suburb rather than a place to stay, so the beaches either side of it are the play. Compare stays with our accommodation partner Booking.com.
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FAQs
Is the Smithfield mountain bike park open to the public? Yes: the trail network is free and open, maintained by the Cairns MTB Club, with around 35 kilometres of cross-country and downhill and more being built. Local operators cover hire and lessons.
Did Smithfield really host the World Championships? Yes: UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 1996 and 2017, plus World Cup rounds and the Crankworx festival. The trails you can ride are the real ones, difficulty ratings included.
What are the Cattana Wetlands? A free council nature reserve of lagoons, boardwalks and bird hides ten minutes north of Smithfield, open daily from early morning. Bring binoculars and mosquito repellent, in that order.
Is Smithfield a good place to stay? It’s the convenient triangle point between beaches, city and Kuranda, with shops on tap; but for a holiday feel, stay at Trinity Beach or Palm Cove ten minutes away and use Smithfield for errands and trails.
How far is Smithfield from Cairns? About 15 minutes north of the city, at the junction where the Kuranda Range road leaves the coast highway.
Nearby
Header photo: Brad Newton. Courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.
