The Forest of Dean sits between the Wye and the Severn on the English-Welsh border — an ancient royal forest with a long mining history and, since the early 2000s, one of England's best-known MTB venues. It's gentler than the Welsh trail centres and more wooded than the Lake District, which makes it the natural midway choice.
What to expect
The waymarked Family Trail is 11 miles of flat-ish woodland riding suitable for kids on bikes — unusual for UK MTB venues. The red FoD Freeminer trail at Pedalabikeaway is the main attraction for fit intermediate-to-advanced riders: 17km of rolling singletrack, technical descents and a couple of decent jumps. The blue trail is a good warm-up. There's also a dedicated dirt jump area and a freeride downhill course.
Practical notes
Year-round riding — the trails sit on coal-measure shale that drains better than clay or peat. Pedalabikeaway hire centre has good full-suspension rentals, a cafe and bike-wash. The forest itself is a National Nature Reserve, so respect signage and the bridleway network. Plenty of B&B and pub accommodation in Coleford and Cinderford; trail-tour weekends typically combine FoD with a day at BikePark Wales an hour west.
Train, parking, drive…
- Train
- Lydney (GWR), then taxi (~15 min)
- Parking
- Pedalabikeaway/Cannop Cycle Centre car park, pay-and-display
- Postcode
- GL16 7EH
- Drive
- ~2h30 from London, ~1h from Bristol
- Car-free?
- Possible
Transport details are best-effort and worth double-checking on the day — rural buses and station services change with the timetable.
If you’ve got an extra day…
- Cheddar Gorge climbing across the Severn
- Cotswold Way Hike on the western escarpment
- Wye Valley pub at the Saracen's Head, Symonds Yat
Plan it yourself.
The most authoritative sources we know of for this trail — routes, conditions, governing bodies and operators. Open in a new tab.
