The Trails
Plan Your Visit
Download trail maps from the Cycle Centre Maps page on the Forestry England website.
For trail grading information please see the Trail Grades and Safety - Mountain Bike page on the Forestry England website.
For trail status information, please visit Forestry England's Trail Status page.
For bike hire at the centre, please visit our friends at Pedalabikeaway.
Colliers Trail
Grade = Forest Road
Type = XC Wide hard pack
Trail distance = 9 miles or 14.5 km (approx.)
About this trail
Originally known as the Family Cycle Trail, the Colliers Trail is a waymarked circular route mainly on former railway lines with connecting routes to villages and picnic sites. This route has been especially surfaced and is suitable for all ages and abilities.
For more information, take a look at the Colliers Trail page on the Forestry England website.
Verderers Trail
Grade = Blue (Moderate)
Type = XC Hardpack and singletrack
Trail distance = 7 miles or 11.3 km (approx.)
About this trail
Voted the Best Blue Trail in England by Mountain Biking UK in 2021, the trail includes flowing corners, big berms and rollover features. There is a gentle uphill climb through the forest with some tricky challenges along the way. The final descent, known as the Dragon's Tail, was resurfaced in 2020. Further sections were refurbished in 2021.
Why Verderers?
Verderers are forestry officials in England who deal with common land in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of the Crown. The office was developed in the Middle Ages to administer forest law on behalf of the King. Verderers investigated and recorded minor offences such as the taking of venison and the illegal cutting of woodland, and dealt with the day-to-day forest administration. In the modern era, verderers are still to be found in the New Forest, the Forest of Dean, and Epping Forest, where they serve to protect commoning practices, and conserve the traditional landscape and wildlife.
Source: Wikipedia
Freeminers Trail
Grade = Red (Difficult)
Type = XC Singletrack
Short Loop = 3.8 miles or 6.1km
Long Loop = 7 miles or 11.3Km
Adit Loop = 10.7 miles or 17.3km
About this trail
Originally known as the FoDCA (Forest of Dean Cycle Association) trail, Freeminers has continued to develop over the years to provide a challenging and varied cross country trail. Made up of 3 loop options, it's ideal for even the most demanding of riders, from tricky switchback climbs to rooty drops and hairpin bends.
The Adit loop was opened in September 2022. It features a tight and technical 500m+ descent, perfect for riders looking to progress to the next challenge after mastering the blue-graded Verderers Trail.
"It's easy to forget that the Forest of Dean is about more than DH trails and our favourite blue in the country - Verderers. The Freeminer is a challenging and charming old-school route whose recent extension, in Adit, has given it a welcome sting in the tail." - MBUK Magazine
Why Freeminers?
Freeminer is an ancient title given to coal or iron miners in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, who have earned the right to mine personal plots, known as gales.
Source: Wkipedia
Beginners Skills Area
Grade = Green (Easy)
About this trail
This purpose built skills loop is good place to start building confidence and skill.
Intermediate Skills Area
Grade = Blue (Moderate)
About this trail
Progress your skills on this purpose built skills loop.
Advanced Skills Area
Grade = Black (Severe)
About this trail
Take your skills to the next level! This purpose built skills area features progressive jumps, steps, gaps and berms.
Pump Track
Grade = N/A
About this trail
This looped sequence of rollers is designed to help you learn how to maximise your momentum without the need to pedal.
Countdown
Grade = Blue (Moderate)
Type = DH Hard pack downhill flow trail
Accessibility = 4-wheeled gravity bikes
About this trail
This trail was originally designed and built by the Dean Trail Volunteers for 4-wheeled gravity bikes, providing an additional top section to the very popular Launchpad downhill trail.
This trail underwent a complete refubishment in 2021 to provide better flow for 2-wheeled bikes and is one of the most popular trails at the centre.
This is a very fast rolling flow type trail and if ridden correctly should require little or no pedalling.
Launchpad
Grade = Blue (Moderate)
Type = DH Hard pack downhill flow trail
Accessibility = 4-wheeled gravity bikes
About this trail
Originally designed for 4-wheeled gravity bikes, this trail was the UK's first gravity bike trail and was developed as a collaboration between the Dean Trail Volunteers and Rough Riderz. The trail officially opened on the 31st October 2014.
This trail underwent a complete refurbishment in 2021 to provide better flow for 2-wheeled bikes and is one of the most popular trails at the centre.
This is a very fast rolling flow type trail and if ridden correctly should require little or no pedalling.
Flatlands
Grade = Red (Difficult)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Red graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Twisted Sister
Grade = Red (Difficult)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Red graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Sheep Skull
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Black graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, steps, areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Y2K
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, exposed tree roots, drops and very steep terrain.
Endo
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Black graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Mr Rooty
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Black graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Corkscrew
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Black graded downhill trail and requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, rock steps, areas of exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Elephant Man
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This trail requires an experienced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, steps, rock gardens and steep terrain.
Dodger
Grade = Black (Severe)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
Requiring an experienced level of riding ability, Dodger splits right from the G.B.U. trail before the big drops. This is an alternative line with steep corners and off camber, rooty sections. This trail re-joins GBU lower down the hill, giving you the option to ride the bottom jump line of G.B.U. or turn left and head back to the push up track.
Ski Run
Grade = Double Black (Extreme)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
This is a Double Black graded downhill trail and requires an advanced level of riding ability. You will encounter technical features including jumps, exposed tree roots and steep terrain.
Cougar
Grade = Double Black (Extreme)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
Featuring very steep terrain and a 23-foot jump out of the treeline into the open, this trail requires an advanced level of riding ability.
Please take time to assess and familiarise yourself with this trail before you ride.
G.B.U.
Grade = Double Black (Extreme)
Type = DH (Downhill)
About this trail
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!
This trail and requires an advanced level of riding ability. You will encounter large technical features including large jumps, drops, rock steps, gaps and very steep terrain.
For an alternative line, Keep an eye out for the split to Dodger on the right as you descend to the big slab drop.
Originally built by the Dean Trail Volunteers, this trail underwent a £20,000 refurbishment from top to bottom in 2020. This work was paid for with money raised through donations, table sales and a prize raffle. After a lot of inspection and planning, Back-on-Track Mountain Bike Solutions (On Track) were contracted to do the work along side many hard working volunteers. Many new features were added including multiple doubles, hip jumps, table-top jumps, drops and dedicated push-ups.
This trail was restored and reworked by Velosolutions in the summer of 2023 to include major upgrades and alterations to the bottom jump line section. So with this in mind, please take time to assess and familiarise yourself with these changes before you ride, as a number of large features are no longer optional.
“It’s the Forest’s own A-Line!”
- Katy Curd, elite racer and coach
"All of our members are volunteers and we rely on public donations and fundraising to purchase equipment and materials."
