Explore by bike from Tranquil Parks
Cycling is one of the best ways to explore the local area when you’re staying at a Tranquil Parks adult-only touring, camping or glamping park. Whether you have a motorhome campervan or even a large tow car, bikes and e-bikes provide an easy, convenient and enjoyable alternative to packing up and driving into busy towns, tourist hotspots or unfamiliar country roads.
Bikes are easy to transport, so you can leave your accommodation on your pitch and head out on two wheels to discover scenic countryside, coastal paths, waterside trails, cafés, pubs and local attractions at a far more relaxed pace.
The growing popularity of electric bikes has made cycling holidays even more accessible, opening up longer routes and hillier landscapes to more people than ever before. Across the UK, new traffic-free cycle paths, forest trails and quiet country routes are continuing to make exploring by bike safer and more enjoyable.
From Yorkshire and North Wales to Devon, Cornwall and South Wales, here are some of the cycling opportunities waiting to be discovered from Tranquil Parks across the UK.
(Top photos: cycling from York Naburn Lock Caravan Park. Left: Bikes on motorhomes at Trethem Mill Touring Park and York Naburn Lock Caravan Park.)
Yorkshire & North East England
Set within reach of the stunning North York Moors, Overbrook Caravan Park is perfectly placed for both leisurely and more demanding cycling routes. The area has previously hosted the Tour de Yorkshire and continues to attract cyclists with its mix of quiet country roads, scenic climbs and moorland views.
Dalby Forest, around 8 miles away, is one of the UK’s leading cycling destinations, offering miles of trails for all abilities, from family-friendly rides to world-class mountain bike routes. Bike hire is available in the local village Thornton-le-Dale at Dalby Bike Barn, a short walk away.
Walkers and cyclists love exploring York’s riverside paths and the famous Solar System Cycle Trail into the city. Guests at York Naburn Lock Caravan Park can join these routes via an impressively preserved swing bridge at Naburn village, with easy access to York’s River Ouse pathways and nearby riverside villages including Acaster and Bishopthorpe.
The park is close to an access point for the major Sustrans Route 65, the long-distance cycle path connecting Hornsea and Middlesborough. For a description of the section from Naburn Lock into York, see the park’s website. Along the route there’s a scale model of the Solar System, devised by the University of York.For local route information, visit iTravel York Cycling.
When staying at Blue Rose Country Park, nestled between two sleepy villages on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, you can easily access the cycle route between one of the villages, Brandesburton and the picturesque market town of Beverley, known as ‘The B to B Ride‘.
Lincolnshire & East Midlands
Lincolnshire’s famously flat landscape makes it ideal for relaxed cycling. From Brookside Country Park you can explore a variety of scenic local routes around Burton upon Stather and the wider North Lincolnshire area. Discover these quiet countryside rides and downloadable routes via Visit North Lincolnshire Cycling Routes.
There’s an easy route to Mablethorpe along the promenade from Sutton-on-Sea, which is just over a mile from Cherry Tree Springs Touring Park.
Many guests at Grooby’s Pit bring bikes to explore the surrounding countryside and quiet lanes, with circular routes available locally and route planning inspiration via Komoot.
The quiet roads surrounding Long Acres Touring Park provide easy access to the beautiful Fenland landscape. The park has created several circular cycling routes from the site, each around 15 miles long and featuring welcoming pub stops along the way.
Delph Bank Touring & Glamping Park sits directly on National Cycle Route 1, making it an excellent base for exploring part of the long-distance route between Norwich and Lincoln.
Leicestershire’s quiet country lanes are ideal for leisurely cycling breaks, and Eye Kettleby Lakes offers easy access to routes into Melton Mowbray and the surrounding villages.
Rutland Water, about 17m from Eye Kettleby Lakes and less than 9m from Stretton Lakes Touring Park in Rutland, is one of the region’s best-loved cycling destinations, with waterside trails, picnic spots, cafés and cycle hire available. Keep an eye out for ospreys while exploring the nature reserve. The team at Stretton Lakes actively encourage guests to make the most of the beautiful surroundings. You can cycle to Stretton and Clipsham villages as well as Rutland Water directly from the park. Cycle route maps are available in reception.
From Keal Lodge Caravan Park just outside the village of Deeping St James in South Lincolnshire, cyclists enjoy the opportunity to maintain a steady speed on the quiet roads. This park is a few miles from Peterborough’s ‘Green Wheel‘, a nationally recognised network of routes encircling and going into the city. Rutland Water is about 15 miles from this park.
Norfolk & Suffolk
Situated close to the historic market town of North Walsham, Two Mills Touring Park offers access to peaceful country lanes and byways ideal for relaxed cycling through the Norfolk countryside. Visit the nearby village of Worstead, famous for its woven cloth, just 2 miles away.
Run Cottage Touring Park is close to Suffolk’s long-distance coastal cycle route, which stretches for around 50 miles from Lowestoft to Felixstowe through ever-changing coastal scenery, charming villages and woodland trails. See the park’s website for information about Suffolk Coast Cycling, the Sailors’ Path and Rendlesham Forest.
