Castlewellan Forest

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Avg Rating:4.00/5.00
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Average Rider Rating : 4.00/5.00
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Castlewellan is 8 miles NW of Newcastle on the A50, or signposted off the A24 Belfast Newcastle road from Clough (A25).
Good single track at the west end of the lake, popular XC race there every year, sometimes out of bounds when readying for a race.

Castlewellan Forest Park Multimap Link

Castlewellan XMTB Race Map (pdf, 1.13Mb)

Castlewellan XMTB Race Profile (pdf, 70k)

Park on the main street outside the forest park or at one of the "back" entrances to the forest (North and West sides).

Best to avoid the area to the east of the lake as MTBing is not sanctioned there. Good forest tracks provide challenging climbs to the top of Slievenaslaght where you will be rewarded with a choice of descents including some single track sections.

Some good single track sections can also be found at the west end of the lake where the forest hosts a popular XC race every year. The park contains the largest hedge maze in the UK and encourages family cycling around the lake so a good place to take the kids.

Some comments from previous riders:

"I thought some of the downhill stuff was quite tough technically, and the climbs will certainly get the heart rate up - frankly a great course."

"It's bl**dy brilliant. Fantastic use of a small hill, lots of flowy bits and more techincal than I think most NI XC courses are. Hats off to the builders."

As usual, be careful as Castlewellan is a popular place for families / walkers, so safety and courtesy are of the utmost importance.

YouTube Clips

NPS #1 2006 Castlewellan

icon: cyclistRider Reviews

Average Rider Rating : 4.00/5.00
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Reviewed By:Thomas S
love it..go once a week its that good!
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Reviewed By:Monty
Xc trail is great!
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Reviewed By:Bloom
I really like this place. The XC loop that is used for the race every year is superb. More people should try it.
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Reviewed By:PaulMcA
The trail around the lake is a fun way to get the kids out riding.
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Reviewed By:AndyL
The xc course is spot on
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Reviewed By:Barry Kellett
Lots of fire roads to explore with a good gradient to work your way up.
The XC loop towards the "back" of the forest is a great blast. A long lung busting climb up fire roads and then lots of great technical singletrack the whole way back down to the lake.

 
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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.