Description
Tilgate Forest's mountain bike trails sit in woodland managed by Forestry England, part of the wider Tilgate Park in Crawley, West Sussex, between Croydon and Brighton. It is a small, informal, ungraded network of volunteer-built, unwaymarked singletrack with a full range of lines, from mellow to properly technical, built up by local riders over many years. The wider Tilgate Park also has a lake, nature centre, walled garden and cafe if you fancy a wander once you are off the bike.
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The Trails
- Nobody runs an official trail centre here, so the network is ungraded: expect a mix of mellow and properly technical lines, judged by rider consensus rather than a formal grading scheme.
- Expect a compact but varied network of singletrack. Several named lines, including Buck Wild, Chewbacca's Belt and Muddy Arse, are well established and regularly ridden by the local community.
- There is also a decent selection of downhill and freeride lines, generally bigger and more committing than the singletrack, so they suit experienced riders best.
- Nothing is waymarked, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.
Local Organisations
Tilgate Forest's trails are built and looked after by the local riding community rather than a formal trail association. The Tilgate Forest MTB Facebook group is the best place to check current trail conditions and get in touch with other local riders.
Getting Here
Park at Tilgate Park Car Park, Crawley RH10 5PQ, which also has toilets and a cafe close by at the Walled Garden and Nature Centre. The mountain bike trails themselves are deeper in the forest and have no facilities of their own, so come prepared once you are off the paths. Overflow parking is available at Tilgate Park's Fisherman's car park and the nearby K2 Leisure Centre.
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- If you have ridden any of the mountain bike trails at Tilgate Forest, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing.