Explore exhilarating Mountain Bike trails this summer! Discover six thrilling paths, ranging from mellow flow rides to dramatic jump lines, that I eagerly anticipate conquering.
2025's Top Mountain Biking Trails: A Comprehensive Guide
Discover the most thrilling mountain bike trails set to open in 2025 across the UK. From the Forest of Dean to BikePark Wales, Abercarn, Kielder, Hamsterley, and the Carron Valley, the trailbuilders have been hard at work this season, set to deliver a massive just-in-time rush for summer shredders.
The Boneyard Descent: Forest of Dean
Brace yourselves for the Freeminers trail's brand-new descent – one kilometer of gradient excitement, graded as red and serving as the perfect closing act before depositing you back into the trail centre. Known as the Boneyard, this trail has been meticulously handcrafted by the Dean Trail Volunteers. The trail starts off mellow, meandering through tree-lined corners, before picking up speed with larger, more dramatic berms, delivering a rollercoaster-like ride. With fantastic viewings of World Cup rider Will Haines tearing it up on the Boneyard, it's one of 2025's must-ride trails.
In addition to the Boneyard, the FOD has more to offer. The Freeminers trail itself has experienced some recent upgrades, complete with a new skills area – including a jumps line and drops line – for those honing their skills as they race round the circuit. With a revamped 15-kilometer loop, the Freeminers trail has become increasingly accessible and accommodating for riders of all skill levels, especially families and less experienced riders. Simultaneously, the iconic Adit trail, only three years old, has won the hearts of many for its artfully sculpted berms, interspersed with wild, off-piste adventuring.
The A470 Trail: BikePark Wales
Enthusiasts have been loudly praising BikePark Wales, and that's for a good reason. This year will see an enhancement of the popular A470 jump trail, now featuring a more consistent jump size, aiding progression and boosting rider confidence. For those with longstanding memory of the trail's first incarnation, going back ten years, its initial row of jumps were relatively manageable, but its end evolved to be increasingly larger and beyond many riders' paygrade. With the revamped ending, this trail's potential to help riders improve their skills has grown exponentially, making it a must-ride in 2025.
Jaws: Abercarn
Wales is home to countless spectacular riding locations, and the latest hotspot on the block, Abercarn, has not gone unnoticed. When mbr editor Danny and I recently visited, we found the picturesque, sieved dirt berms with embedded rocks, enhanced by salt-n-shred's revered edits.
Mile Down: Kielder Forest
While the Mile Down trail is not yet open for riding, the previews hint at an exciting downhill experience. Kielder Forest has unveiled two new bike park-style trails, including a 650-meter red trail called Mile Down, which will eventually stretch to a full mile, and 565-meters of upgraded black graded trails. The new trails feature berms, high-speed sections, drops, and rock gardens, carefully crafted with the help of Phil Saxena's Architrail Velosolutions trail building brand.
The Runway and Cannonball Trails: Carron Valley
After a temporary closure, the Carron Valley in Scotland has reopened the Runway and Cannonball trails. The red trails create a combined 5-mile loop packed with stone drops, table top jumps, and berms upon completion, which will further expand the red trail selection.
Squirrel Chaser: Hamsterley Forest
Hamsterley is not sitting idly, either. The forest now offers a new family-friendly blue trail called Squirrel Chaser, measuring about 5 miles long and incorporating the newly built "The Oakey Cokey" section for more daring riders. The trail is specifically designed for building confidence and progression, complete with switchback climbs, flowy descents, and rock gardens while catering to riders of all abilities and owning adaptive mountain bikes and trikes. Funded by the UK government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this project will be perfect for the upcoming school holidays.
- For those looking to upgrade their skills, the revamped A470 trail at BikePark Wales in 2025 offers an enhanced jump trail featuring a consistent jump size, providing a boost to rider confidence.
- Helmets are essential as you dive into the Squirrel Chaser trail at Hamsterley Forest, a new family-friendly blue trail with switchback climbs, flowy descents, and rock gardens, designed for building confidence and progression and adapted for all levels of riders, including adaptive mountain bikes and trikes.
