Squirrel Chaser Blue Cycle Trail at Hamsterley Forest

About

Hit the trails at Hamsterley Forest this Easter! Forestry England is delighted to announce the opening of a brand–new, blue (moderate) grade off-road cycle trail at Hamsterley Forest, County Durham.

'Squirrel Chaser’, which opens on the 6th April 2025, offers an 8.4km (5.25 miles) fully waymarked route designed for moderate and improver cyclists. Taking in existing riverside trails and forest roads, the route also includes 2km (1.25 miles) of brand new singletrack - ‘The Oakey Cokey’, named after the atmospheric oak plantation it winds through.

This new trail features swooping descents, a challenging switchback climb and progressive rocky sections for riders to test and improve their skills in a fantastic forest setting.

Fun and engaging for riders with core off-road riding skills, the trail is also designed to be suitable for riders using some non-standard off-road cycles, such as adapted mountain bikes and trikes.

‘Squirrel Chaser’ forms part of Hamsterley Forest's progressive trail network, which caters to all experience levels and includes 64km (nearly 40 miles) of waymarked routes ranging from blue (moderate) grade to black (severe) grade.

The trail is clearly waymarked according to Forestry England's trail grading system throughout, with blue squares indicating moderate difficulty. A new forest-wide cycle trail map with improved design will be displayed in the forest and printed versions will be available to collect for free from the visitor information point after 6 April.

Squirrel Chaser blue mountain bike trail
A smooth, undulating figure-of-8 trail.
Views of the beck lead to fun, swooping singletrack with a mixture of progressive trail features.
These provide a moderate challenge to build skills and confidence, and to help you explore the other trails.
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Trail information
Hamsterley Forest, Bedburn, Hamsterley, DL13 3NL
Opening hours
Get directions
Follow the blue markers
Grade - Blue

Is this grade for you?
Blue grade trails are suitable for intermediate cyclists or mountain bikers with basic off-road riding skills.
Trail Length - 5.25 miles (8.4km)