Gisburn Forest

Visiting Gisburn this Easter?
Then you might be able to save money by getting a Discovery Pass. Costing just £30 you’ll be able to visit as many times as you like!
Become a member and save money ➡ forestryeng.land/forest-membership

Last bookings being taken.. don't miss out!

Planning on joining Zog at dragon school with our activity trail?
Remember to pick up your Zog Activity Pack for lots of fun activities, a Zog mask and stars to collect as you complete dragon school just like Zog!
Find your nearest trail 👉 forestryeng.land/zog

Go dragon spotting in the forest with our fantastic Zog Activity Trail... Your little ones will love completing the fun activities along the way as they finish dragon school just like Zog!
Find your nearest trail 👉 forestryeng.land/zog

How fab is this??

Easter craft sessions this Monday at Gisburn.

Maybe it’s those trees that provide a home for birds to nest and roost?
Take a moment to add your tribute to trees to our online gallery → www.forestryengland.uk/tributes #forests100

Into the forest I go... Zog hunters this way please. Unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Packs available from Gisburn Forest Bike Hub & Cafe Dont forget Sunday 7 April Gisburn hosts the PMBA Enduro Series so the site will be very busy.

We’re now officially Forestry England. Find out how this change means we can do more to look after our forests for the good of the nation. – forestryeng.land/fe-rebrand

Today we become Forestry England . @ForestryEngland looks after more land and more trees than any other organisation. We will continue to work together to help the nations forests flourish. Head over to the link on our bio to find out why we’re changing forestryeng.land/fe-rebrand #forestfocus #forestryengland #englandsforests #forests10

Maybe it’s that tree you used to climb, taking you to a different place literally and metaphorically?
Take a moment to add your letter, poem, story or memory to our online gallery → www.forestryengland.uk/tributes #forests100

Great post James, hope you had a good outing.

Planning a family day out at Gisburn?
Did you know if you buy a Discovery Pass you can visit as many times as you like for a whole year? That means unlimited forest adventures for you and your family!
Get yours today ➡ forestryeng.land/forest-membership

A message to all our Zog fans, unfortunately due to the terrain at Gisburn the trail is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

What a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoors. Remember to take cash as they don’t take cards if you want to have a drink or food in the cafe. Take a camera as it’s really picturesque!

Visited on 4/3/17 planned a lovely afternoon with visit to the cafe and the gruffalo trail, unfortunately due to a family emergency our plans were derailed and we had two very disappointed children, so in order to retain family peace I drove to the forest arriving at 4pm warning the kids they may very well be disappointed and we may not be able to complete the gruffalo hunt. I was thrilled and relieved to discover that the facilities were all open until 5pm and the fading light only added to the excitement in the forest of hunting for the gruffalo and his friends! The #gruffalospotters app is amazing and coupled with the amazing forest, made for an excellent end to the day, which was thoroughly appreciated by all! Clean toilets despite an obviously high footfall through the day and parking only £3 for a full day. Excellent day out and thoroughly recommended for anyone with younger children!

Today we did the Gruffalo trail with an 11yr old, 9yr old and 2yr old and we loved it. Watching the characters come to life before our eyes was brilliant. It can be rough terrain for little ones but we love an adventure. Its been nice for a few days now however the trail was still very muddy so wellies all the way

Lovely day out walking at Gisburn forest. Unfortunately went to the wrong car park so had to walk 2 miles (ish) to start our walk and of course had to walk 2 miles (ish) back to the car! Good day though - nice little cafe for a basic sandwich and/or drink. Seemed to have some exceptionally good bike trails - if you are in to that - I wasn’t (unless the bike had a motor!)

Love the improvements they have made to Gisburn in the last year. We did the blue route with our 7 and 6 year old. It's well signposted and easy to follow. There are a couple of steep climbs in there but nothing even a 6 year old couldn't handle. He was a little scared of the start of the route which is a bit more technical with switchbacks and bumps but I think there is a way you can skip that if needed. The whole park is very well maintained and £3 to park all day is a bargain. We will definitely return.

I've been mountain biking here for 12 plus years.... all weathers day n night... it never stops challenging me. Since the new management and development of the hub, I can honestly say it's even better... the routes are properly maintained and constantly upgraded. And now you can grab a coffee and a cake afterwards... sadly not late at night... doesn't get much better for a local day out👍

I've been a few times here with friends on the red route and now my two boys 5 and 7 are on the blue and loving it, blue has a few hills and a couple of tricky bits for the younger ones but is rideable with a geared bike.

