Sherwood Pines Cycling Review For Families

Sherwood Pines is nestled in the heart of Sherwood Forest, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The forest spans over 3000 acres, offering a vast, traffic-free space for outdoor adventures. It is an absolute haven for cycle trails across all abilities, as well as multiple playgrounds and outdoor activities like Go-Ape. There is also an excellent on-site campsite for those wanting to make it more than a day trip.

Brief History

Sherwood Pines – part of the legendary Sherwood Forest – has a rich history tied to the folklore of Robin Hood, which has been captivating imaginations for centuries. It’s the largest publicly accessible forest in the East Midlands and managed by Forestry England. Historically, the area was a royal hunting forest with its ancient woodlands. Today, Sherwood Pines has evolved into a hub for outdoor activities, with its cycling trails and facilities developed to cater to families, beginners, and seasoned riders alike.

Route Description and Highlights

Sherwood Pines offers a variety of cycling trails, but for younger children, the Maid Marion Trail (Green) and the Skills Loop are the stars. The Maid Marion Trail is a 4.8 km loop starting near the Visitor Centre, which combines quiet forest roads with gentle off-road sections. There are picnic benches along the way, perfect for a quick break, and the trail is designed to be all-weather, so it holds up well even after rain.

The Skills Loop is a short, dedicated area for practising cycling skills. This short loop features a variety of technical elements like small bumps, gentle turns, and a single-track section, all tailored for skill-building in a safe, controlled environment.

Ride Suitability

The Maid Marion Trail (green grade) is ideal for beginners and novice cyclists, including younger children just starting out. It’s mostly flat with a few gentle climbs throughout, which might require a little encouragement for kids on single-speed bikes, but it’s manageable with a short break. There is also a lovely, long decline towards the end.  For those more experienced riders, the ‘Robin Hood’ trail is an 11.2km blue-graded route. There is some crossover between the green and blue routes; however, the blue route goes out a lot further than the green one, so only attempt if you are confident that your kids will complete it, as I wouldn’t want to be stranded at the furthest point with a child with tired legs! The Skills Loop, while technically blue-grade (suitable for intermediate riders with basic off-road skills), is designed for all ages and skill levels, making it a great place for kids to gain confidence. Both routes are traffic-free, ensuring a stress-free ride, though the Skills Loop’s uneven surfaces might challenge very young riders still using stabilisers

Facilities and Amenities

Sherwood Pines is well-equipped for families. The toilets are huge and clean, there are multiple cafés, and there is an on-site cycle hire. The on-site shop stocks essentials like helmets, gloves, and spares, and there’s a repair station for quick fixes. Picnic areas are scattered throughout, ideal for a packed lunch, and there are multiple play areas, although at the time of writing they are renovating some of the play areas. They have changed what used to be a mushroom village near the visitor centre into a castle play area, which we found to be a bit of a shame as we found the kids got a lot more out of the mushroom village than the castle. The castle is great for younger kids but we found the kids would spend hours on the old playground pretending to be villagers and trading pine cones for goods/services. For added fun, there is a Go Ape, and there’s a Gruffalo Party Trail for kids to explore storybook characters. In addition, there is an excellent World War One trench recreation with soldier stories from the local area.

Suitability for Children

Sherwood Pines is perfect for younger children learning to ride their bike. The Maid Marion Trail is child-friendly, taking about an hour to complete at a leisurely pace, and its 4.8 km length is perfect for little legs. It’s suitable for kids on single-speed bikes, and is also great for those learning to deal with gears. The Skills Loop is a safe, traffic-free space for children to practice, with features like small bumps and turns that help build confidence without overwhelming them.

Is There a Cafe?

Yes, there is a café, located near the Visitor Centre as well as a small food kiosk if you just need drinks/ice creams. The café has a veranda with views of the grassed area and playground, making it a great place to relax while kids play nearby. We have always brought a picnic with us, given how many picnic tables and grassed areas there are, as well as how close the car park is, but we’ve always got a few things from the food kiosk to keep us topped up and to support the excellent venue. Queues can get quite long on busy, hot weekends, but prices are reasonable.

How Much is it?

Admission to Sherwood Pines is free, but there’s a car parking charge, which helps maintain the trails and facilities.

Car park prices are as follows (accurate at time of writing):

Up to 1 hour      £3.80

Up to 2 hours    £7.30

Up to 3 hours    £10.50

All day                £12.00

If you have a Forestry England membership, you can park for free.

Car park location: https://w3w.co/apart.tougher.ambition

Bike hire from Sherwood Pines Cycles starts at £38 per day for adults, with children’s bikes costing slightly less. Additional activities like Go Ape or the Gruffalo Party Trail pack (available at the Visitor Centre) will have separate fees, typically £3–£5 for trail packs. There is also a small charge for a cycle route map but it is of good quality and ours has lasted a few years so far! The route can be completed without this, though, as it is such a well-signed route.

Nearby accommodation

There are lots of accommodation options nearby. Sherwood Pines is a stones throw away from Sherwood Centre Parcs, although obviously it has its own cycle trails. Sherwood Pines has an excellent on-site camp site which we rate very highly. It is also 10 seconds away from the ‘Robin Hood’ Blue cycle trail so you can easily get on it! There is space for tents, caravans/campervans and also there are a few pods. It is also extremely reasonable cost wise as well, I think we paid £50 for 2 nights for a family of 4 in a tent pitch, including car parking, which probably works out about 20 minutes to stay at the Centre Parcs down the road! The toilets/showers were great and there was a food truck that turned up, pizza one night and fish and chips the next. The only drawback is that campfires are not allowed given the close proximity to the trees. We have also recently stayed at a lodge with a hot tub 10 minutes drive away towards Ollerton, at Sherwood Castle Retreat which is a good option if camping isn’t for you.

Final Thoughts

We absolutely love Sherwood Pines, we’ve been there for day trips, we’ve stayed nearby, and we’ve also stayed at the excellent on-site campsite. It is absolutely perfect for kids to build their confidence on their bikes in an idyllic setting.

Pros & Cons

Cycle route enjoyment rating

Last Updated on April 23, 2025 by Ryan