Hello
I’m off to the lakes next week and staying in grizedale forest for 4 days and was wondering what the off piste stuff is like there and is it easy to find?
Also looking for advice on decent rides starting in the vicinity of grizedale as would be nice not to have to drive to a start point. Don’t mind a bit of hikey bikey, any advice greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance
Cheers Graeme

Ps looking to avoid the trail centre route unless it leads to some cheeky stuff

I’ve never ridden any of the off-piste stuff but there are lots of decent bridal ways around the forest. Trouble is, I think a lot of the off-piste has been forested and the bridal ways have trees down across them from the recent ish storms.

I can’t help much further than that, hopefully a local will be able to point you in the right direction, sorry.

Circuit of Coniston?
https://www.justgoride.co.uk/routes/39703 – bits of tech but more an XC route, it’s a good day out.
Can tag on Walna Scar if you’re feeling energetic or drive a short distance and do it alone.
https://www.justgoride.co.uk/routes/15302

There have been 2 or 3 very detailed threads about this the last few months, including lots of route suggestions. ( so much so that I guessed even before opening the thread that it would be about GD) Best bet is to look on them

One key factor, which you will get better responses on this thread is about tree blockages. I know GolfChie told me not to bother with Grizedale a few months back due to downages. It may have changed.

< Edit: I’m really sorry, I can’t find the threads. My GFu is weak. I will try again later. I’m sure someone can find them>

Hire Graham to guide you for a day or 2 https://www.sublimerides.co.uk/

You’d struggle to find them and theres still plenty to be had even with trees down

Here’s one of the recent threads

Grizedale from hawkshead route advice

Most of the downed trees have been cleared off the bridleways in the forest and over Claife way. I think the NF trail itself is still closed though. The coniston (west side) off piste was mostly destroyed by logging before Arwen. The bits above Bogle Crag car park seem to be getting some action.
fyi they are installing anpr solar powered ticket machine in bogle crag so it won’t be free for much longer.

Still a mixed picture in Grizedale, some bits open, some bits not. That tour of coniston route up there is fine. If the Walna Scar route includes Broughton Moor Forest, be advised that the bridleways through there are a mess.

If you end up with some route recommendations in the forest, worth coming on and checking to see if they are OK. It’s still possible to put together a decent ride and avoid the worst of it.

I’m riding Grizedale on Sat with a new riding buddy so if I remember I’ll report back on the state of the tracks we’re going to be riding. All off piste apparently around blind lane so we’ll see!

We went to Grizedale yesterday forgetting that’s the North Face was shut so did a loop of Claife instead. We just wanted a short blast as we were moving from Coniston to Keswick. Really enjoyed it I wasn’t particularly excited about the NFT.

Im not sure I’d recommend Walna scar to anyone I just didn’t get it. A massive push up followed by a loose boulder strewn descent.

Thanks for all the help guys keep it coming!

@Stainypants that’s because half way up Walna Scar you’re much better off turning right after the gate/wall and going back down towards the farm. Only issue with that approach is where you’re going to park as the forest after torver is toast and that was the best/nearest place to park. I’ve not done it for a while for that purpose, the get closer to parking involves driving all the way past the Ulverston roundabout now and going up dodgy narrow roads to park in Seathwaite.

Well from our ride today, hole in the wall/devils gallop is totally decimated so don’t go down there. Then the Graythwaite enduro lines which start super high up in the woods, apparently known as scorpion is completely gone. Other than that everything we rode around bogle crag and blind lane is absolutely fine and running top notch.

Cheers guys much appreciated is there much around boggle crag as we are staying in the forest not far from the trail centre place is it easy enough to find?

It’s fairly easy, strava heatmap and segment explore is your friend here (don’t know much about Trailforks).

If you’re near the visitor centre, you can choose from either side of the forest, and there is stuff available in both.

On the Bogle crag side, stuff available (according to reports) is

Descent to esthwaite water from the Fox sculpture (normally called The Fox)
Breasty Haw (Great Wood) – might be a couple of trees to hop over. The normal continuation to that is devils gallop/hole in the wall, so you’ll have to hack up the road to continue. There is a potential bridleway climb back up close by, don’t know if that’s OK.
Boulder Alley – byway from fox sculpture to VC.

On the other side, the North Face trail appears completely closed, still.
Open stuff: Grandad, dad and dentist (three witches) into Satterthwaite
Riverbed/Bacon Slicer – bridleway heading towards VC from crossroads at top of forest. The short but fun continuation after the fire road was shut last time I went past.
Parkamoor including the descent to Nibthwaite all fine, disappointingly not much of the sanitisation has washed away yet.
Lawson Park descent blocked in the top half, will be for some time. Bottom half fine. The next bridleway north also apparently OK.

As I mentioned, Broughton Moor Forest bridleways on the Walna Scar loop are not available. But you can loop around to Stephenson Ground or up to Natty Bridge using fire-roads.

Finally, Claife Heights is normally a good add-on for a Grizedale ride. The Harrow Slack descent between Far Sawrey and the lakeshore was passable, but were a number of big trees down across it, so it’s not much fun. Descent from Guide Posts to Colthouse fine except at the very top, but passable. Don’t know about Guide Posts to Belle Grange and the descent to Near Sawrey via Moss Eccles is mostly out of the trees.

Harrowslack descent has now been cleared and is rideable. Thanks trail fairies!

Blimey, that must’ve taken some work. Great news.

In terms of access, they seem to be keeping this page up to date…

https://www.grizedale-bikes.co.uk/pages/cycling-mountain-biking-trails-in-grizedale