Fantastic place, well maintained, trails are well signed you just need to pack a raincoat most of the time.

I visited with my 5 and 9 year old daughters on Sunday 23rd April. What a great day. We did the Gruffalo Trail. Only £3 for the activity pack and a couple of pounds parking. The trail and all the forest play was free.

The salted caramel ice cream was lush and there's a play area outside the cafe area.

What a fantastic and affordable day. We'll be going back for sure!

Great trails, did the red 8 loop.

Fantastic route it throws everything at you.

Also added the black route on, hully gully is a blast, so good I went back and did it again. You can see all the hard work the volunteers are doing, good work keep it up���

I will be back for sure!

Great place for mountain biking I went on the blue route great for novices interesting lots of twists and turns and bumps . Fell off on the Skills route my partner who's a expert mountain bike rider pushed me bit too much toppled off wooden causeway nothing too serious though I will definitely be going again.

Fantastic. We did the gruffalo trail and loved every bit of it. £3 to park for the whole day and picnic benches available to enjoy your picnic on or there is a great little cafe on site too. Very well kept forrest and surroundings. Will be back for sure�

Went as my 7 year old wanted to "climb some trees"! We did the Gruffalo Trail which was good. Stopped part way round to have our picnic, he spotted a den that someone had made and enjoyed eating his picnic in there. We enjoyed exploring & spotted lots of different types of fungi growing, we will definitely be back.

We visited with our 5 year old grandson yesterday and spent an absorbing afternoon following the gruffalo trail. He thoroughly enjoyed it all, especially having his picture taken with the various hologram animal characters you find along the way.

The cafe was good and staff very friendly - very generously sized sandwiches which were delicious - but frankly too big for a small child really (smaller butties for little ones would be more appropriate).

A fun afternoon out and good value.

Not the most accessible location - to be honest - but don't let that put you off. It's worth the effort. Just don't let your satnav take you down the narrower 'roads' even though supposedly the quickest route!

The gruffalo trail was great my son loved it, the staff in the cafe didn't seem to be paying much attention as to what's going on stood at the til for ages waiting to pay for some sweets etc staff kept walking past just blanking us.

I thought it was slightly too.old for my daughter, shes 2 and half. She fully understands the gruffalo, but she wasn't really interested in the clues etc. It needs more than just the app, as she wasn't interested in what was on my phone at all. It's a lovely walk none the less and gets quite dark and muddy in places which adds to the drama. It is over quite quickly and gets very busy. The cafe is quite expensive for what you get. We ordered two toasties and a sandwich, it was the tiniest portion I've seen and no garnish and came to nearly twenty pounds for them three. I would recommend for older children not the very young. I would go again for a walk or maybe the bike trial

First visit in two years. Was hard going this time but still worth it! Generally, the trails were in good nick though Hully Gully didn't feel as smooth on the peaks as last time. Really busy but most were patient (I'm not the gnarliest or quickest) waiting for me to either man up and do the obstacle or get out of the way ;-). Great weather was a bonus and pork pie from the hub was very tasty.... Will hopefully get back there again this year....

First time we visited Gisburn Forest. We walked the Gruffalo Trail, which takes you off the normal trails and into the wood (which the kids really enjoyed), but then made the mistake of walking the Pink Trail from The Hub to Stocks Car Park (2 miles each way, with very little to keep the kids interest). We've found that the Pink route is best from the Stocks car park to the The hub (which has the cafe, the play area etc, and is a much better half way point). Will try the short circular walk next time (from Stocks Car Park), then the longer 8 mile walk round Stocks Reservoir another time.

Did the gruffalo trail with three seven year olds and a nine year old today, they all loved it!



We download the app which added the extra excitement. The pack was good to make them stop and look rather than just rushing around it.



Had lunch in the cafe hub which they all enjoyed and was reasonably priced. Only cash though!



Overall a good visit we'll definitely go again now we know where it is. That was the only downside not enough sign posts to guide you there!

Visited Gisburn Forest and Stokes Reservoir for a New Years Day walk. I had wanted to walk the Dale Head Ramble but unfortunately the path was closed due to what looked like logging! It was a bit of a disappointment, however we walked several other paths and enjoyed views and wildlife on the reservoir from the hides, so all was not at a loss. The car parking charge of £3 for all day was cheap! The road towards the Hub needs pot holes filling in. I enjoyed my time at the forest and would recommend to others.

What a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoors. Remember to take cash as they don’t take cards if you want to have a drink or food in the cafe. Take a camera as it’s really picturesque!

