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9 of the best UK bike parks and trail centres you need to ride
Looking for a location where you can enjoy a full day of uninterrupted shredding? Matt Jones picks his favourite bike parks and trail centres in the UK for all-out mountain biking bliss.
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If you know where to look, there’s a good chance there’s a set of trails or dirt jumps in any stretch of woodland, forest or national park across the country. But if you want a guaranteed day of shredding, then your best bet is to head to one of UK’s bike parks and trail centres. Purpose-built mountain bike destinations with a host of mountain biking facilities to suit all abilities and disciplines, each has something for everyone – from steep, techy downhill trails, to progressive jump lines and sweeping 4X tracks.
Whether you’re looking to experience your first downhill descent, or you’re a seasoned rider wanting to discover some new lines, here are nine UK bike parks that I think are well worth checking out this season.
01
Farmer Johns Bike Park
Farmer Johns Bike Park
© FJMTB
Opening hours: 9:30am-7:30pm Tue-Sun
Cost: £10/day; £40/year and £2/day thereafter
Trail grades: red, black
Uplift: No
Farmer Johns MTB Park is a rider-owned and run bike-park located on the edge of the Peak District. The park is geared up for the more experienced rider, with technical red and black downhill trails and a progressive dirt jump park that sits at the more advanced end of the difficulty spectrum.
The downhill tracks are designed to offer something for all styles, with big berms, steep woods, rock gardens and drops, making it the perfect training ground for any riders looking to push themselves.
02
Forest of Dean
Mountain biking in the Forest of Dean
© Paul White
Opening hours: 9:30-16:00 Mon-Sun
Cost: Free (car park charges apply)
Trail grades: green, blue, red, black, pumptrack
Uplift: Yes (10:00-approx. 16:00, Fri-Tue, £40.50/day from
The Forest of Dean has a huge range of mountain bike trails that will satisfy even the most adventurous riders. It’s a destination known for its steep, rooty descents, with a mix of styles and features that will suit those seeking their first introduction to mountain biking, right up to the more advanced riders.
There are 12 official downhill trails featuring big drops, jumps and roots and which are accessible either by uplift or push up. There is also an increasing number of less obvious enduro lines that are well worth making the effort to seek out.
03
The Flyup 417 Project
Flyup 417 Project, Gloucester
© Flyup Downhill
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 Wed-Mon
Cost: From £10
Trail grades: blue, red, black
Uplift: Yes (£39.50/admission and unlimited uplift)
Set within 100 acres, The Flyup 417 Project has been a mountain bike haven in the making since June 2013. The team are continually building out the park, and as a result it is now one of the biggest and best mountain biking destinations in the UK.
The park is home to ample facilities and features, including 11 downhill tracks with an uplift service, dual slalom track, 4X track, airbag, dirt jumps and an indoor Velosolutions pump track. The features are designed to cater to a variety of abilities and disciplines, so there really is something for everyone. The team is always adding new lines and features, so no two visits are the same.
04
Chicksands Bike Park
Chicksands bike park
© [unknown]
Opening times: 9:00-18:00
Cost: £10/day; £100/year
Trail grades: green, blue, red, black
Uplift: No
Chicksands Bike Park is home to a whole host of mountain bike features. With 4X, downhill, progressive dirt jumps, cross country, dual slalom, pump track and BMX all on offer, it’s the perfect location to test the waters of a new discipline.
While the downhill trails are relatively short, there are kickers, drops, large gaps and steep descents that will challenge all levels of riders. As Chicksands is sand based, the ground drains well even during the winter, so it’s a great option for year-round riding. It’s also one of my local spots, so don’t be surprised if you see me filming some new content for my YouTube channel.
05
BikePark Wales
Matt sessioning Laurie Greenland's signature Vanta line at Bike Park Wales
© Samantha Saskia Dugon / Red Bull Content Pool
Opening hours: 9:00-18:00 Thur-Mon; Tue-Wed 9:00-18:00 (during school holidays)
Cost: From £17/day, £126/six-month passr
Trail grades: green, blue, red, black
Uplift: Yes (10:00-16:00, Mon-Sun, £5/ride or from £48/day)
BikePark Wales believes in making mountain biking accessible for all, something that can be seen in the huge array of trails that are available. From family trails, through to technical downhill tracks with rocks, roots, drops and jumps, there is something for all abilities.
With two green trails, 12 blue trails, 15 red trails, 13 expert trails and four pro lines (including Laurie Greenland’s signature Vanta line), there’s a heck of a lot of ground to cover – but the regular uplift service, which aims to give you up to 15 downhill runs a day, will help you out.
06
Danny Hart's Descend Bike Park
Danny Hart at Hamsterly
© [unknown]
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30 Wed-Sun
Cost: £15/day
Trail grades: blue, black
Uplift: Yes (9:30-15:00, Tue-Sun, £37/admission and uplift pass)
Danny Hart's Descend Bike Park is a downhill and 4X-dedicated bike park that is located within 4000-odd acres of Hamsterley Forest. Catering for everyone from beginners to seasoned pros, there are five downhill tracks which then split out into eight different bottom sections.
Accessed by a regular uplift service, the top sections are fast and flowy with the option to split off onto chicken runs, while the bottom sections are technical and steep, with rock sections, drop offs and hefty step downs.
07
DYFI Bike Park
Rachel Atherton at Dyfi Bike Park
© Dan Griffiths / Red Bull Content Pool
Opening hours: 10:00-16:00 Thur-Sun
Cost: From £40/day
Trail grades: red, black, pro
Uplift: Yes (included in admission price)
DYFI Bike Park is one of the UK’s newest purpose-built off-road riding spots, but don’t be put off by its age – it has some serious chops behind it. The creation of Dan Atherton – brother of Gee and Rachel Atherton and the brains behind Red Bull Hardline – the 650-acre space is the place to test yourself against some of the UK’s most technically testing lines.
Home to 11 trails that range from red through to triple black diamond, it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. But with some absolute monster features, you’re sure to have a very memorable day on the mountain bike.
08
Woburn Trails
2 min
Matt Jones - Sound of Speed
Matt Jones - Sound of Speed
Opening hours: 10:00-16:00 Thur-Sun
Cost: £10/day, £44/six-month pass
Trail grades: green, blue, red, black, dirt jump line
Uplift: No
I couldn’t write a list of my favourite UK bike parks and not include my local spot – Woburn Trails. The place where I cut my teeth on my mountain bike and recorded my Sound of Speed episode, it has been a home away from home over the years and where I first learned and perfected the slopestyle tricks that would take me to filming numerous videos and edits and competing at competitions like Crankworx.
The trails have loads of great downhill lines, while its pump track and dirt jump lines are jam-packed with doubles, tabletops and berms.
09
Glentress
Glentress is one of the best spots for mountain biking north of the border
© VisitScotland / David N Anderson
Where:
Opening hours: 9:00-16:00 Mon-Fri, 9:00-17:00 Sat-Sun
Cost: Free (car park charges apply)
Trail grades: green, blue, red, black, black
Uplift: Yes (9:30-15:00, Sat-Sun, from £33/day from
No list of the UK’s best bike parks is complete without looking across the border. Scotland is home to some amazing mountain bike trails and bike parks, including the mighty Nevis Range – scene of some legendary Fort William UCI World Cups. But the best for variety and accessibility is arguably Glentress.
Located an hour outside of Edinburgh, the free-to-enter centre is home to 74km of signposted trails – from two beginner-level green routes through to the 2023 World Championships XCO course – and there’s plenty to choose from whether you’re on a cross-country, trail, enduro or all-out downhill mountain bike.
