North Cardiff Trails

North Cardiff Trails is a web of wild, rider-maintained mountain bike trails running through the beech woodlands above north Cardiff, spread across three main woods: Fforest Fawr, Fforest Ganol and Garth Woods. The riding mixes natural singletrack with steep jump lines, alongside wide, smooth paths that suit riders just starting out. It is not a trail centre. The trails are not graded or waymarked as a network, the woods are shared with walkers, runners and horse riders, and much of the ground is protected woodland where Cardiff Council, Natural Resources Wales and other landowners are working with the local riders' group, the North Cardiff Trails Collective, towards a smaller core network of trails.

The Trails

• Fforest Fawr: Natural Resources Wales woodland beneath Castell Coch. The North Cardiff Trails Collective describes it as a good place for young riders to get started, with wide, smooth paths and progressive singletrack. It also has waymarked walking trails, including a family sculpture trail, and several bridleways used by horse riders.
• Fforest Ganol: ancient woodland owned by Cardiff Council and protected as a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The trails here are natural singletrack and jump lines that have formed and been shaped by local riders over many years.
• Garth Woods: privately owned by the Breedon Group and also a Special Area of Conservation, with steeper riding that mixes singletrack and jump lines.

The collective's area is wider than these three woods, running from Tyn-y-Coed, west of Pentyrch, across to Fforest Ganol. The collective is still mapping the network, so there is no official trail map or grading yet, and it discourages building new trails while that work is under way.

The Big Six

The collective's first step towards making trails official is a proof of concept called the Big Six, a set of six trails it chose as the starting point across Fforest Ganol, Fforest Fawr and Garth Woods. It picked them by asking riders for their favourites, checking the shortlist against Strava, Garmin and other ride data, and sense-checking it against what its members ride and where they see the most people. They are:

• Men at Work
• Slippery Singletrack, into Rarebit Nutters
• Primrose
• Wasteland
• Bluebell Stump
• Jump track and berm track, into Holy Sh!t That's Steep

The collective says this is only the beginning, and expects to add more trails and more woodlands over time. The list may change as the work goes on, so check the collective's site for the current picture.

Looking After the Woods

These woodlands are part of the Cardiff Beech Woods Special Area of Conservation and include Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and recreation pressure has damaged them. Cardiff Council leads a two-year project called Routes to Resilience, working with Natural Resources Wales, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, the Breedon Group and community groups. It aims to create a core network of trails for walkers, cyclists and horse riders and to reduce the overall number of trails, allowing some former trail areas to regrow. The council says that unauthorised trail building in these woods is causing significant damage, and the project includes work to discourage further building.

What that means for riders:

• Ride the established trails. The collective's own guidance is to stick to existing trails, avoid adding new lines and be careful about where, what and how trails are built. New trail building is discouraged.
• Expect change. Trails are being mapped, signed, closed or left to regrow as the project goes on, so follow any signage and diversions rather than relying on an old map.
• Work with the landowners has started in Fforest Ganol, including new signage and safer crossings of the forest roads.
• These are shared woods. Many riders arrive along shared paths such as the Taff Trail or through bridleways. Stay in control, use a bell or call out well in advance, expect walkers, runners and horses, and pick up litter.

Local Organisation

The North Cardiff Trails Collective is a volunteer group of local riders formed in 2022 to look after the trails and work with landowners and environmental organisations. Its founding members include former world champion Manon Carpenter, who is its ambassador. Its website carries its code of conduct, woodland information, updates and a newsletter sign-up.

Getting Here

• Fforest Fawr Car Park: run by Natural Resources Wales, near Castell Coch outside Tongwynlais. Parking is free and overnight parking is not permitted. The north end of Heol-y-Fforest, opposite the car park entrance, links the Fforest Fawr and Fforest Ganol trails. From the A470, follow the signs for Castell Coch, continue past the castle entrance and the car park is on the left after about a mile and a quarter. Its postcode covers a wide area and will not take you to the entrance, so follow the signs.
• Fforest Ganol: the collective lists four main access points: the north end of Heol-y-Fforest, opposite the Fforest Fawr car park entrance; the south end of Heol-y-Fforest, which also gives access to Fforest Fawr; the north end of Rhiwbina Hill, where a forestry road leads towards Ridgeway Golf Club and the ridgeway trails over towards Rudry and Draethen; and the south end of Rhiwbina Hill, which links trails from Cwm Nofydd and Y Wenallt.
• Garth Woods: the collective lists access from Ty Nant Road, from the end of Cefn Bychan in Pentyrch and via the forestry road leading up from Heol Goch.
• By bike or train: Fforest Fawr sits on the Taff Trail, part of the National Cycle Network. Taffs Well is the nearest mainline station. Follow the Highway Code on the way to the woods.
• Navigation: this is not a signed, graded trail centre, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.
• Closures: trails and the car park at Fforest Fawr are subject to periodic closures and diversions due to forestry operations and tree safety work. Always check the Natural Resources Wales Fforest Fawr page for current alerts before travelling.
• Nearby: Mountain View Bike Park is a separate, purpose-built bike park close by on Caerphilly Mountain.

Beyond the Trails

Fforest Fawr sits beneath Castell Coch, a Victorian Gothic Revival castle managed by Cadw. The woodland is also popular for walking, with waymarked trails from the car park, and its spring display of bluebells, wood anemones and wild garlic is worth a visit in its own right.

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