Afan Forest Mountain Bike Trails

Do your homework before you come. I just drive expecting to work it out when I got there. What I didn't realise is there are 3 different centres. You need to work out which centre you need to go to for the riding you want to do.

Anyway once I worked that out I had an amazing time. There are so many miles of trails you can easier spend a weekend exploring rather than a day. Worth a visit.

Lastly the locals are so friendly and helpful. Enjoy....

Went here on the mountain bike, very quiet but it was very close to Christmas. Trails are good (the ones I tried). Toilets very good and clean. With a basic bike wash station. Didn't use any other services as either closed or no need.

This was my first time back here in over 30yrs & boy oh boy has it been improved.
I was born & brought up in these here hills, just over the mountain is my village, Caerau.
I left the area aged 21(I'm now 52)
We rode & hunted these woods & forsets on our Grifters & cycles that we'd adapted ourselves to use off road, waay before mtb's had even been invented 😎 Later progressing onto motorcycles(Honda TL125S & CR250 Elsinore) by 1979.
In essence, we created the tracks you ride today 😉
The railway tunnel on the Afan Valley side goes directly through the mountain ~ a gang of us walked through it once in the 70's from the Caerau side(as boy's do) It frightened the hell out of the lot of us! But it was exciting & it's even more exciting to think of it being reopened & used to connect the two valleys together(the Afan & the Llynfi) once again 😁
If you were to stand & gaze at the woods & forestry, in certain places, you'd have a hard time telling yourself you are in Wales ~ for, in places, it resembled Canada & the Italian Alps. Especially on a hot summers day like today!
I was half expecting a black bear or caribou to wander out of the woods at any moment 😏
If you're into cycling outdoors & off road riding you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere better or more exciting than the Afan Argoed MTB centre.
The staff were all polite & well informed & every other guest we met there was just the same.
We stayed the night in the campsite on the hill but didn't get much kip due to the angle of the pitches(this was our only complaint) but we had a fire going. There were bbq's in place to cook on ~ but most hadn't been used or cleaned in yonks! A little more attention to detail would have made our stay even better - but I guess they don't get many campers...Maybe if they created a few flat areas this could be improved easily. But if you're in a camper van you're laughing ~ as all of the facilities/amenities are in the car park area at the bottom of the hillside.
We came on motorcycles.
A few of the people I was with were actually too scared to ride their motorbikes up the road/very steep hill to the camping area ~ so I had to ride them up for them...I've riden up many a steep hill on my tours abroad but the abruptness of this one that goes literally straight up was off putting for many ~ especially so with fully laden motorcycles.
We had no problems with flies or mozzies during our stay & the scenery & views are breathtaking & the unhindered by street lights starry skies made it extra special 😍😁
I'd give it a 5* rating if it wasn't for the angle if the campsite pitches ~ but all in all it was ace.
See you next year...💚

Nice trail center with something for everyone good facilities cafe bike shop toilets large carpark with reasonable charges situated in between valley's so there is a fair amount of climbing but the downhills make up for it don't expect pampered trails there more of a natural vibe plenty of lose shale in the burms to keep you on your toes

Awesome set of MTB trails, surrounded by rugged hills. Nicely linked and loads of options means that they're really is something for everyone, from first timers to racers.

Great signage, plenty of parking and vice cafes means that it's easy to make a day of it. Enough trails for days though.

Fantastic riding, fairly well maintained trails. A great bike shop in the car park at the bottom. Can't fault it. Also Blue Scar has been named as one of the top 10 trails in the UK to ride.

Great facilities, trails hold up well in all weathers, clear signage on routes and lots of choice. You can do everything from easy to flowing to super-technical next to scary hillside drops. It's an absolute belter of an MTB venue. The one thing against it is that it's technically based at two separate places so you have to pick which trails you want to ride before you go.

Fabulous as always. The trails are fantastic - this time was a quick blast around Blue scar to warm up then onto Y Wall for some awesome woody singletrack. Great facilities, plenty of parking and somewhere to hose down your bike afterwards. Highly recommended. I just wish I lived closer.

Very quiet, you can beautifully see the landscape and be as high as the clouds, defo recommend, no matter the age.

Fantastic trails , something for all abilities

Really great mix of trails here from beginner / family oriented trails to extremely technical, down the side of a mountain trail.
Would definitely suggest this place especially if you are looking for a remote, picturesque trail that will challenge your technical ability.

I rode Y Wal (The wall) which is a red route and thoroughly enjoyed it

Had a great time. Just watch where you are going and don't get lost like me. 😀

You'll find plenty of good trails to ride. There is a well stocked bike shop, bike hire is reasonable at £30 a day for a hard tail and the cafe is good although the menu is limited. Parking is £3.50 for the day and there are the usual toilet facilities.

Really loved the trail riding here. Its more cross country so expect lots of trails that are long and flowing.
All the trails are clearly sign posted , blue, red blacks and with difficulty levels so you'll always know if you're riding within your capabilities.
If you fancy the big W2 trail, its marked , sign posted and easy to follow. Expect some challenging drops and sweeping bends.
Superb time and had a great coffee and cake to finish.

Love this place... nothing too difficult but a nice variety of trails to ride and easy to link them together for a big day out.
Suitable for all ages and abilities.
Stunning scenery, 2 good Cafe's, 2 bike shops as well as plenty of parking and friendly people... what more could you want!
If you've never been to Afan then put it on your bucket list as it's definitely worth a trip.

This place is great the mountain bike trails have a good variety of difficulty. The facilities are great including showers. Shame there’s no cafe there anymore.

Great day out. Routes are easy to follow. Plenty of parking.

I love Afan, if you arrive after 6pm the parking is free otherwise £1 for an hour. Please keep to the trails and please don't leave rubbish on the trails.

This is a world class mountain bike trial centre. It features several trials including the classic Penhydd (red) Trail. The views are fantastic and there are walking routes for visitors who don't want to ride. Plenty of parking and good disabled toilets in the car park.

Great place with great mountain bike trails. All the bike trails are way marked so no chance of getting lost, if you do the y wall trail then shortly after the naned graveyard track there is a cafe which is sometimes open! The burger bar is open at the weekend only. And there's also a good skills area, the pictures on this review were taken near the skills area where there is plenty of seating ahd an unusual looking camel.