Forest of Dean mountain bike trails
© [unknown]
MTB

5 of the best MTB trail centres in England

We round up the very best trail centres that England has to offer.
Written by Eve Green
4 min readPublished on
England is blessed with a lot of amazing trail centres so picking the best one can be a tough job. Head to pretty much any part of the country and you’ll find purpose built tracks to suit every level of rider from mountain biking beginner to jump-loving gravity fiends.
Even better, many of these trail centres have excellent facilities, so you can park your car, wash your bike, indulge in a little retail therapy and finish your ride with some all important tea and cake.

 1. Stainburn, Yorkshire

Stainburn mountain bike trails

Stainburn

© www.singletraction.co.uk

Stainburn may not have the longest mileage when it comes to trails, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in technical challenge. The trails in Stainburn, located near Otley in Yorkshire, are a level above most trail centres in the UK so be prepared to session them until you achieve perfection.
The black trail includes a sizable slick-rock slab and a zig-zag of skinnies that require nerves of steel and all your focus. If you like rocky routes you’ll love Stainburn as there are boulders large and small, and almost all of them are for riding over.
Location: Otley, Yorkshire
Facilities: Car park
Trails: Red (2km), Purple XC (3.2km), Black (4km)

 2. Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

Forest of Dean mountain bike trails

Forest of Dean

© [unknown]

The Forest of Dean is an incredibly popular destination for mountain bikers, and with good reason.
It combines an excellent selection of XC trails suited to different riding levels, downhill tracks, an uplift service plus a great trail hub with a cafe, shop and workshop, showers and toilets.
The blue and red trails wind through the forest with plenty of swoopy, flowy fun to be had, and both end with a downhill roller coaster of berms and rollers that will have you whooping as you head home.
Downhill tracks are graded and cater to every level, varying between rooty, natural tracks and built trails with tabletops and takeoffs.
Be warned: the Forest of Dean is such a hot spot that the car park can be full to bursting by late morning. Arrive early to nab a space!
Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
Facilities: Car park, toilets, showers, bike hire, shop, workshop, cafe, uplifts
Trails: Green (11 miles), Blue Verderers (7 miles), Red Freeminers (3 miles)

3. Cannock Chase, Stafordshire

Cannock Chase mountain bike trails

Cannock Chase

© www.chasetrails.co.uk

One of the great things about Cannock Chase is how well the landscape has been used to produce a fun, flowing trail.
Twisting and turning through the expansive pine forest, the trail encompasses short climbs, descents and technical features such as rollers, drops, berms and rock garden. Optional challenging black sections along the trails give you plenty of opportunity to up your game.
There’s also a downhill zone, called the Stile Cop Bike Park, which provides plenty of tracks to get your gravity fix on.
Location: Cannock Chase, Staffordshire
Facilities: Car park, toilets, showers, cafe, shop, workshop, bike hire.
Trails: Green, Blue, Red (Follow the Dog 11km, The Monkey 24km)

 4. Gisburn Forest, Lancashire

If you like your trail centre riding to have a more natural, less constructed feel, then check out Gisburn.
A skills loop is a good testing ground for warming up on before heading out onto the trails themselves which manage to pack a lot of different styles into the different sections, including some fun technical parts. One of our favourites is the berm-riddled gully section.
Want a challenge? The Hope Line is a series of berms, drop-offs and jumps and includes a feature called ‘The leap of faith’ - guess what that involves.
Location: Gisburn Forest, Lancashire
Facilities: Car park, toilets, cafe
Trails: Skills loop, Blue (9.5km), Red (18km), Bike park

5. Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire

Dalby Forest

Dalby Forest

© Ian Cawthorne

Dalby boasts a huge selection of trails, including a whopping 34km red route that, while not massively technical, is challenging due to its length.
Dalby has even hosted a Cross Country World Cup, and you can get a taste of professional level cycling yourself by giving it a go.
Gravity fiends will appreciate Dixon’s Hollow bike park, populated with table tops galore and a 4X track.
Location: Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire
Facilities: Car park, toilets, bike shop, work shop, bike hire, bike wash
Trails: Blue (14km), Red (37km), Red XS (6.5km), Bike park, 4X track