Map

Ballyhoura Mountain Biking Trail - Get Your Fix!

Boasting a grand total of 90km of purpose-built singletrack, this is the largest mountain biking area of its kind in Western Europe. What makes Ireland’s Mountain Bike Centre so special is that its trails – suitable for everyone from the novice to the gnarly – weave through some of the most stunning landscape that Europe has to offer. Visitors will enjoy a true wilderness riding experience, soaking in the beauty of natural woodland, grouse moor, peat bog, peaceful valleys and the rugged Galtee mountains.

The Trails

The Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails are the largest trail network of its kind in Ireland and provides many options for off-road cycling in the mountains. Forest road climbs lead you into tight twisty singletrack with loads of ups and downs, tight turns and technical rocky bits. The trails range from a moderate 6 kilometre Greenwood loop to the demanding Castlepook loop, over 50 kilometres in length!

The trails are laid out as ‘stacked loops’ - this means that each loop leads onto the next and rejoins it on the way back. The loops are waymarked in one direction – just pick the colour of the loop.

The trail system, designed by one of the world leaders in the sport, is a challenging, one-way system constructed to give a challenging and rewarding ride. Please ensure you are equipped fully to undertake this adventure sport and respect other trail users at all times.

Download the Ballyhoura Mountain Biking Trail Guide

Download the Ballyhoura Mountain Biking Map

Greenwood Loop

This is the first of five loops in the trail system in the Ballyhouras and is called the Green Wood loop. This trail takes you through the lush hillsides underneath Seefin Mountain and Black Rock and is used as the outward and inward legs for the rest of the trail network.

Length: 6 kms
Colour: Green

Mountrussell Loop

The Mountrussell Loop is a more technical and physically demanding version of the Greenwood Loop and follows this as far as Waypoint 1, from where the trails become a bit more technical, narrower, rockier and steeper with more climbing and more descending.

Length: 17 Km
Colour: Brown

Garrane Loop

The Garrane Loop ventures westwards from Waypoint 3 taking in some long and fast singletrack descents as well as some long and demanding climbs on forest roads, tracks and singletrack trails

Length: 35 Km
Colour: White

Streamhill Loop

The Streamhill Loop provides an initial detour from the Garrane Loop giving a longer ride before rejoining to climb higher into the mountains. It detours again from the Garrane Loop higher up and starts some of the most demanding of the trails here with fast descents and longer climbs.

Length: 41 Km
Colour: Blue

Castlepook Loop

This is the ultimate loop of the Ballyhoura trails, being the longest and most demanding. It goes right to the southern fringes of the forest and presents you with the biggest climbs and most rewarding descents. Be prepared!

Length: 51 Km
Colour: Red

Trailriders.ie

Trailriders Mountain Bikes provide bike rental, guiding and training.  All bikes are high specificiation cross-country mountain bikes. Trailriders has chosen bikes so that anyone looking to try different bikes can do so. Bike guiding is available for those who fancy an introduction to the area, or alternatively to those who want to maximise their experience on the trails.

Location: Kilfinane, Co. Limerick
Tel: +353 87 2717330
E-mail: ballyhouratrailriders@gmail.com or chris_ocallaghan@eircom.net
Web: www.trailriders.ie

Ballyhoura Bike Hire

Ballyhoura Bike Hire offers a selection of mountain bikes for hire at exceptional rates.  Situated in Kilmallock, we offer excellent access to the Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails which are a "must" for any mountain biker, whatever your level of ability.

Location: Kilfinane, Co. Limerick
Tel: +353 83 4052855 / 63 98525
E-mail: info@ballyhourabikehire.com
Web: www.ballyhourabikehire.com

For further information on bike rental, maintenance and much more check out the new Ballyhoura Mountain Biking website.