Cave Hill

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Avg Rating:4.27/5.00
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Average Rider Rating : 4.27/5.00
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North-West Belfast, just off the Antrim Road (between Glengormley and Belfast) at Belfast Castle.
Lots of twisting single track descents through the trees. Great descents off the summit to both north and south, including the fantastic "quarry trail".

Cave Hill Multimap Link

Park at Belfast Castle (eastern slopes) or Cavehill Country Park (western slope, on Hightown Road). Lots of twisting single track descents, bumps and jumps through the trees. Great descents off the summit to both north and south, including the fantastic "quarry track".

Getting onto the quarry track - summit Cave Hill, and look out over Belfast. To your right (see pic above), there is a singletrack path that follows the ridge - follow it. You can see it in the foreground of the pic above, just heading to the left and across the hill - it is a single trail to the left of the walking path in the distance. Top-class, really brilliant - see the YouTube clip below.

Be careful on the lower slopes of Cave Hill on the obvious walking paths, as the area, particularly the low section just above Belfast Castle, is a popular place for families / walkers, so safety and courtesy are of the utmost importance.

Photos

Cave Hill

Cave Hill

Cave Hill

Cave Hill

icon: cyclistRider Reviews

Average Rider Rating : 4.27/5.00
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Reviewed By:gareth
cavehill GREAT TRY IT OUT
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Reviewed By:James
Really nice in the dry weather. Real bugger of a climb but the descent is worth it.Bring plenty of inner tubes as getting all the way to the top then getting a puncture and not having a tube is not worth it- believe me!
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Reviewed By:Bugs
Great location in the dry, but fairly exposed when the weather closes in. Some of the trails are truly fantstic when the sun is shining, fast, forgiving sweeps on the quarry trail, good technical twists on the zoo run. but be warned when the rains comes down you can't buy friction, and unless you're really good, you'll fall off loads, like I do. Still, super place with plenty of options and some nice grinding climbs.
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Reviewed By:DJ
A great place indeed and within the City limits. Lots of height to play with and several routes down provides pleanty of options but best choice is the Quarry Trail off the summit. Tough climb up from the castle will test the legs and the lungs.
Easier access can be gained from round the back (Hightown Road).
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Reviewed By:Jimbo Juggins
Video Clip "Cave Hill MTB"

Nice video, really well edited and cut together.
I really liked the bit in the middle where he chickened out of going over the drop off.

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Reviewed By:Bloom
Some proper DH trails here, and some proper climbs to get too them. If you're DH orientated, suffer the climbs and enjoy the downs.
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Reviewed By:PJ
No finer biking in the Belfast area in my eyes, The quarry trail descent can be stunning in dry conditions. Once you get to the summit (Napoleon's Nose/McArts Fort) there are several downhill options. Maybe the trailbadger could organise an epic to cover them all....
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Reviewed By:AndyL
The only real elevation gain possible near belfast, so a big climb followed by some nice descents are possible. Some nice singletrack to be had, some steep techy stuff and lots of roots as usual. Be careful of walkers and random dogs...
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Reviewed By:Barry Bradley
Best trail location near Belfast in my opinion. It has the quintisential NI trails, steep climbs and steep descents. The quarry run is one of the best trails in the country, being fast, open and as technical as you want to make it. The run down to the zoo is also quite good, but watch out for the ruts at the bottom of the top section. By the time you see them, you tend to be going quite fast!

It does get busy particularly early and mid afternoon on the weekends, so watch out for walkers. It can get muddy in amoung the trees, but out on the hill it seems to drain fairly quickly. In fact it's quite common to be climbing up in the sunshine, watching rain pour down on Belfast itself.

Well worth a visit, just be considerate of other users and be prepared for the long climb. It's worth it though.

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Reviewed By:Ron
The quarry trail is class singletrack. Just above the castle gets far too slippy with roots in round the trees. Lots of bits of tracks everywhere, but unless you don't mind pushing your bike or pedalling leg-tearing climbs, it's maybe not for you.
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Reviewed By:Ciaran
With a fantastic backdrop of the City of Belfast, the Cavehill Country Park offers varied XC loops and DH runs, most starting on open moorland on the summit and finishing on tight twisting singletrack in the forest on the lower slopes.

Due to it's close proximity to Belfast City, it can get very busy on the weekend with ramblers and families therefore it's best visited at off peak times.

Also, the Park can get very muddy very quickly. So avoid if the weather has been crap for a few days.
 
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NOTE: The trails on this site have been ridden before, but you should not interpret their inclusion as an indication that mountain-biking is officially sanctioned on them. Seeking permission from landowners is your own responsibility, as is conducting yourself in a manner that is courteous, respectful to the environment, and conscious of the safety of others.