Forestry England’s top 10 family bike rides to inspire young off-road cyclists!
Looking for a fun family day out? Cycling in the forest is a brilliant way to enjoy nature together! With 1,300km of waymarked trails, Forestry England has created exciting, accessible routes for people of all ages and abilities to explore the outdoors with confidence.
Cycling as a family is more than fun: research shows it’s also great for everyone’s wellbeing. For children especially, regular cycling can help build strong muscles and bones, maintain a healthy weight, improve heart health, and boost balance and co-ordination. It's also wonderful for mental health: lifting mood, building confidence, and improving focus. Best of all, cycling together creates lasting family memories and encourages healthy habits for life.
Forestry England is committed to making cycling accessible to everyone, with trails designed to welcome riders using adaptive bikes, while also catering for beginners and families with bike trailers or balance bikes.
Ready to start your cycling adventure? Here are Forestry England's top 10 family-friendly routes across the country:
- Borderline cycle trail, Kielder Forest, Northumberland - A flat, easy ride along a former railway line – perfect for building confidence on off-road trails.
Grade: green
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Jubilee blue trail, Dalby Forest, Yorkshire – The perfect step-up trail for keen young riders looking for a new challenge. With an optional easy start, this trail takes you around the riggs and dales of the Low Dalby valley, with banked turns (berms), plenty of single track and great forest views throughout.
Grade: blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Spicer trail, Haldon Forest, Exeter - A great confidence builder for those who have mastered the basics. This trail introduces a mix of surfaces with some narrow sections and gentle slopes.
Grade: blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Pedal and Play, Hicks Lodge, Leicestershire – This new mountain bike play trail helps new riders build off-road skills and confidence. You'll also find an exciting cycle-themed play area along the way!
Grade: green
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - The Robin Hood Adventure Trail, Sherwood Pines Forest, Nottingham – Great for intermediate riders and families wanting a longer ride, with natural terrain, uneven surfaces and flowing corners with banked turns (berms).
Grade: blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Family cycle trail, Fineshade, Northampton – Perfect for families with mixed skill levels, offering a beginner's route with optional more challenging taster loops alongside.
Grade: Green
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Squirrel Chaser, Hamsterley Forest, County Durham – Build your skills and confidence along this smooth, gentle rolling figure-of-8 trail! Enjoy stunning stream views, fun swooping single track and the brand new Oakey Cokey section it's a great day out for all the family!
Grade: blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Old Bob’s Trail, Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, Gloucestershire - New to mountain biking? This is the trail for you! With optional skills areas where you can try banked turns (berms), bridges and rock gardens. Go at your own pace, watch for wildlife, and loop around as many times as you like!
Grade: green
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Pedal and Play, High Lodge, East Anglia - Features four fun cycling loops from easy green routes to more challenging blue sections, helping families ride and grow together. There's also a new cycle-themed play area with inclusive features for everyone to enjoy.
Grade – Green and blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members. - Family cycling trail, Alice Holt, Surrey – Wind your way through ancient mighty oaks and wildflower-rich open spaces, a perfect way for everyone to explore the wider forest together.
Grade: blue
Car parking charges apply, free for members.
With some of the best off-road cycling in the country, you will find trails to suit the whole family. For more information visit https://www.forestryengland.uk/cycling
Notes to Editor
- Images are available here. Please credit Forestry England/Crown copyright.
- Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests, with over 285 million visits in 2023/24. As England’s largest land manager, we shape landscapes and enhance forests for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and businesses to grow. We are continuing the work we have already started to make the nation’s forests resilient to climate change and by 2026 we will:
- create at least 6,000 more hectares where we integrate wilding activities in our productive forests
- increase the diversity of visitors to the nation’s forests and have one million hours of high-quality volunteer time given to the nation’s forests
- plant at least 2,000 hectares of new, high quality, predominantly broadleaf woodlands
For more information visit forestryengland.uk. Forestry England is an agency of the Forestry Commission.
Media contact
Forestry England Press Office: media@forestryengland.uk