Swinley Forest on the outskirts of Bracknell in Berkshire is a short distance from the M4 making it easily accessible. It has 24km of purpose built, all weather way-marked mountain bike trails that nestle and follow the forest's natural ebb and flow. There are trails suitable for riders of all levels, from beginners to advanced, family friendly with much more than just the trails on offer. Suitable for all sorts of bikes from hybrid and kids bikes, through gravel and onto mountain bikes there is a trail to suit all.
The trails are built from quarried material onsite that allow the trails to run brilliantly in all weathers making them the perfect for a rainy day activity with the kids or a blast in the sunshine with your mates. There are of course the obligatory puddles in wet weather, the sandy mud can be a little abrasive on your drive chain and brakes.
The sumptuous singletrack follows the contour of the forest and has 3 main routes on offer, they are the Green, Blue & Red routes.
Nature lovers will love Swinley. The forest is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) due to the rare European based Ground Nesting Birds, these include the Nightjar, Dartford Warbler and Woodlark. Swinley Forest also holds the accolade of a Site for Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the trails allow riders & nature to be harmony.
Swinley Trails
Green Trail
Suitable for beginner, novice cyclists and families, this trail offers up 1km of singletrack for riders to get accustomed to riding off road. Equally it can be used as a quick warm up lap whilst waiting for the rest of your crew to arrive. The Green has some gentle descents and climbs to get those gears...and legs working. Ideal for a family outing or those just starting out, try the Green more than once and when you feel confident you can progress to the Blue Loop.
Blue Trail
Suitable for intermediate cyclists & mountain bikers with basic off-road riding skills. The Blue Trail is suitable for intermediate cyclists & mountain bikers with basic off road riding skills. Mountain Bikes would be recommended to tackle this route. The trail and surface type on the Blue route is similar to that of the Green route, but offers a purer singletrack experience with the all trails being around 1.2m in width.
In places the Blue trail can offer up more uneven, loose and muddy sections and introduces small obstacles such as roots and rocks. Gradients and technical trail features include moderate gradients and some are much shorter and steeper to get the blood pumping. A good standard of fitness can help complete this Blue trail with an ear-to-ear smile!
Trail information
| Distance | 8km |
| Time | 1-2hrs |
| Climbing | 90m |
| Starting location | The Lookout car park |
| Pubs, cafes | Woodlarks Café |
| Parking | The Lookout car park |
| Route | View route on Garmin Download GPX |
Red Trail
For proficient mountain bikers with good off road riding skills. The Red Trail starts halfway around the Blue Trail, So you end up riding both trails. So if you feel that you are ready to take on the Red...then head to Red 1 and into the first half of the Red Trail. The Red Trail has really varied terrain including natural woodlands, tight twisty singletrack, a little more steep in places to the Blue and technical trail features that include steeper berms, longer descents, longer climbs, roots, drops and a couple of nice tables along the way to keep those smiles going!
Trail information
| Distance | 14km plus the blue trail |
| Time | 2-3hrs |
| Climbing | 180m |
| Starting location | The Lookout car park |
| Pubs, cafes | Woodlarks Café |
| Parking | The Lookout car park |
| Route | View route on Garmin Download GPX |
If you like trail centres and want to ride more then why not check out our trail centre section.
If you like what I'm doing and want to help out, consider buying me a coffee or making a donation through PayPal.
To buy me a coffee, just click on the image of the coffee cup to donate through the platform Buy Me a Coffee. You can leave a message and let me know what you enjoy about my content and what you'd like to see more of in the future.
Alternatively, if you prefer to make a donation via PayPal, you can use this link: make donation via Paypal.
Thank you so much for your support!
Did you try this out? Comment here!