Forestry England has published an update on the future of the Viking Trail in Tunstall Forest, confirming that the Tunstall and Rendlesham Off-road Group (TROG) has ceased operating and that the trail faces significant disruption over the coming years.

TROG formally dissolved following its AGM and has begun dispersing its assets, including a container on site that Forestry England is awaiting confirmation to remove. A meeting held in August 2025 between FE and TROG representatives established that trail maintenance would transition to Forestry England-directed volunteers, but that meeting also surfaced difficult realities about the trail's future.

Tunstall is a working timber forest, and Forestry England has confirmed that significant harvesting operations will take place across the site over the next few years. Sections of the Viking Trail will become inaccessible and unrideable as a result, and FE has stated clearly that there is no guarantee the trail can be restored to its former size or route once operations are complete. Financial and staffing constraints are also a factor, with the organisation reviewing roles and priorities across the wider Sandlings Beat.

Volunteer trail maintenance has been paused in the meantime. FE says it will not resume until new staff are recruited and trained, the scale of harvesting impact is confirmed, and ongoing maintenance is considered financially viable.

Forestry England has expressed commitment to the trail and says it will provide further updates once the harvesting impact is clearer. Community members in the Suffolk Sandlings MTB Facebook group have described the situation as worrying, with some drawing comparisons to Sudbourne, a former trail that has been reclaimed by nature, though others have noted the trail is currently riding well and that nothing is expected to change until harvesting begins.

For the latest status, see the Forestry England site operations page and the Viking Trail listing on iBikeRide.