Dalby Forest
Dalby Forest Visitor Centre YO18 7LT
Billed as 'The Great Yorkshire Forest', the Forestry Commission's Dalby Forest packs an awful lot of punch when it comes to hiking, biking and outdoor activities. Mountain-bikers especially love it here – it's become a world-class biking centre, with a tricksy World Cup route to negotiate alongside several other well-marked trails and a bike skills zone at Dixon's Hollow. A dozen other waymarked trails are for family walks as well as more challenging outings, including the famous walk to the spectacular, weather-sculpted sandstone outcrops known as the Bridestones. Best place to start is the Visitor Centre, which has a really good café with seating on an outdoor deck. There are exhibitions downstairs, plus a shop where you can buy trail guides and get hold of a useful forest map. In the nearby 'courtyard' area you'll find bike rental and craft workshops, while the forest also has a Go Ape outlet, for zip-wire fun in the trees, and a dedicated activity centre for everything from archery to paintballing.
