You can start riding from many points. If I am cycling up from North London I start at Oakwood station (detailed below) but otherwise if I was driving I would enter via the Cockfosters gate as there is the cafe, car park and toilets. If it is your first time I'd recommend the Cockfoster road entrance. Also the routes are pretty much the same you are just starting at a different point.

The Trails

The trails are bridleways and some natural singletrack running around the circumference of the park. The terrain is rooty and can get quite muddy in the winter. The trails are not particularly technical (although many a fallen log to jump) and only a few miles round but if you put in a few circuits you get a really good XC workout. There is also a small unofficial and quite sketchy dirt jump park built near the old university grounds (if you can find it).

Starting from Oakwood Station (NB no car parking this end)

Opposite Oakwood tube is an entrance into the park. Head straight across the field hugging the left to keep to the perimeter. After a few fields there are some raised wooden crossings and a few small stream crossings. It's twisty until you get the Cockfosters gate where you can head down to the cafe (the other starting point).
Continue past behind the forest cafe along the perimeter on left until you hit the start of the chute (a descent with a rut through the middle which is lots of fun if not a swamp)
Just before as you head up to the chute by the ancient moat I could see some old jumps that had eroded significantly over time.. Still some fun to be had there with some natural drops and crafted kickers.
After the chute it is a left turn along the perimeter through singletrack until you head up the bridleway to a T junction. Go right for 20 meters. Left to park office and on your left is a sketchy dirt park. Slightly dilapidated with dodgy tabletops and doubles.
Head to the right at end by the final berm and head straight down; just before path head right on singletrack until you hit the golf course. Follow road to house and you hit signs to main road and exit. Follow the road for a mile or so and up long hill. Turn right at main road and you see Oakwood tube on left.
If you started at and wanted to get back to the Cockfosters entrance then go to the start of the directions above.

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If you are cycling from Tottenham in North London and looking for a road route to get there see this Map.