| If you are looking for something a little different to | | | | orienteering and wildlife watching are just a tiny |
| do on your family holiday this year, why not take | | | | selection of the activities available to you when |
| your family on a mountain bike holiday, available | | | | visiting this part of the country. |
| throughout Britain. A mountain bike holiday allows | | | | In the town of Keswick in the Lake District you will |
| families to enjoy the great outdoors together and | | | | find some of the most professionally built and safely |
| there is so much more besides cycling to do at most | | | | monitored mountain bike trails in the whole of Britain. |
| of the locations. Wildlife watching, horse riding and | | | | Newly finished, Whinlatter Forest Park is home to the |
| other energetic activities can be combined with | | | | longest purpose built trails in the Lake District and |
| cultural distractions like visiting museums or historic | | | | after you have finished biking for the day, you can |
| castles. Far from boring, British holidays offer visitors | | | | take a ride on the cool lakes or be really brave and |
| and locals to experience more culture, wildlife, | | | | do a bit of swimming. |
| activities and general fun than any other country in | | | | If the sole purpose of your holiday is to mountain |
| the world. Your children can learn the importance of | | | | bike for as many hours of the day you can, then |
| preserving our natural habitat and being responsible | | | | Bedgebury is the spot for you. A family cycle track |
| for their actions whilst travelling around the area on | | | | stretching ten kilometres and circling two thousand |
| two wheels. | | | | acres of forest has been newly surfaced so that |
| The government sponsored Forestry Commission | | | | even the most novice bike riders will feel firmly within |
| details the best locations for a family mountain biking | | | | their comfort zone. However, step off the family |
| holiday on its website, and some of the best are | | | | track and you will discover twelve kilometres of |
| described below. Whilst the landscape, trails and | | | | single track trails built for more experienced or just |
| activities around the area are all different, there is a | | | | plain brave mountain bikers. There is also a purpose |
| common theme among them all; stunning scenery | | | | built free ride area for the show-offs in the family |
| and loads of things to keep everyone entertained. | | | | wanting to perfect their skills at jumping and downhill |
| You don't have to worry if some members of your | | | | stunts. |
| family are better bikers than others, as there are | | | | You can take your own mountain bike to all of these |
| trails designed to suit all levels of skill. In ascending | | | | locations although there is the opportunity to hire |
| order of difficulty, green are the easiest trails | | | | them once you have arrived. If you are a regular |
| followed by blue, red and black, although you have to | | | | biker, I would suggest taking your bike with you to |
| be fairly proficient to be able to master a black trail. | | | | save on the extra costs. You can even take them |
| Kielder forest is one of the northernmost locations in | | | | on the train if you decide to travel that way. So |
| England, and is home to a variety of trails of all | | | | there is no excuse for not taking advantage of the |
| different levels. Take advantage of Hamsterley | | | | diverse and challenging mountain bike trails Britain has |
| forest and Chopwell Woodland Park where you can | | | | to offer, just try not to fall off and embarrass the |
| also take your bikes for a spin. Horse riding, | | | | kids in front of their cool new friends! |