Near Exeter, Devon
Access note: Forestry England is preparing pay-on-exit parking, but currently instructs visitors to pay on arrival. Approach the barrier and wait for it to lift; members should keep their vehicle registration details current.
Haldon’s ridge-top setting gives an Exeter riding trip a forest escape without needing a remote mountain itinerary. The signed trails offer a clear progression: a shared green outing, two different blue circuits, a red singletrack ride and an optional black loop. Choose it when riders need different levels from the same visitor hub, or when you want a manageable first day on an unfamiliar bike before travelling farther into Devon.
The park also has a pump track and graded skills features, making it useful for practising before choosing a circuit. Keep the grades meaningful: Kiddens is a more demanding blue progression than Spicers, while Freers adds severe features to a red route. Non-riding companions have walking trails, viewpoints and a wildlife hide close to the visitor area. Agree your meeting point there, rather than assuming everybody will follow the same trail.
Green: Easy · 2.5 km
A fully surfaced, mostly level shared trail with regular seats and views towards Exeter. Expect walkers and other users, plus two road crossings. It is an introductory outing, rather than a dedicated mountain-bike descent.
Official route information →Blue: Moderate · 3.7 km
A shorter confidence-building blue, introducing varied surfaces, narrow sections and gentle gradients. A short two-way section near the beginning needs particular attention when meeting other riders.
Official route information →Blue: Moderate · 6.4 km
The progression beyond Spicers, with more challenging terrain and larger changes in gradient. The same blue grade does not mean the two circuits demand identical effort or handling.
Official route information →Red: Difficult · 9.6 km (current trail webpage)
Narrow singletrack follows the ridge with tight corners and lively descents. The current individual trail page gives 9.6 km; the October 2025 map lists 9 km. This is the main technical circuit for proficient mountain bikers.
Official route information →Black: Severe · 0.9 km (current trail webpage)
An optional technical addition to Ridge Ride, with roots, rocks, berms, drops and a step-down. The individual webpage lists 0.9 km, while the map lists 1 km. Decide at the entry whether these severe features suit your ability.
Official route information →Use Discovery Trail, Spicers Trail, Kiddens Trail as distinct route choices, matching each grade and climbing commitment to the group. Follow current signs and closures, even where an older map shows a continuous connection.
For a first off-road visit, start on Discovery and keep its shared-use purpose in mind. If you are ready for narrower riding, Spicers is the shorter blue step, with Kiddens saved for riders who finish wanting more gradient and variety. Use the graded skills area to sample appropriate features before deciding, rather than making the route choice on distance alone. A few controlled attempts tell you more about an unfamiliar bike than following a faster group straight into the forest.
An experienced rider can make Ridge Ride the main circuit, keeping Freers optional rather than treating its black line as an automatic continuation. The pump track is useful for a short warm-up, while a blue lap can help returning riders or hire-bike users settle in. A ride here works well as several deliberate choices from the visitor hub: agree whether everyone wants another circuit, a meal or a walk before committing the group to extra riding.
Use Bullers Hill, Kennford, with postcode EX6 7XR. Official directions →
Use Bullers Hill, Kennford, with postcode EX6 7XR. From the A38, follow the Exeter Racecourse exit and Haldon Forest Park signs, watching for the car-park banners. Groundworks are currently affecting the car park, so follow its directional signs carefully. Listed car parking costs £4 for one hour, £6 for two, £7 for three, £8 for four or £10 all day. Card, contactless and RingGo payment are available; cash is not accepted.
There is no local bus directly into the visitor hub. Forestry England lists services stopping near Haldon Belvedere or Exeter Racecourse, but warns that some approaches use highway without footpaths. Plan the actual final connection, not merely a bus to “Haldon”. Discuss bicycle carriage with the transport operator, or arrange forest hire and a suitable transfer. Do not treat the remaining distance as a straightforward family walk without considering the approach.
Find the planning area on a map →The visitor hub brings together the Info Pod, bike hire and Haldon Forest Park Café, with The Pantry beside it for takeaway food. Toilets include an accessible toilet with its own ramped entrance; consult the access information for the layout if needed. The facilities list also includes a bike wash and shower. Pack a bag for ordinary litter because the forest has no general litter bins.
Haldon Forest Park Bike Hire is provided by Forest Cycle Hire Limited and offers adult and children’s mountain bikes, e-bikes, tag-alongs and adapted cycles. Its advertised services include a workshop and guiding. Book the equipment that fits your riders and confirm suitability for the route. An electrically assisted bike can help with effort, but it does not remove the handling demands of Kiddens, Ridge Ride or Freers.
Haldon Forest Park Bike Hire is the approved onsite provider, with conventional and electric bikes, a workshop and guided riding. Reserve suitable equipment directly before travelling.
Forestry England publishes current visitor hours and parking charges; the park closes on Christmas Day. Continue to pay on arrival while pay-on-exit parking is prepared; follow the barrier instructions and keep membership vehicle details current.
Autumn can make a woodland ride appealing, but damp roots and leaf cover call for a fresh assessment of braking and cornering grip. Choose Spicers or a compact practice session if conditions make your planned red lap feel rushed or uncertain. The forest’s opening calendar excludes Christmas Day, and daylight is a separate limit from the published gate hours. Keep a return margin when using hire equipment, and change route plans rather than trying to finish technical ground faster as the light fades.
Exeter is the natural city base for Haldon when you want food options and a wider weekend around riding. Double Locks, beside the Exeter Ship Canal, serves pub classics, lighter meals and Sunday roasts, with a canalside garden. It is an evening option away from the forest hub, rather than a trailhead facility. Choose your accommodation around your return journey and meal plans, and ask about secure bike storage and drying wet kit before booking.
For a non-riding pause within the park, visit the wildlife hide via its short, surfaced, level approach from the car park. The official trail listing gives 150 metres and describes perch benches inside, making this a useful option when companions do not want a long forest walk. Take binoculars if you have them and allow time to sit quietly; wildlife sightings are a possibility, not a scheduled attraction. The wider Discovery walking circuit adds sheltered viewpoints if you want a longer outing after putting the bikes away.
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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.
Spicers is the shorter, gentler progression from Discovery. Kiddens adds more demanding terrain and changes in gradient, despite sharing the blue grade.
No. Freers is an optional black loop accessed from Ridge Ride. Choose it separately according to your skills and equipment.
Forestry England prohibits dogs on its cycling trails. Plan a separate walking outing rather than taking a dog onto the mountain-bike network.
Yes. The approved hire partner offers adapted bikes, and Forestry England lists recumbents, trikes and electrically assisted options. Arrange the appropriate equipment in advance.
No. The published visitor guidance specifies card or contactless payment, with RingGo also available. Continue to pay on arrival while the new pay-on-exit system is being prepared.
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Develop braking, cornering, climbing and technical riding through deliberate practice, with sensible progression for roots, rocks, steeps, wheel lifts and jumps.
Book the right uplift, riding pass, hire bike and coaching session, check equipment and carriage rules, and plan a controlled first bike-park day.
Choose manageable family trails, fit children’s bikes, pace the day, assess clubs and coaches, and make a separate safe plan for dogs.
Trail conditions change — check the official page before you travel.
Open official site →