Penmachno Mountain Bike Trails

The Penmachno Mountain Bike Trails are the hidden gem of North Wales mountain biking; 30km of super-sweet single-track and scenic forest trail, riding high through Eryri National Park.

Want to plan ahead? You can download the Penmachno Trails Map here.

The trails are split into two loops, which can be ridden individually or as one amazing 30km ride. Be warned, if you do ride the complete circuit, just as you get your breath back from the descents on Loop 1 the views on Loop 2 will take it away again!

Once you’ve ripped round the trails don’t forget to make a donation: the trails are managed by a local community group (Menter Bro Machno), funded by donations from mountain bikers and maintained by volunteers.

Even more trails

Then there are more trails for you to try such as Sawbench between Betws-y-Coed and Llanrwst. The 24.8km Gwydir Mawr Trail has big climbs, big descents and brilliant singletrack. Most of the climbs are on forest roads and tracks giving time to take in the mountain views. The descents are on singletrack which varies from very tight, technical and rocky to open and flowing. For those who want a shorter ride,  the Gwydir Bach Trail follows 9.1km of the main trail and is the little sister to Gwydir Mawr – however, its two big climbs lead to the best descents of the whole trail. Further afield in Beddgelert Forest as well as Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre, near Dolgellau there’s even more mountain biking available.

Travel time from Benar Cottages: 0 minutes – just cycle up to the forest

The mountain bike trails are so close, one of them is even named “Benar”. It’s a bit like staying in a ski resort where you can ski straight from the door!