Trail centres in South Wales
The BIG 5
2 minute read
South Wales offers some top quality riding for all mountain bikers.
Read on for an overview of the 5 most well known Mtb locations in South Wales +useful links and info to help you plan a trip.
Afan
Test your skills and fitness
If you want to push your skills and fitness to the limits or have a nice steady cruise then be sure to check it out.
Afan forest is an amazing trail centre based near Port Talbot. Afan ‘the wall’ trail is very popular which is a great loop for intermediates and above. Afan offers everything from beginner trails to steep tech. Be sure to check out the Bike Park skills section too.
Where to Park?
This trail centre has 3 main starting points, all of which have camping available.
Bryn Bettws – SA12 9SP
A large campsite which sits along side the 4x trail and bike park section.
Glyncorrwg mtb centre -SA13 3EA
has a large campaign site along with large cafe and bike shop.
Afan forest park visitor centre – SA13 3H
Start your ride here to pick up the beginning of most of the trails. This venue also has camping during summer months. There is also bike hire, spares and a cafe on site also.
This trail centre has a good feel to it and leaves you wanting for nothing more! Quite possibly the best trail centre in the UK.
Other nearby accommodation….
Dirt Farm Aka (Black Mountain)
The place to be if you like big jump lines and flow trails.
15 well sculpted bike park trails served by uplift. Well known for it’s ‘moto’ and “full moto’ trails this is the place to be if you like big jump lines and flowing berms.
Uplifts run during the weekends and also during the week depending on the time of year. You can also push up which will take roughly 15/20 mins.
When it comes to the trails they do not disappoint. During the summer they offer twilight sessions too! Uplifts start at 3.30pm and run until 5.45pm. If you are already booked for a full uplift day you can pay £4 per uplift to get a few extra runs in at the end of the day.
For nearby campsites take a look at;
- Pen y Dre Farm.
- The Rising Sun Public House.
- The Pandy Inn
Dirt Farm postcode -NP7 7PE
Bike Park Wales
A trail centre which gives a taste of what the Alps can offer.
How can we talk about South Wales trail centres and not mention Bike Park Wales!
This venue really is the daddy of all the UK trail centres as they cater for all level of riders and offer such progressive trails. The park also has decent elevation of almost 500mts which gives riders a taste of what the Alps or Whistler can offer.
One of the downsides is the cost of the uplift which is the most expensive out there but we still repeatedly visit because it offers such a great day out.
Check out The Bike Park Wales Ultimate Guide Here…..
Nearby accommodation;
- Twin Trails BnB
- Grawen Camping Park
Bike Park Wales Postcode – CF48 4TT
Forest of Dean
One Of The Biggest Trail Centres in the UK
Ok, So Forest of Dean isn’t technically in Wales but it’s nr Gloucester which is just on the doorstep.
Forest of Dean is a great trail centre for all abilities. Miles of marked and un marked xc/enduro trail graded from beginner to intermediate. A dedicated downhill section with it’s own uplift service hosted by Flyup downhill.
The downhill section at Forest of Dean mtb trails are flowy with some decent jumps and tech lines too. The push up takes roughly 20- 30 minutes
Head to the Cannop cycle centre which is where all the action is. Your’ll find Plenty of parking, cafe and on site bike shop.
A big positive for this trail centre is the progression it offers beginner to intermediate riders. The skills area and pump track are great for this.
It’s a great facility which is only one of a few places in the UK which can come close to Bike Park Wales in terms of progressive trails and bike park laps.
Nearby campsites;
- Forest and Wye Valley Camping
- Greenacres Campsite
Forest of Dean Postcode – GL16 7EH
Cwm Carn
A Trail Centre to push your pace or build fitness.
There is some serious fun to be had on the Cwmcarn trails. This is an all purpose mountain bike trail centre with on site parking, bike shop, cafe and campsite. The trails are aimed more towards intermediate/ advanced riders.
There are multiple Downhill tracks which will take around 45 minutes to summit.
The British downhill series has hosted rounds on these trails. They can be steep, technical and have big jumps. Not all gaps are mandatory. Riders of intermediate skill level will be ok on these trails too.
There are also 2 enduro loops which offer some big 600 metre climbs. The Cafall and Twrch trail have Some awesome single track with loops of roughly 15kms around.
For accommodation check out the cwmcarn campsite or camping pods onsite.
Cwm Carn Postcode- NP11 7FA
Off grid trails worth a mention;
- Tirpentws
- Risca
- Afan masts
- Barry sidings
Prefer to listen?
Check out the Trail Hub Portes du Soleil audio guides here.
Join us for a holiday?
Visit Scotland, French Alps or race the Megavalanche. See our Trail Hub trips below.
