Trail Badger
Mountain Biking trails in Northern Ireland
Iniscarn Forest
7 miles west of Magherafelt, on the slopes of Slieve Gallion, 7 miles North of Moneymore.
Superb descent off the top of Slieve Gallion, trail zigzags down the hill before entering the forest, with twisting singletrack and jumps by the river. A very enjoyable 8-9km loop with about 400m of climbing/descending and some amazing views. Well worth a visit, it is superb stuff.
Iniscarn Trail Map (Jpg, 105k) - marked
Park at the top of Slieve Gallion (or at Iniscarn Bridge on the North East side of the forest, as marked on the map, and ride up).
From the road at the top, pass the radio masts on their south side and head for the stile you can see on the fence. Once over the stile, follow the fence to the right and pick up the faint trail heading south-east. The sides are banked up and hard to see at the start. This trail zigzags down the hill before entering the forest and bringing you to the top of the gravel forest track.
Alternatively, once over the stile follow the line of the telegraph poles for a very steep descent to the same point (don't advise this in anything other than drought, as it can be very slippery). Follow the gravel path to the north-east for a very fast flying kilometre descent that's sure to put a grin on your face. Bear north (left) at a clearing and follow some good single track (markers attached to some branches) across to the top of another forest track. From here, cross the stream and follow a quad track through the trees and back over the stream again. A short blast down the forest track will lead you to a further section of quad track that will have you smiling all the way to the bottom of the forest. To ride the single-track section again simply ride up the forest track.
To complete the loop, exit the forest and head south-east along the road. Take the first road on the right which turns into a rideable landrover track taking you towards the top. Finish along the mountain road to the mast (or take the slight shortcut along the track).
This is sheep country but we've found the local farmers to be very friendly if due courtesy is shown. A very enjoyable 8-9km loop with about 400m of climbing/descending and some amazing views across the whole country on good days. Well worth a visit and easy to combine with Slieve Gallion or Davagh to make a day of it.
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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.