Forest of Bowland, Lancashire
Access note: The top Leap of Faith section is closed for rebuilding; follow the signed closures.
Gisburn Forest gives a Bowland riding day two clear shapes: a shorter blue circuit or a longer figure-of-eight with harder choices along the way. The forest sits in the upper Hodder valley near Stocks Reservoir, with the bike hub at Stephen Park. Come here for a route you can build around the group’s experience, rather than assuming everyone must ride every feature to complete a satisfying day.
The contrast between ordinary forest-road connections, singletrack and optional technical sections is central to Gisburn. The 8 carries the better-known challenging features, while Bottoms Beck offers a more measured first visit. The hub’s skills loops give you a place to assess confidence before leaving the start. Separate riding ability from enthusiasm: a rider can enjoy the main circuit without following another person into a black option. Gisburn Forest sits in the Forest of Bowland, with Stocks Reservoir and the Bowland Fells shaping its setting.
Blue · 9.5 km
The circuit crosses the reservoir causeway and uses Eggberry Road before descending to an old railway section. Park Wood adds singletrack variety before the return through Cocklet Hill. Its changing surfaces make it a useful introduction to Gisburn, but the full trail remains blue despite the gentler railway portion.
Official route information →Red with optional black sections · 18 km
This figure-of-eight combines forest roads and blue/red singletrack, with harder optional features. Home Baked, Whelp Stone Crag and Hully Gully give the route its distinctive character. Decide on each option when you reach it; choosing a bypass is more useful than accepting a harder line just to keep a group together.
Official route information →Orange · 0.5 km
The bike-park line contains berms, jumps and drops, with full-face helmets and body armour specified by Forestry England. The top Leap of Faith section is currently closed for rebuilding. Use only signed open sections and keep the closure separate from the main cross-country circuits when planning the day.
Official route information →Various
Three linked mini-loops begin beside the stone-walled circle at the hub and become progressively more challenging. They let you practise technical features without committing immediately to a whole forest circuit. Move up the progression only when the preceding loop feels controlled, rather than treating all three as one compulsory route.
Official route information →The 8 forms the longer figure-of-eight circuit with optional harder features; Bottoms Beck is the shorter blue choice. The hub and Stocks Reservoir walking car park are different starts.
For a new visitor, use the skills area briefly and then choose Bottoms Beck. The shorter circuit helps a mixed party find its pace while still visiting reservoir-side and wooded terrain. Keep enough time for stops and the return, and resist turning a first blue outing into a longer red day simply because the junction offers another option.
Experienced riders can make The 8 the main ride, treating its optional black sections as individual choices. Stop before an unfamiliar technical feature, agree who is taking which line and regroup beyond it. The figure-of-eight layout is a useful reason to carry the official map: know which part of the circuit you are following before deciding whether to extend the session.
Navigate to Gisburn Forest Hub at Stephen Park, BB7 4TS, for the cycling start rather than automatically choosing the separate Stocks Reservoir walking car park. Hub parking uses number-plate recognition and payment on exit. Official directions →
Navigate to Gisburn Forest Hub at Stephen Park, BB7 4TS, for the cycling start rather than automatically choosing the separate Stocks Reservoir walking car park. Hub parking uses number-plate recognition and payment on exit. The current tariff starts at £2.50 for an hour, then adds 45p per 15 minutes up to an £8.50 daily maximum. Payment can also be completed online within the published 48-hour window.
Forestry England describes limited public transport from Settle to Tosside, approximately three miles from the forest. This is not a bus directly to the bike hub. Arrange the final connection and return before setting off, particularly with your own bicycle. Do not treat the last miles as an incidental walk when carrying riding equipment or meeting a group at a fixed time.
Find the planning area on a map →The hub has toilets, including accessible provision, picnic seating and designated accessible parking bays. It is a useful starting and regrouping point, but Forestry England states there is no visitor centre. Bring what you need for the circuit rather than expecting a staffed indoor information desk to resolve every arrival question.
The Hungry Pine serves food from a trailer in the hub courtyard, with options including breakfast butties, burgers, fries and cake. Treat it as a convenient food stop when operating and bring a fallback lunch if your day depends on eating at a specific time. Check the venue’s latest opening information; a forest visit and a food-service schedule are separate commitments.
Plan this ride with your own mountain bike. The official visitor information describes rider facilities and access.
The bike hub uses ANPR parking with payment on exit. Forestry England also permits online payment within its published 48-hour window; use its current tariff and leave time for the return to Stephen Park.
Wooded singletrack and the reservoir setting mean a damp day changes more than the view. Approach wet technical features more slowly, assess grip before committing and allow extra time for cleaning equipment afterward. Shorter daylight makes Bottoms Beck an attractive alternative to squeezing the longer circuit into a late start. Closure barriers matter even if you recognise a familiar feature from an earlier visit: rebuilding can change what lies beyond it.
Slaidburn is the nearby village base for this part of Bowland; build meal plans around an actual venue reservation rather than assuming a rural pub serves whenever your ride finishes. The Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland publishes seasonal menus and recommends booking a dining table. Its service days are restricted, so fit the ride around the confirmed reservation if that meal is an important part of your visit.
For a non-riding outing, Forestry England’s Birch Hills walk starts at the Stocks Reservoir car park and covers two kilometres through woodland with reservoir views. Wildlife hides and the old vicarage garden picnic area give companions reasons to linger. This start is separate from the bike hub; agree whether the party will reunite at the hub or move cars before somebody sets off walking.
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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.
Bottoms Beck is the shorter blue circuit at 9.5 kilometres. Start with the hub skills loops if you want to assess confidence, then ride the whole circuit at a pace that suits the group.
The harder sections are optional within the longer figure-of-eight. Read the signs at each split, choose your own line and agree a regrouping point with companions before separating.
Forestry England reports the top Leap of Faith section closed for rebuilding. Respect the signed closure and plan other open riding rather than making that feature the reason for the trip.
No visitor centre is listed. Hungry Pine operates a food trailer in the hub courtyard, alongside the forest’s toilet and picnic facilities. Confirm food service separately and carry a fallback meal.
The two-kilometre Birch Hills walk offers woodland and reservoir views from the Stocks Reservoir car park. Arrange meeting points carefully because the walking start and cycling hub are different places.
East Manchester
Cheshire
Bacup and Todmorden
Develop braking, cornering, climbing and technical riding through deliberate practice, with sensible progression for roots, rocks, steeps, wheel lifts and jumps.
Set up mountain-bike fit, pedals, gearing, suspension and dropper controls using the right manuals, then test changes safely on familiar terrain.
Plan mountain-bike rides around UK rain, ice, wind and heat, with seasonal trail care, tick precautions and conservative decisions at water crossings.
Trail conditions change — check the official page before you travel.
Open official site →