Mallards Pike Mountain Biking: Parking, Coffee and the Natural Trails

Mallards Pike is where I send riders who have done the Cycle Centre and want something more natural. The waymarked route there is the family Colliers Trail. The riding I go for is the unwaymarked stuff up the fire road behind the lake: about eight trails for medium to advanced riders, with rocks, drops and roots, and it always runs well in the wet. There's a lakeside cafe with good coffee, and it links into bigger rides nicely.

One thing first. Forestry England is harvesting at Mallards Pike this autumn, with weekday closures, so read the section on that before you drive over.

Can you mountain bike at Mallards Pike?

Yes, in two ways.

The official one is the Colliers Trail, Forestry England's fully waymarked family loop. It's 14.5 km, it follows the old colliery railway line, and it links Mallards Pike with the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, Beechenhurst and Cannop Ponds. You'll still hear it called the Family Cycle Trail, which was its old name. It's a family trail, so expect families on it, and you have to get off and walk around the picnic area and the lakeside path.

The other is the natural riding in the woods, and that's what I'd send a confident rider here for. Head up the main fire road behind the lake and there are about eight unofficial trails for medium to advanced riders. They're rutted out, with rocks, drops and roots, but they were pretty well maintained after the recent harvesting (with more harvesting this autumn, expect changes; see below). The ground is loam-based and cut down to the stone. Watch for sniper roots, the tree roots that catch you out: they're dotted around the Forest's off-piste riding, more so over towards Barnhill Quarry. None of it is waymarked, so there are no signs and no official grades. The fire road itself is a stone forest road, which is exactly where Forestry England is happy for you to ride.

I'm not going to give directions to individual lines, GPS files or links to them. We don't have direct pins for obvious reasons. The honest way to learn it is to ride it with people who already know it.

Forestry England puts it plainly on its unauthorised trail building page: if a trail isn't waymarked, it isn't an authorised mountain bike trail and you ride it at your own risk. Anyone who builds one without the landowner's consent may be liable for harm to the people who ride it. If you do ride here, leave the spades at home.

If you're new to mountain biking, this isn't the place to start. Stick to the Cycle Centre: the blue Verderers trail, or the Colliers Trail if you've got kids with you. My beginners' guide to the Forest of Dean walks you through it.

Is Mallards Pike open? Harvesting in autumn 2026

Forestry England is harvesting at Mallards Pike this autumn. That means thinning across the site, plus a small area of clearfell where the Corsican pine is coming out. Here's what it means for a ride (checked 25 September 2026):

• 21 September to 2 October 2026: fully closed on weekdays, including the cafe, Go Ape and the Colliers Trail link. Open at weekends, with reduced parking.
• From 3 October 2026: normal opening hours again, but with less car park space while timber is stacked in the overflow car park.

Harvesting is dangerous work. Obey every forestry sign and diversion, and don't ride anything that's closed, however quiet it looks. Forestry England says it will use existing routes to get the timber out, and will repair damage to them where necessary once the work is finished.

Dates move, so check Forestry England's page before you set off.

Parking at Mallards Pike: prices and free options

Mallards Pike is halfway along the road between Parkend and Blakeney. The postcode for the sat nav is GL15 4HD. The car park belongs to Forestry England, and its machines take card or contactless only, or you can pay with RingGo.

How long	Price (checked September 2026)
Early bird, leave before 10.30am	£2.50
Up to 2 hours	£4
Up to 4 hours	£6
All day	£8

A few things worth knowing:

• Ride in and it's free. Forestry England doesn't charge anyone who arrives by bike or public transport.
• Members park free. Forestry England's Forest of Dean membership is £55 a year and covers Mallards Pike, the Cycle Centre, Beechenhurst, Cannop Ponds, Symonds Yat Rock and Wenchford.
• Watch the clock. The site opens at 8am and closes between 5pm and 9pm depending on the season. The barrier is locked at night and there's no overnight parking.

Now the local bit. I've lived in the Forest for thirty years and I've never paid for parking. There are lay-bys, and they're fine to use as long as you don't block the gates. What I'd ask is this: please don't park on the road. No main roads, and no verges.

Riding Mallards Pike in the wet

This is the big reason to know about Mallards Pike. It always runs well in the wet. The ground is loam-based and cut down to the stone, so it's a good bet when the rain comes.

The catch is the ruts. It's heavily rutted already, and heavy rain ruts it up pretty badly. So it's a good wet-weather choice, but after a proper downpour ride it gently and don't add to the damage by skidding.

Here's how it compares with the rest of the Forest when it's grim:

• Staunton in the wet is lethal. It's clay-based and turns to ice. Avoid it.
• The Cycle Centre always runs pretty well. The stone, man-made trails give grip in the wet. More in my Cycle Centre guide.
• Fetter Hill is good all year round, wet included: good roost spray and loam flying about.

Coffee, and where riders meet

Mallards Pike does good coffee, and I use it as a mid-ride stop. The lakeside cafe is run by Pedalabikeaway, and it lists its hours as 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Sunday (checked September 2026). That makes it better for a coffee halfway round than for an early meet. Remember it's shut on weekdays until 2 October 2026 while the harvesting is on.

For meeting people, my spot is on the Mallards road where the cattle grid used to be. You can see it from the main road, so nobody gets lost, and it's a great place to gather before heading into the woods.

For a pint afterwards, The Fountain in Parkend is amazing, a proper local. With free parking around the village, a ride that starts and ends in Parkend and takes in Mallards Pike works really well.

Linking Mallards Pike into a longer ride

Two ways I'd build Mallards Pike into a bigger day.

The easy link. Follow the waymarked Colliers Trail across to the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre. That gets you coffee, pints and the downhill tracks. The Cycle Centre guide has the trails, uplift and prices.

The Tour de FoD. Like the Tour de France, but around the Forest. It's what I'd do with a mate who's visiting for one day:

1. Park in Pillowell for free. Keep off the main road and the verges, and don't block gates.
2. Start in the Forestry England woods along the Parkend to Lydney road.
3. Head to Mallards Pike.
4. Drop over to the Cycle Centre for a coffee, some downhill runs and some Enduro Hill.
5. Over to Barnhill.
6. Across the next valley to Fetter Hill, for the classic Dowie's trails: four lovely easy runs everyone can do.
7. Bluebells down into Parkend for another coffee, or a bit of sugar.
8. The scenic route through the woods back to Pillowell.

It's about 30 miles with loads of different trails, and it's a beautiful day out.

I've written the day up properly in my guide to mountain biking in the Forest of Dean. If you'd rather stick to waymarked riding, my best trails in the Forest of Dean sorts them by level.

Before you go

• Phone signal is patchy, and deep in the woods there usually isn't any. Download your maps before you leave, carry a first aid kit, and ride with someone if you can, especially on the natural stuff.
• There are no litter bins, so bring a bag and take everything home.
• The lake is off limits for swimming and personal water sports. It can only be used by booking.
• Get off and walk around the picnic area and the lakeside path.
• Not everyone rides. Go Ape high ropes, Segway tours, running trails and Gruffalo orienteering keep the rest of the family busy.

Riding with someone matters more on natural trails with no signal. Plus1, the free app I built, lets you post a ride or tap to join one near you. It's new, and it only works when riders are on it, so bring your mates. If you'd rather find an established crew, my guide to Forest of Dean group rides covers the other ways in.