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Fastyr mie — good afternoonJecrean 14 Jerrey Fouyir 2026Wednesday, 14 October 2026
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Off-road on the island

Ride the
hills.

Forest singletrack, old railway lines and green lanes over the heather: where to ride, which trails suit you, and the rules that keep the island open to bikes.

3 trail areas · 6 natural routes · Rules, events and getting there

Red-brown heather in the foreground with a clump of wind-shaped pines and a narrow road crossing the moorland.
Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn, CC BY-SA 2.0

Trail areas

The plantations with signed mountain bike trails. Grades follow the colours explained further down.

Open brown heather moorland on the hills of the south-west, rising towards the rounded summit of South Barrule.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0

South Barrule

Off the A36 Niarbyl road, about 200m from the A3 near Foxdale

The island’s signposted trail centre, with hand-built singletrack, a skills area and fire tracks on to Cringle and Corlea.

  • RedViking Trail. 5km of rough, narrow singletrack under a metre wide in places, with steep sections and a stepped boardwalk. For proficient riders.
  • BlueKipper Trail. 1km of forest road with a 300m singletrack section.
  • UngradedSkills area. Added in 2017 to practise on before the trails.

Parking: Free car park at the forest. Toilets at Coffee Cottage when it is open.

Latest: Open, but with substantial access restrictions after storm damage.

South Barrule trail map (DEFA, PDF) ↗South Barrule trails (Visit Isle of Man) ↗South Barrule Forest (Visit Isle of Man) ↗

The village of Foxdale among green fields and hedges, with rolling hills and the central valley beyond.
Photo: Gregory J Kingsley, CC BY-SA 3.0

Archallagan

Foxdale Road, Foxdale (take the A24 out of Douglas)

Known locally as the “forest of a thousand trails”: a waymarked blue loop, a junior course and a web of unsigned technical lines.

  • BlueCommunity Blue Trail. Rooty singletrack with hairpins.
  • GreenEnd2End legacy junior course. Built for young riders as a legacy of the End2End race.
  • Red to blackYellow dot trails. Unsurfaced and marked only by a yellow dot: for riders who can navigate.

Parking: Two free car parks. Not easy to reach by public transport.

Latest: Reopened in July 2025 after storm recovery, but some trails remain closed. The Community Blue Trail is due to be reinstated.

Archallagan Forest (Visit Isle of Man) ↗Archallagan reopens (IOM Today, July 2025) ↗

An easy ride for everyone

Colourful terraced houses and the red sandstone buildings of Peel's seafront above the beach and promenade.
Photo: Neil Theasby, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Heritage Trail

  • Easy
  • About 10–11 miles each way
  • Douglas to Peel

The easiest off-road ride on the island: about 10 to 11 miles from Douglas to Peel along the old railway, on a level hard-packed surface. Start from the National Sports Centre car park, pass Union Mills, Crosby, Greeba and St John’s, and finish on Peel quayside. Allow about an hour each way. Share it kindly: walkers, dogs and horses use it too.

Heritage Trail (Visit Isle of Man) ↗Walking it instead →

Natural routes

Longer rides over green lanes, fire tracks and hill roads, as listed by Visit Isle of Man. Published distances for these vary between guides, so get the route from their mountain biking page or the Trailforks map before you set out.

  • Witches Barrel

    Starts: St John’s

    A loop that finishes with the descent off Slieau Whallian.

  • Hell’s 8

    Starts: Kirk Michael

    A figure-of-eight using the fire track through Ballaugh Plantation.

  • Southern Comfort

    Starts: Colby

    A southern loop over part of the old End2End course.

  • The Camel’s Back

    Starts: The Raven, Ballaugh

    Up through Ballaugh Plantation and over Sky Hill.

  • A Grand Day Out

    Starts: The Bungalow

    Across the hills from the Bungalow down to Sulby.

  • St Luke’s and Windy Corner

    Starts: The TT Grandstand, Douglas

    Out from Douglas to St Luke’s and Windy Corner.

Where you can ride

Green lanes: yes

Unsurfaced roads have the same legal standing as any road, so you can ride them, sharing with walkers, horses and motor vehicles. Some are Greenways, marked with a Loaghtan sheep symbol and limited to 20mph.

Plantation tracks: yes

You can ride the forest roads and signed trails, following the Forest Cycle Code below. Keep out of areas closed for tree felling.

Public footpaths: no

Bikes are not allowed on public footpaths, including the Raad ny Foillan coastal path.

National glens: no

Cycling is against the forestry byelaws in all 18 national glens, Glen Helen included.

Open hill: no

The open hill land is for walkers: ride the signposted greenways across it instead.

TT fortnight

Cycling on the Mountain Road is banned during the TT, and some upland green lanes may be closed to everyone, cyclists included.

The Forest Cycle Code

  • Expect the unexpected: keep your distance
  • Remember other vehicles use the forest
  • Give way to walkers
  • Be aware of horses
  • Danger! Keep away from forest operations
  • Do not pass a vehicle that is loading timber until you have been told to do so
  • Footpaths are for walkers only

Trail grades

  • GreenEasy: For beginners: generally flat and wide.
  • BlueModerate: Basic off-road skills: may include singletrack and roots.
  • RedDifficult: Experienced riders: challenging climbs and technical descents.
  • BlackSevere: Experts: prolonged, technical and physically demanding.
  • OrangeExtreme: Downhill and jumps.

Stay safe

Tell someone your route and when you’ll be back, carry a phone, and check the weather before heading on to the hills. Pass horses slowly, leave gates as you find them, and give sheep space, especially at lambing time in April and May. In an emergency, dial 999 and give your location.

Taking your bike

Buses

Full-size bikes are not carried on Bus Vannin buses. Folding bikes can go in the luggage area if there is room.

Steam Railway and Manx Electric Railway

Bikes go when there is space, for a charge per trip: in the guard’s van on the Steam Railway, and on the electric railway only when a trailer is running. Email [email protected] before you travel. No bikes on the Snaefell Mountain Railway.

The ferry

The Steam Packet carries bikes on every sailing for a small fee. Space is limited, so add your bike when you book.

Events, clubs and guided rides

  • Manx MTB Enduro

    The island’s enduro race series, with rounds through the year. In August 2026 the island hosted its first British National Enduro Championships, run on Slieau Whallian, Kings Forest and Arrasey.

    Find out more ↗

  • Gran Fondo Isle of Man

    Went off-road for the first time in July 2026, with gravel and cross-country races from Ramsey to Port Erin, a shorter non-competitive challenge and a children’s ride.

  • Loaghtan Loaded MTB

    A social riding club that also looks after trails and organises events.

  • Guided rides

    Visit Isle of Man lists guided and e-bike tours from Enduro Isle (Douglas), Adventureology (Ramsey) and Pedal To Progression.

    Find out more ↗

The End2End, the island’s famous point-to-point mountain bike race from the Point of Ayre to the south, ran for more than two decades before its organisers ended it in 2021.

Trails change with forestry work and the weather, so check the latest before you ride. On foot instead? See the walking guides. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.