Whinlatter Forest - The Lake District
Welcome back to another Location Check. This one covers a lot so we’ve split it into 2. The Lake District offers so much and we just can’t even begin to condense this into a single Location Check. I suspect we’ll be back with Part 100 in a decade's time. Our first Lake District Location Check, Part 1, focuses on the amazing Whinlatter Forest which is claimed as England’s only true mountain forest. Sounds good for a mountain bike trail centre, right?
Stand Outs at Whinlatter Forest
While the GoApe at Whinaller Forest and running trails were tempting it was the North Loop Red that stood out for us. This loop which can be ridden out in about an hour and a half is a delight to ride and was the best trail in our opinion. Red graded (Forestry England grading system) it’s got a little bit of everything and left a huge grin by the time we finished the descent. The views as well, well you’ll just have to check these out for yourself. I’m not sure there’s a bad view in the Lake District.
Craig from Cyclewise has some serious skills and was the perfect guide for the morning.
The Trails at Whinlatter
As trail centres go this place is a great introduction to mountain biking. While it’s true that there’s trail centres out there with more trails the three loops are pretty unique. They all start at the forestry centre and Cyclewise shop and fan out in a clover leaf style returning back before you take on another. This works perfectly for breaking the day up into manageable chunks. Ride, Coffee, Ride, Lunch, Ride...beer?
The trail on the Whinlatter Red North Loop gets very rocky in places so get those cushcores in and a few more PSI in the rear.
The blue trail is a great warm up and even for those experienced riders out there you’ll have some fun. If you’re like any of us at The Contour Collective then we love the flow and amount of playing you can have on lower graded trails. Just starting to get into mountain biking? This ones for you. It provides a really nice journey through different woodlands and the trail changes with it. You can also make this trail longer should you want to take in the full 5 miles.
The Whinlatter Blue is built for beginners and is an incredible introduction to mountain biking.
The two red loops, aptly named North and South loop, are longer trails and take you high into the forest leaving you in awe looking out over the Lakes. On a clear day you can see quite a few of the peaks in the lakes with the closest being Skiddaw.
You can’t argue with that view. Riding up to the North Loop with views to Keswick.
Whinlatter Red North Loop has some incredible flow.
The Whinlatter South Loop is more wild, shorter but provides you with a more remote experience close to the trail centre.
What Bike should I ride at Whinlatter?
Each trail has its own characteristics. We even saw a rider on the North Loop on a downhill bike and others on hardtails so really there’s nothing stopping you from getting out there. We can’t say we’d recommend a downhill bike though.
While the Giant Reign seen here handles the North and South Loop with ease it’s smaller sibling, the Trance X, is the ideal bike for Whinlatter.
For the blue a hard tail would let you keep the flow and speed. Perfect for your first mountain bike experience. If you’re wanting to get the most from the red routes then a short travel bike such as the Giant Trance X would be ideal.
Forest Facilities
On site there’s so many great facilities as you would expect from Forestry England. Once parked you pay on exit so there no second guessing how long you’ll be out on the trails for or have to pay. With Cyclewise at the trailhead of the North Loop and blue it’s convenient for dropping in for those last minute spares. If you need a bike they have a huge hire fleet and an increasing number of ebikes. It’s great to see more people being able to access the trails but as we found out trail degradation is increasing with more ebikes. The money from parking is used to maintain the ever increasing maintenance costs and from discussions with Adrien Jones these aren’t small. Do your bit and ensure you park and pay.
If you’re looking for a family day out then after a bit of riding there’s GoApe and the ever popular Gruffalo trail. You could easily spend the day or weekend here while keeping well fueled by the cafe on site. Coffee went down a treat during what was a cold, crisp and sunny day during our visit.
With a Gruffalo trail on site and a Go Ape high wire adventure course there’s plenty to do for the whole family at Whinlattter.
Accommodation for Mountain Bikers in the Lake District
While there’s none on site there’s an abundance of accommodation options in the Lakes. We stayed on the South side of the lakes and while the hours drive there wasn’t convenient it made for a scenic wind down. The scenery is always mind blowing.
How to Get There
Car - The centre is just a short drive from Keswick in the Lake District. Make sure you look behind you as you drive up to the start of the trails (passengers mainly). What a spectacular view on a clear day. Sat Nav Postcode: CA12 5TW
Parking - there’s loads of parking available on site and your parking really helps to maintain the trails.
Bus - A summer bus service runs from Kewsick to Whinlatter. For more information head to forestryengland.uk/whinlatter.
Useful Links
The entrance to the South Loop and the Blue Loop. If you’re visiting the Lake District then make sure to check out this riding spot.
Our Parting Message on Whinlatter Forest
We wondered why it had taken us so long to visit this trail centre. If you want to get a feeling of being in the mountains but aren’t quite ready to venture away from the trail centre then this place provides that perfect balance. Once you’re ready for the mountains then keep an eye out for Part 2 of our Lake District Location check when we take on an all day mission.
The Contour Collective Location Checks
The Location Check series brings all you need to know about riding locations from around the world (or the UK right now). The in depth videos and articles are there to provide you with a guide before you make the trip and give you an insight from those involved in the area. Behind every great trail network there’s always some amazing characters and businesses making it all happen. We give you the inside scope to make your planning a whole lot easier. Enjoy the adventure.
Photography by Doug Somerville
Words by Chris Hutchens
Video filmed by Lewis Bradley and Edited by Chriso Gallagher
Special thanks to Craig at Cyclewise, Adrien from Forestry England and Steve Larkin from Hotlines