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Derroura Mountain Bike Trail

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Derroura Mountain Bike Trail
  • Information:
  • Type: Trail Centre
  • Grades: Black
  • Riding: Cross Country
  • Facilities: Car Park Bike Hire
  • Admission: Free access
  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Surface: Mixed
  • Grading: Venue specific
  • Run by: Coillte (Land manager) Derroura Mountain Bike Hire (Operator)
  • Trail network:16km
  • Country:🌍 Republic-of-ireland
  • County:Galway
  • Website:Derroura ↗

Trail grades, descriptions and other details on this page are provided for general guidance only and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Always check on-site signage and current conditions before riding. See our trail safety disclaimer.

Description

Derroura is Coillte's waymarked mountain bike loop at the gateway to Connemara, 7km west of Oughterard on the N59: over 16km with around 13km of technical singletrack, long climbs and big descents, and views over Lough Corrib, the Maam valley and the Twelve Bens. Its future as a mountain bike trail is uncertain: Coillte says it intends to change the use of the trail from mountain biking to walking, and talks with stakeholders are ongoing. Check Coillte's Derroura page before you travel.

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The Trail's Future

  • Coillte's Derroura page says it "intends to change the use of Derroura forest recreation trail, from mountain biking to walking", and that discussions with key stakeholders are ongoing. No date has been given.
  • Galway West TD Seán Kyne has called for the change to be halted, saying the trail has suffered from years of inadequate maintenance and frequent closures.
  • Coillte's last trail update, in January 2025, said the trails had reopened after repairs. Check the Coillte Derroura page for the current position before you travel.

The Trail

  • A single circular waymarked loop. Coillte gives it as over 16km, with a little over 13km on singletrack, and Sport Ireland measures it at 14.4km and about two and a half hours.
  • Sport Ireland grades it Severe. Parts are technical, steep and rocky, with exposed rock slabs, boulders, mud, roots, loose gravel and raised timber boardwalks.
  • Expect long climbs and fast descents. From the halfway point there are views over the length of Lough Corrib, north into the Maam valley and west to the Twelve Bens.
  • Walkers and runners are kept to the forest roads, and the singletrack is for bikes only.
  • Coillte asks riders to wear a helmet, carry spare clothing, water and food, check the bike is in good working order, and tell someone the route and when they expect to be back.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

There's no uplift at Derroura. Bike hire is based beside the trail.

This operator publishes little online, so contact them before you travel to check they're running.

Getting There from the UK

Dublin Port, for ferries from Holyhead and Liverpool, is about three hours' drive across the country. Rosslare Europort, for ferries from Fishguard and Pembroke, is around four hours away. The closest airports are Ireland West Airport Knock, about an hour and a quarter away, and Shannon, about an hour and three quarters. Galway city is around 40 minutes' drive.

Getting Here

The car park is on the N59 Galway to Clifden road, about 7km west of Oughterard on the way to Maam Cross.

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