New Forest Mountain Biking

With miles of gravel tracks and a mix of hills and plains, the New Forest is a great destination for mountain biking. Home to everything from easy family-friendly forest loops to challenging long-distance rides, the national park is well set up for mountain bikers, who have a wide range of trails, facilities and bike-friendly accommodation options to choose from. Keep reading to find out more about the best routes the forest has to offer and ideas about where to stay for mountain biking breaks.

Best mountain biking locations in the New Forest

We’ve thought long and hard and come to the conclusion that it’s impossible to crown just one of the New Forest’s mountain bike routes as the best. Instead, we’ve broken down the shortlisted trails into subcategories and picked our favourite for each one.

Best family-friendly mountain biking trails

For families with kids, the best place for mountain biking in the New Forest is Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood. With plentiful parking, on-site bike hire and great facilities including a massive adventure playground and café, we could write hundreds of words without even mentioning the park’s fantastic gravel cycling trails…

For younger kids, the central two-mile circuit is a good place to get started, but there are various waymarked routes available, with the possibility of extending your ride to up to seven miles. For older kids and teens with some off-roading skills, there’s also the ‘Through the Forest’ singletrack route for added adventure. For a bit of fun, there’s also a pump track, sculpted in such a way that you can challenge yourself to ride around it without touching the pedals. 

 

Other great picks 

• Hawkhill Trail, near Beaulieu 

To access the Hawkhill Trail, park at Roundhill Campsite near Beaulieu. This nine-mile route (which is almost 100% off-road, with just two road crossings) takes you over flat, well-maintained gravel tracks around Hawkhill Inclosure, which was used as an RAF base during  World War II.  

 

• Castleman's Corkscrew (from Brockenhurst to Burley) 

With nine miles of scenic riding, the Old Railway Line (affectionately known as the 'Castleman's Corkscrew') is a moderate trail that runs along a disused railway line and a few sections of road. The gravel sections are all well maintained and there are few inclines, so as long as all the riders in your group have a bit of stamina they should have no trouble cycling through forests and heathland on their way to the pretty village of Burley.

Best mountain biking trails for wildlife watching

Running parallel to the riverside walking route, the Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard cycle path is a four-mile round trip that’s great for wildlife watchers. The Beaulieu river and estuary are a haven for bird species, and there’s a great bird hide about halfway along the trail where you can sit and observe the various waders, egrets and seasonal visitors that flock to this diverse mix of habitats. 

If you’re still in the mood for birdwatching when you arrive, you can also book tickets for the wildlife-watching river cruises that run from Buckler’s Hard harbour throughout the year. Alternatively, just enjoy a refreshing drink at the hamlet’s friendly pub, or an ice cream in the summer, before heading back to Beaulieu.

Other great picks

• Bolderwood and Rhinefield Ornamental Drive Loop

Located close to Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst, this 10-mile round trip ride involves taking gravel tracks and cycling on low-traffic roads. There is little uphill pedalling around this route, so it’s easy for families, kids and novice cyclists. Highlights include the Rhinewood Arboretum, the Bolderwood deer sanctuary and the Canadian War Memorial that you’ll pass along the way. 

• Fritham Loop

This scenic circular route is about five and a half miles long and starts and ends in the hamlet of Fritham in the northern New Forest. Passing through a rich mix of rugged heathlands and dense woodlands, the route is great for wildlife spotting – you’re likely to see ponies, donkeys and deer along the way, and this part of the forest has a wide range of bird species too. 

Best challenging mountain biking trails

If a longer, more challenging session on your mountain bike is on the cards, we’d recommend taking on the Northern Forest Circular. Starting and ending at Appleslade Bottom near Ringwood, this 18-mile route is about half off-road and half on-road. This is one of the hilliest parts of the New Forest National Park, so expect to come across a few steep climbs and downhill sections. 

While this is a fairly intense half-day of cycling, the trail (which can be viewed in detail on the national park’s website) passes right by a tea room in Hyde as well as pubs in Frogham, Linwood and Fritham, so there are plenty of options for pit-stops and refreshments along the way. 

Other great picks 

 

• Burley and Emery Down Loop 

Starting and ending in Burley village, this 14-mile circular route wends its way through heathlands, woodlands and two cosy New Forest villages – a perfect half-day adventure for seasoned cyclists. Burley has a number of pubs, tea rooms and souvenir shops, plus an attractive cricket pitch, while Emery Down is home to a red phone box and a single (but excellent) pub, The New Forest Inn. 

 

• Lepe and Exbury Loop

Located in an often overlooked corner of the New Forest, this 10-mile trail connects the coast to pretty inland areas. It can get muddy in winter and parts of the trail can be overgrown in summer, but this route has views over the Solent and the Isle of Wight that are hard to beat. About half of the route is off-road and half on-road, with facilities at Exbury Gardens and at the start/end point of Lepe Country Park. 

Looking for more bike ride ideas? For road cycling routes suitable for all ages and abilities, check out our guide to New Forest cycling. 

Want to learn more about other things to do in the New Forest? With guides covering everything from walking to horse riding and family-friendly days out, we’ve got you covered.

Scouting out places to stay? Pitchup has a wide range of campsites and outdoor accommodation providers in the New Forest to choose from – and some even have on-site bike hire so you can start exploring right from your pitch.