Mountain Biking Sherwood Pines: Straight From the Cabin Onto the Trails
Almost every guide to riding Sherwood Pines starts with the visitor centre car park. This one doesn't, because guests staying with us don't need to use it. From Inkersall Cabins you can ride off-road and be on the Sherwood Pines trails in around 5 minutes — no drive, no parking charge, no bike rack on the roof, no queuing for a space on a Sunday morning, and no obligatory loop past the visitor centre before the riding starts. That's the difference between staying here and staying somewhere that's technically nearby.
Riding In From the Cabin
The route from the cabins runs off-road on tracks and forest paths rather than public roads, and joins the Sherwood Pines trail network directly rather than routing via the visitor centre. 5 minutes is the realistic figure at a steady, unhurried pace with a group of mixed abilities. Solo and pushing on, it's quicker. You're already in the woods and on the trails by the time you'd otherwise still be looking for a parking space.
The practical implications of that are worth spelling out. You don't need to bring your bikes by car; if you've brought them at all, they can stay at the cabin and roll straight out. You don't pay Sherwood Pines' daily parking charge. You don't have to time your arrival to beat the weekend car park queue. And you can come back to the cabin for a proper lunch mid-day rather than eating at the visitor centre café, because the ride home is 5 minutes rather than the same drive in reverse.
The visitor centre itself becomes optional. It's worth a ride over if you want the on-site café, need Sherwood Forest Cycles for hire or repair (they operate from there), or specifically want to warm up on the Skills Loop before the day's main ride. Otherwise, you can happily ride a full day at Sherwood Pines and never visit it.
The Trails
The Sherwood Pines network is colour-graded and the grading is worth trusting rather than dismissing:
- **The Skills Loop** is a short handling-focused loop built around features rather than distance — the sensible first stop of the day for anyone who hasn't ridden here before, regardless of overall ability. - **The Robin Hood trail (blue)** is the main cross-country loop through the pines — forest singletrack mixed with wider fire-road sections, suited to riders comfortable on a bike but not chasing technical difficulty. - **The Outlaw trail (red)** steps up the pace and technical demand — tighter singletrack, more elevation change, and features that reward committed riding. It works well as a follow-up loop for confident intermediate and above riders after warming up on the blue. - **The Maid Marion trail** is the shortest and gentlest of the network — a relaxed loop that suits anyone in the group who'd rather ride flat and easy than push for time or difficulty.
Trail closures for maintenance happen from time to time, so it's worth a quick check on the Forestry England or Sherwood Forest Cycles pages before you go if you've built a stay around a specific trail.
How Guests Usually Do It
The pattern we hear most from riding guests goes like this. Ride out from the cabin after breakfast rather than rushing an early start. Join the trail network directly and pick up the Robin Hood blue as the main morning loop. Confident riders add a lap of the Outlaw red. Then rather than heading over to the visitor centre café, ride the 5 minutes home for lunch — it turns the day into a proper "ride from the door" experience rather than a car trip with cycling attached, and it makes it easier to head out for a second loop in the afternoon on fresh legs.
Afternoon options split roughly in half. Some groups head back out for a second loop once lunch has settled. Others call it done for the day and use the afternoon for the slow half of the stay. Both are legitimate uses of a cycling weekend; the trails will still be there tomorrow.
Two practical notes. Mid-week is quieter across the board — Tuesday and Wednesday visits ride noticeably better than weekend ones. And the singletrack takes longer than the mileage suggests, so plan the day around time rather than distance.
Nearby Continuation
If the next day calls for something gentler, Rufford Abbey Country Park is under 2 miles from the farm — around 5 minutes — and the flat, well-surfaced paths around the ruins and lake are the right kind of easy walk to loosen stiff legs without another proper drive.
Where We Usually Stop After
Our usual recommendation for the evening after a full day on the trails is The Lion at Farnsfield — 7–8 minutes from the farm, with outdoor seating that suits a group who've been on the bikes all day. If you've timed the ride right for a Sunday, the roast is what to order.
Opening times, prices, and trail conditions change — check the relevant websites before visiting.Sherwood Pines Website
Strava – Mountain Bike Trail Network
**Make Inkersall your base.** Wranglers Den sleeps up to 4 and suits a group of riders well; The Shepherd's Hut sleeps 2 for a couple riding together.