Near Mold, North Wales
Coed Nercwys is a compact woodland ride near Mold where a modest circuit can become a whole family outing. Wide tracks, limited climbing and views towards Cheshire make it a welcoming place to gain confidence away from busy roads. The attraction is the combination of cycling and a forest with things worth stopping for. Leave time to enjoy the surroundings rather than treating the short distance as something to finish as quickly as possible.
The forest has seen Bronze Age activity, Victorian lead mining and commercial forestry, with interpretation boards explaining parts of that history. Its varied trees and open areas also support wildlife. A rider learning off-road control can enjoy an achievable loop while a more confident companion shares the same day. Remember that this is a multi-user woodland: encounters with walkers and horses are part of the ride, so comfortable speed and clear communication matter throughout.
Green (Easy) · 3.8 km · 50 m
Follow the cycle waymarkers anti-clockwise from the woodland entrance. This wide-track circuit avoids major climbs and suits a relaxed family introduction. Horse riders share the cycling direction, while walkers follow overlapping sections the other way around. Read the entrance panel before setting off, then leave enough room at bends to react to somebody approaching.
Official route information →Cyclists and horse riders follow the shared cycle circuit anti-clockwise; walkers use the overlapping walking route in the opposite direction. Read the entrance panel before joining the loop.
For a first off-road visit, make one unhurried circuit the goal. Begin with everyone comfortable using the brakes on the wide track before moving further into the wood. Keep the youngest rider in sight and regroup without blocking the route. The limited climbing lets the group concentrate on steering and pace, but the green grade still calls for a bicycle and rider prepared for an outdoor trail.
An experienced rider can make this a companion ride, putting an easy pace around someone gaining confidence. Give them room to choose their own line and time to look at the information boards. If you want another lap, agree that at the car park rather than splitting the group midway around. There is no need to turn a short shared circuit into a fast training session to get something worthwhile from the visit.
Use the NRW car-park location, grid reference SJ 218 592, when planning the approach. From Mold, follow signs to Nercwys, continue through the village and turn onto Ffordd Cae Newydd at the second crossroads. Official directions →
Use the NRW car-park location, grid reference SJ 218 592, when planning the approach. From Mold, follow signs to Nercwys, continue through the village and turn onto Ffordd Cae Newydd at the second crossroads. The land manager warns that CH7 4DD covers a broad area, so relying on the postcode alone can leave you away from the entrance. Parking is free, and overnight parking is not permitted.
Buckley is the nearest mainline railway station identified by NRW. Check Traveline Cymru for a workable onward journey rather than assuming the forest has a direct station-to-trail connection. If approaching on your own bike, plan the lanes separately from the forest circuit and allow for their road traffic. A family outing that feels comfortable inside the woodland may need a different approach for the ride to the start.
Find the planning area on a map →The useful starting facilities are the car park, waymarkers and information panels. NRW says there are no staff stationed here, so arrive ready to manage the ride yourself. Bring the bikes, drinks and repair kit you need, and organise food and comfort stops before reaching the entrance. A short route can still end with a walk back if a tyre fails; being close to the start does not replace carrying a pump and knowing how to use it.
For an adaptive-equipment visit, NRW provides a film of the Coed Nercwys Walk showing surfaces and gradients. Watch that with the actual equipment and rider in mind. The filmed walking route and the named cycling circuit have different published lengths, so avoid treating the film as a promise about every metre of the green cycle route. It is a helpful planning tool for discussing support and deciding what will suit your party.
Plan this ride with your own mountain bike. The official visitor information describes rider facilities and access.
Parking is free, but overnight parking is not permitted. NRW may close or divert trails for operations or severe weather; follow the entrance notices.
NRW describes its mountain-bike trails as open year-round, subject to weather and forestry restrictions. For a small forest, the change between wooded cover and more open ground is worth allowing for: carry a layer for a stop even if pedalling feels warm. In autumn, favour a pace that leaves time to read the track beneath leaves. Start with clean tyres and footwear, and clean them afterwards to reduce movement of woodland pests between riding locations.
Mold is a practical base for a meal before or after the woodland. Glasfryn, on Raikes Lane in Sychdyn, has a garden and terrace as well as indoor dining rooms and a bar serving local ales. Its menus change with the season and include lighter bites, larger meals and children’s choices. Book around the family’s likely finish time, leaving a margin for stops rather than scheduling lunch from the cycle distance alone.
Theatr Clwyd on Raikes Lane in Mold offers an indoor alternative or a second activity for non-riders. Choose a performance, film or other advertised event from its programme and book the date you need. A short forest ride can fit comfortably before a planned show if you allow time to change and eat. Use the theatre’s current arrival guidance, because the road immediately in front of the building has changed following redevelopment.
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Displayed distances are straight-line estimates using OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), not road journeys. Ask the property about secure bike storage and wet-kit arrangements before booking.
RIDE PREPARATION
Consider what suits the route, forecast and your own experience.
NRW currently lists 3.8 km with 50 m of climbing. Use those cycle-route figures when planning the outing; the separately described Coed Nercwys Walk is a different route with its own distance.
Cyclists follow it anti-clockwise, in the same direction as horse riders. Walkers use overlapping sections clockwise, so be ready for people approaching rather than expecting a one-way cycling-only track.
The forest car park is free. Overnight parking is prohibited, so plan the visit as a daytime ride and arrange accommodation elsewhere if staying around Mold.
The named cycle trail is green graded and follows a wide track without major climbs. Make the decision around the least confident rider and keep the first circuit relaxed, with time to stop and regroup.
Yes, NRW publishes an inclusive-cycling film for the Coed Nercwys Walk. Review it for your equipment and support needs; inclusion in the film does not guarantee suitability for every disabled visitor or establish conditions on the whole cycle circuit.
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Plan your first UK mountain-bike ride, understand grades and trail language, check your bike and build confidence before tackling harder or more remote routes.
Plan adaptive equipment, useful access checks, communication and supportive women’s rides around the individual rider and the complete trail visit.
Validate GPX routes, prepare offline maps and power, protect shared ride data and plan safe decisions and emergency contact away from the trailhead.
Trail conditions change — check the official page before you travel.
Open official site →