Donard Wood, Down

Badger Rating 4.2/5

Some tight fire road climbs and descents, and sections of single track. Some nice technical descents along the Glen River.

Getting There

Newcastle. Park in Donard Park car park, south end of the promenade.

Trail Description

Situated on the steep NE slopes of Northern Ireland's highest mountain, Donard Wood possesses some tight fire road climbs and descents and sections of single track.

Some technical descents along the Glen river are possible although this area is popular with walkers so be careful and courteous.

There are regularly new trails and features popping up as the Wood is currently very popular with Dh riders at the weekend. Some excellent work, well worth exploring.

Easy to link into Tollymore Forest across the open ground to extend the riding.

Location

Trail Head

Movies of Donard Wood, Down

Reviews for this trail

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4.2

Did the radio mast climb and and back down again with hardly time to blink!

Broken_cross: about 15 years ago

Rating:4 badgers
Ride here a lot, There's some hidden gems if you know where to look, big climbs and lots of fire road for fast descents. Check out the single track trail from the trig point at the quarry , follow the stream (had me grinning) .There's also a fast descent from Drinneevar to Donard car park, watch out for walkers. You can easily cross into Tolly to extend the day.

Johnny: about 15 years ago

Rating:4.5 badgers
Fab as the other riders have said although recently many of the singletrack trails got chewed up by trials motorcyclists. Thanks to the lone trailbuilder for all his work. You may meet him or some deer roaming Donard Forest at dawn or dusk.

Sparky: about 16 years ago

Rating:5 badgers
Trails ride amazing all year round, better in winter. Why I don't know, but it's a good thing when everywhere else is slippy as prison soap. Check it out, and Tollymore as well for a bit of an epic.

Chris: about 16 years ago

Rating:4 badgers
Although singletrack trails are short, there are a wide variety (in both features and difficulty) and can be easily linked via fireroad and pushing-up. Donards trail surface stays more rideable in the wet than most places and never really gets that slippy or chewed up.
For XC whippets there's a full fireroad climb from the carpark to the radio mast above the treeline which certainly tests your fitness! Not to mention the last section nicknamed 'heartbreak hill'! For gravity racers, trails aren't overly far apart and don't take too long to push up.
In short - an great place for all types of riders, in all weather, with new trail features (thanks to local trail builders) popping up all the time.

Colin: about 17 years ago

Rating:4 badgers
A hidden gem

AndyL: about 17 years ago

Rating:4 badgers

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.