Visited on 4/3/17 planned a lovely afternoon with visit to the cafe and the gruffalo trail, unfortunately due to a family emergency our plans were derailed and we had two very disappointed children, so in order to retain family peace I drove to the forest arriving at 4pm warning the kids they may very well be disappointed and we may not be able to complete the gruffalo hunt. I was thrilled and relieved to discover that the facilities were all open until 5pm and the fading light only added to the excitement in the forest of hunting for the gruffalo and his friends! The #gruffalospotters app is amazing and coupled with the amazing forest, made for an excellent end to the day, which was thoroughly appreciated by all! Clean toilets despite an obviously high footfall through the day and parking only £3 for a full day. Excellent day out and thoroughly recommended for anyone with younger children!

Today we did the Gruffalo trail with an 11yr old, 9yr old and 2yr old and we loved it. Watching the characters come to life before our eyes was brilliant. It can be rough terrain for little ones but we love an adventure. Its been nice for a few days now however the trail was still very muddy so wellies all the way

Lovely day out walking at Gisburn forest. Unfortunately went to the wrong car park so had to walk 2 miles (ish) to start our walk and of course had to walk 2 miles (ish) back to the car! Good day though - nice little cafe for a basic sandwich and/or drink. Seemed to have some exceptionally good bike trails - if you are in to that - I wasn’t (unless the bike had a motor!)

Love the improvements they have made to Gisburn in the last year. We did the blue route with our 7 and 6 year old. It's well signposted and easy to follow. There are a couple of steep climbs in there but nothing even a 6 year old couldn't handle. He was a little scared of the start of the route which is a bit more technical with switchbacks and bumps but I think there is a way you can skip that if needed. The whole park is very well maintained and £3 to park all day is a bargain. We will definitely return.

I've been mountain biking here for 12 plus years.... all weathers day n night... it never stops challenging me. Since the new management and development of the hub, I can honestly say it's even better... the routes are properly maintained and constantly upgraded. And now you can grab a coffee and a cake afterwards... sadly not late at night... doesn't get much better for a local day out👍

I've been a few times here with friends on the red route and now my two boys 5 and 7 are on the blue and loving it, blue has a few hills and a couple of tricky bits for the younger ones but is rideable with a geared bike.

Fantastic place, well maintained, trails are well signed you just need to pack a raincoat most of the time.

I visited with my 5 and 9 year old daughters on Sunday 23rd April. What a great day. We did the Gruffalo Trail. Only £3 for the activity pack and a couple of pounds parking. The trail and all the forest play was free.

The salted caramel ice cream was lush and there's a play area outside the cafe area.

What a fantastic and affordable day. We'll be going back for sure!

Great trails, did the red 8 loop.

Fantastic route it throws everything at you.

Also added the black route on, hully gully is a blast, so good I went back and did it again. You can see all the hard work the volunteers are doing, good work keep it up���

I will be back for sure!

Great place for mountain biking I went on the blue route great for novices interesting lots of twists and turns and bumps . Fell off on the Skills route my partner who's a expert mountain bike rider pushed me bit too much toppled off wooden causeway nothing too serious though I will definitely be going again.

Fantastic. We did the gruffalo trail and loved every bit of it. £3 to park for the whole day and picnic benches available to enjoy your picnic on or there is a great little cafe on site too. Very well kept forrest and surroundings. Will be back for sure�

Went as my 7 year old wanted to "climb some trees"! We did the Gruffalo Trail which was good. Stopped part way round to have our picnic, he spotted a den that someone had made and enjoyed eating his picnic in there. We enjoyed exploring & spotted lots of different types of fungi growing, we will definitely be back.

We visited with our 5 year old grandson yesterday and spent an absorbing afternoon following the gruffalo trail. He thoroughly enjoyed it all, especially having his picture taken with the various hologram animal characters you find along the way.

The cafe was good and staff very friendly - very generously sized sandwiches which were delicious - but frankly too big for a small child really (smaller butties for little ones would be more appropriate).

A fun afternoon out and good value.

Not the most accessible location - to be honest - but don't let that put you off. It's worth the effort. Just don't let your satnav take you down the narrower 'roads' even though supposedly the quickest route!

The gruffalo trail was great my son loved it, the staff in the cafe didn't seem to be paying much attention as to what's going on stood at the til for ages waiting to pay for some sweets etc staff kept walking past just blanking us.