Wales
Located on the beautiful Llŷn Peninsula, Yr Helyg / The Willows Caravan & Camping Park offers access to scenic cycling routes developed in partnership with Sustrans using quiet rural lanes with low traffic levels.
Nearby Snowdonia also offers outstanding opportunities for off-road cycling and mountain biking, including forest trails and challenging routes through dramatic scenery – see Visit Snowdonia for information.
Red Kite Touring Park is ideally placed for exploring the spectacular landscapes surrounding Llanidloes, Llyn Clywedog and Hafren Forest. Guests can borrow local “Llanidloes by Bike” route leaflets featuring rides ranging from gentle four-mile loops to more adventurous longer-distance routes.
National Cycle Route 81, running from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton and taking in some fantastic views around Elan Valley and reservoirs locally. National Cycle Route 8 runs from Llanidloes to Cardiff Bay. There is also the Lôn Cambria, which runs through Wales connecting Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.
South Wales Touring Park offers direct access to a wide variety of cycling routes, from peaceful coastal rides to purpose-built mountain bike trails. A new cycle path begins close to the park entrance and links with the Millennium Coastal Path and wider National Cycle Network routes across Carmarthenshire. The park is also within easy reach of the Brechfa Forest mountain bike trails.
As Discover Carmarthenshire says, “Miles and miles of country lanes, National Cycle Network, purpose-built mountain bike trails, one of the oldest velodromes in Wales, off-road routes — Carmarthenshire has it all.” For route inspiration and more information, visit the South Wales Touring Park cycling page and Discover Carmarthenshire Cycling.
Midlands
From Somers Wood Caravan Park, cyclists can follow the Meriden Village Country Path into the local village and beyond. Kingsbury Water Park, around 11 miles away, is a popular cycling destination with miles of surfaced paths and cycle hire facilities.
Electric bike hire is also widely available through the West Midlands Bike Scheme. Following an upgrade earlier this year, the scheme now operates across Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Dudley, and Walsall.
South West England
Cyclists staying at Briarfields Touring Park can now enjoy direct access to a fully completed traffic-free cycle path running parallel to the A40 connecting Cheltenham and Gloucester.
Turn right from the park and the route leads into Cheltenham town centre in approximately 2.5 to 3 miles, with onward cycling opportunities towards Bishops Cleeve. Heading left connects cyclists towards Gloucester, where energetic riders can continue along the canal towpath for even longer adventures.
Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park offers excellent access to scenic lakeside cycling and walking routes around Chew Valley Lake and the wider Somerset countryside.
Just under 3km of new cycle trail and footpaths now link the park to the western shores of Chew Valley Lake, a 1,200-acre premier wildlife reserve surrounded by the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Guests can also easily connect with Sustrans Routes 3, 4 and 40, providing routes towards Bath, Bristol and Cheddar.
The area surrounding Glastonbury and Old Oaks Touring & Glamping Park, is wonderfully suited to cycling, with quiet roads, scenic countryside and several downloadable local cycle routes available from the park.
Ask about local electric bike hire companies who can deliver directly to the site, making it easy to explore the Somerset landscape at your own pace.
From Back of Beyond Touring Camping & Glamping Park you can reach the New Forest with its extensive off-road trails. There’s also a major cycle path running along a former railway line nearby, as well as local country parks with good cycle tracks.
Guests can also join guided rides with New Forest Cycling Tours, which run directly from the park and offer a fantastic way to discover the New Forest’s hidden landscapes, wildlife and quiet cycling routes.See the cycling page on the park’s website for more information.
Hampshire Hills (formerly Two Hoots Glamping, Caravan Park & Campsite) offers a unique rail-and-cycle friendly escape for guests looking to enjoy a car-free glamping or camping experience.
Travel from London Waterloo to Alton before boarding the beautifully preserved steam railway on The Watercress Line to nearby Ropley station, just a short walk or cycle ride from the park. Bikes travel free on the heritage railway, making this a memorable and sustainable way to begin a cycling break in the Hampshire countryside.
North Devon’s rolling countryside provides rewarding cycling opportunities for both traditional cyclists and e-bike riders. From Hallsdown Farm Touring Park, you can cycle to the National Trust’s Arlington Court estate, where 14 miles of bridleways wind through beautiful woodland scenery.
Nearby reservoirs also offer easier circular cycling routes, while the famous Tarka Trail provides a largely traffic-free 32-mile route through some of North Devon’s most scenic landscapes. For more adventurous riders, Exmoor Adventures offers guided mountain bike and e-bike experiences through Exmoor National Park.
Situated within Dartmoor National Park, Woodland Springs Touring Park is close to several of Devon’s best-loved cycling trails, including The Granite Way, Drake’s Trail and the trails at Haldon Forest.
Cycling around Trethem Mill Touring Park combines quiet lanes, coastal scenery and charming Cornish villages. Guests can also explore the popular coast-to-coast Bissoe Trail between Devoran and Portreath.
The King Harry Ferry provides a scenic link across the Fal Estuary for cyclists exploring the Roseland Peninsula, Falmouth and Truro areas.For more information, see Cornwall Trails.