Whinlatter Mountain Bike Trails – Altura Trail Southern Loop loop from Thornthwaite

Mountain biking trails

Whinlatter Mountain Bike Trails – Altura Trail Southern Loop loop from Thornthwaite

Hard

4.7

(27)

879

riders

Whinlatter Mountain Bike Trails – Altura Trail Southern Loop loop from Thornthwaite

02:18

25.2km

580m

Mountain biking

Hard mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 21, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Lake District National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.53 km

Viewpoint

3.57 km

View of Skiddaw from the Quercus Trail

Highlight • Viewpoint

Pinch yourself, are you really in the UK? This stunning vista over to Skiddaw is a highlight of the Quercus Trail.

Tip by

4.60 km

Whinlatter Mountain Bike Trails

Highlight • MTB Park

Whinlatter Forest offers breathtaking views of the Lake District. The forest's purpose-built mountain bike trails, designed to take full advantage of the rugged terrain, were voted the second-best trail centre in the UK by readers of Singletrack Magazine in 2009.

Managed by the Forestry Commission, Whinlatter Forest begins its trails at the main visitor centre car park. This area also features an information centre, a forest shop, Siskins Café, the Whinlatter WildPlay children’s trail, and various walking trails.

Tip by

4.86 km

Cyclewise Whinlatter Bike Shop

Highlight • Rest Area

Great shop, Craig was a legend and stayed late when we showed up at closing time to help my friend with replacements for the contaminated rotor and pads he’d somehow been using for the previous 40km. Good thing too as coming down Whinlatter would have been hairy on just a rear brake!

He then went above and beyond by coming back from home to let us in to the shop again when my other muppet of a friend realised he’d left his phone on the counter!

Tip by

5.03 km

Start of the North Loop Bike Trails

Highlight • Trail

Start point and map

Tip by

9.19 km

Standing Stones with View of Skiddaw

Highlight • Viewpoint

More a picnic site than a bronze age monument, the standing stones with their commanding view over Skiddaw are impressive nonetheless. They are inscribed with the words, 'Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees' by John Muir.

Tip by

13.8 km

Highest Point of the South Loop

Highlight • Summit

Highest point

Tip by

13.8 km

Altura Trail Southern Loop

Highlight (Segment) • MTB Park

The red graded Altura Trail is brilliant. It splits neatly into a northern loop and a southern loop. Ride the north loop first then you'll get to this awesome section once fully warmed up on the southern loop.

Tip by

15.9 km

Whinlatter South Loop — Bike Trail

Highlight • Forest

Start/end of the trails

Tip by

25.2 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

13.9 km

7.70 km

1.20 km

1.07 km

687 m

538 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

12.1 km

8.41 km

2.67 km

1.62 km

382 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (430 m)

Lowest point (80 m)

Weather

Friday 9 October

11°C

7°C

62 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 29.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

August 20, 2025,Whinlatter

Half a day out at Whinlatter to pick up George's new (ex hire) bike 😎
Managed a couple of laps of the Blue and a trip to the view point

September 8, 2021,Whinlatter...what's there to say

If you haven't been here yet - well, just get there. Imagine after some rain it's a beast. Today it was Bone Dry, confidence inspiring and looked very fast - at least that's how other riders tackled it. For me a more sedate pace but none the less pure enjoyment. Absolutely marvellous whichever way you look at it. North loop …