I thought it was slightly too.old for my daughter, shes 2 and half. She fully understands the gruffalo, but she wasn't really interested in the clues etc. It needs more than just the app, as she wasn't interested in what was on my phone at all. It's a lovely walk none the less and gets quite dark and muddy in places which adds to the drama. It is over quite quickly and gets very busy. The cafe is quite expensive for what you get. We ordered two toasties and a sandwich, it was the tiniest portion I've seen and no garnish and came to nearly twenty pounds for them three. I would recommend for older children not the very young. I would go again for a walk or maybe the bike trial

First visit in two years. Was hard going this time but still worth it! Generally, the trails were in good nick though Hully Gully didn't feel as smooth on the peaks as last time. Really busy but most were patient (I'm not the gnarliest or quickest) waiting for me to either man up and do the obstacle or get out of the way ;-). Great weather was a bonus and pork pie from the hub was very tasty.... Will hopefully get back there again this year....

First time we visited Gisburn Forest. We walked the Gruffalo Trail, which takes you off the normal trails and into the wood (which the kids really enjoyed), but then made the mistake of walking the Pink Trail from The Hub to Stocks Car Park (2 miles each way, with very little to keep the kids interest). We've found that the Pink route is best from the Stocks car park to the The hub (which has the cafe, the play area etc, and is a much better half way point). Will try the short circular walk next time (from Stocks Car Park), then the longer 8 mile walk round Stocks Reservoir another time.

Did the gruffalo trail with three seven year olds and a nine year old today, they all loved it!



We download the app which added the extra excitement. The pack was good to make them stop and look rather than just rushing around it.



Had lunch in the cafe hub which they all enjoyed and was reasonably priced. Only cash though!



Overall a good visit we'll definitely go again now we know where it is. That was the only downside not enough sign posts to guide you there!

Visited Gisburn Forest and Stokes Reservoir for a New Years Day walk. I had wanted to walk the Dale Head Ramble but unfortunately the path was closed due to what looked like logging! It was a bit of a disappointment, however we walked several other paths and enjoyed views and wildlife on the reservoir from the hides, so all was not at a loss. The car parking charge of £3 for all day was cheap! The road towards the Hub needs pot holes filling in. I enjoyed my time at the forest and would recommend to others.

What a fantastic place to enjoy the outdoors. Remember to take cash as they don’t take cards if you want to have a drink or food in the cafe. Take a camera as it’s really picturesque!

Visited on 4/3/17 planned a lovely afternoon with visit to the cafe and the gruffalo trail, unfortunately due to a family emergency our plans were derailed and we had two very disappointed children, so in order to retain family peace I drove to the forest arriving at 4pm warning the kids they may very well be disappointed and we may not be able to complete the gruffalo hunt. I was thrilled and relieved to discover that the facilities were all open until 5pm and the fading light only added to the excitement in the forest of hunting for the gruffalo and his friends! The #gruffalospotters app is amazing and coupled with the amazing forest, made for an excellent end to the day, which was thoroughly appreciated by all! Clean toilets despite an obviously high footfall through the day and parking only £3 for a full day. Excellent day out and thoroughly recommended for anyone with younger children!

Today we did the Gruffalo trail with an 11yr old, 9yr old and 2yr old and we loved it. Watching the characters come to life before our eyes was brilliant. It can be rough terrain for little ones but we love an adventure. Its been nice for a few days now however the trail was still very muddy so wellies all the way

Lovely day out walking at Gisburn forest. Unfortunately went to the wrong car park so had to walk 2 miles (ish) to start our walk and of course had to walk 2 miles (ish) back to the car! Good day though - nice little cafe for a basic sandwich and/or drink. Seemed to have some exceptionally good bike trails - if you are in to that - I wasn’t (unless the bike had a motor!)

Love the improvements they have made to Gisburn in the last year. We did the blue route with our 7 and 6 year old. It's well signposted and easy to follow. There are a couple of steep climbs in there but nothing even a 6 year old couldn't handle. He was a little scared of the start of the route which is a bit more technical with switchbacks and bumps but I think there is a way you can skip that if needed. The whole park is very well maintained and £3 to park all day is a bargain. We will definitely return.

I've been mountain biking here for 12 plus years.... all weathers day n night... it never stops challenging me. Since the new management and development of the hub, I can honestly say it's even better... the routes are properly maintained and constantly upgraded. And now you can grab a coffee and a cake afterwards... sadly not late at night... doesn't get much better for a local day out👍

I've been a few times here with friends on the red route and now my two boys 5 and 7 are on the blue and loving it, blue has a few hills and a couple of tricky bits for the younger ones but is rideable with a geared bike.

Fantastic place, well maintained, trails are well signed you just need to pack a raincoat most of the time.

I visited with my 5 and 9 year old daughters on Sunday 23rd April. What a great day. We did the Gruffalo Trail. Only £3 for the activity pack and a couple of pounds parking. The trail and all the forest play was free.

The salted caramel ice cream was lush and there's a play area outside the cafe area.

What a fantastic and affordable day. We'll be going back for sure!

Great trails, did the red 8 loop.

Fantastic route it throws everything at you.

Also added the black route on, hully gully is a blast, so good I went back and did it again. You can see all the hard work the volunteers are doing, good work keep it up���

I will be back for sure!

Great place for mountain biking I went on the blue route great for novices interesting lots of twists and turns and bumps . Fell off on the Skills route my partner who's a expert mountain bike rider pushed me bit too much toppled off wooden causeway nothing too serious though I will definitely be going again.

Fantastic. We did the gruffalo trail and loved every bit of it. £3 to park for the whole day and picnic benches available to enjoy your picnic on or there is a great little cafe on site too. Very well kept forrest and surroundings. Will be back for sure�

Went as my 7 year old wanted to "climb some trees"! We did the Gruffalo Trail which was good. Stopped part way round to have our picnic, he spotted a den that someone had made and enjoyed eating his picnic in there. We enjoyed exploring & spotted lots of different types of fungi growing, we will definitely be back.

We visited with our 5 year old grandson yesterday and spent an absorbing afternoon following the gruffalo trail. He thoroughly enjoyed it all, especially having his picture taken with the various hologram animal characters you find along the way.

The cafe was good and staff very friendly - very generously sized sandwiches which were delicious - but frankly too big for a small child really (smaller butties for little ones would be more appropriate).

A fun afternoon out and good value.

Not the most accessible location - to be honest - but don't let that put you off. It's worth the effort. Just don't let your satnav take you down the narrower 'roads' even though supposedly the quickest route!

The gruffalo trail was great my son loved it, the staff in the cafe didn't seem to be paying much attention as to what's going on stood at the til for ages waiting to pay for some sweets etc staff kept walking past just blanking us.

I thought it was slightly too.old for my daughter, shes 2 and half. She fully understands the gruffalo, but she wasn't really interested in the clues etc. It needs more than just the app, as she wasn't interested in what was on my phone at all. It's a lovely walk none the less and gets quite dark and muddy in places which adds to the drama. It is over quite quickly and gets very busy. The cafe is quite expensive for what you get. We ordered two toasties and a sandwich, it was the tiniest portion I've seen and no garnish and came to nearly twenty pounds for them three. I would recommend for older children not the very young. I would go again for a walk or maybe the bike trial

First visit in two years. Was hard going this time but still worth it! Generally, the trails were in good nick though Hully Gully didn't feel as smooth on the peaks as last time. Really busy but most were patient (I'm not the gnarliest or quickest) waiting for me to either man up and do the obstacle or get out of the way ;-). Great weather was a bonus and pork pie from the hub was very tasty.... Will hopefully get back there again this year....

First time we visited Gisburn Forest. We walked the Gruffalo Trail, which takes you off the normal trails and into the wood (which the kids really enjoyed), but then made the mistake of walking the Pink Trail from The Hub to Stocks Car Park (2 miles each way, with very little to keep the kids interest). We've found that the Pink route is best from the Stocks car park to the The hub (which has the cafe, the play area etc, and is a much better half way point). Will try the short circular walk next time (from Stocks Car Park), then the longer 8 mile walk round Stocks Reservoir another time.

Did the gruffalo trail with three seven year olds and a nine year old today, they all loved it!



We download the app which added the extra excitement. The pack was good to make them stop and look rather than just rushing around it.



Had lunch in the cafe hub which they all enjoyed and was reasonably priced. Only cash though!



Overall a good visit we'll definitely go again now we know where it is. That was the only downside not enough sign posts to guide you there!

Visited Gisburn Forest and Stokes Reservoir for a New Years Day walk. I had wanted to walk the Dale Head Ramble but unfortunately the path was closed due to what looked like logging! It was a bit of a disappointment, however we walked several other paths and enjoyed views and wildlife on the reservoir from the hides, so all was not at a loss. The car parking charge of £3 for all day was cheap! The road towards the Hub needs pot holes filling in. I enjoyed my time at the forest and would recommend to others.