Biking Cannock Chase with Kids – Why We Rode the Blue Trail Twice (And Then Came Back for More)

“Can we go back tomorrow, Mum?”

Not words I expected to hear before the day was even out, after our first visit to these forest trails. But Cannock Chase’s Blue Trail (Perry’s Trail) turned out to be that good.

We’d planned a chilled-out ride after our treetop adventure at Go Ape… more just to make the most of our day (having travelled an hour to get here) – but what actually happened was two full loops, a cheeky red trail detour, and then – we came back two days later just to do it all again. Yes, it was that fun! Tucking the boys into bed that night, both independently told me that they wanted to go back again the next day. We already had commitments for the next day, so we made a plan to visit the day after. Perfect!

So if you’re wondering whether this trail is a good shout for your biking crew, here’s the lowdown from our family to yours.

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What Is the Blue Trail at Cannock Chase?

Also known as Perry’s Trail, this is a moderate, family-friendly singletrack route that winds through the forest, offering swooping turns, flowy rollers, and a few optional features to keep things interesting. Be warned, there are also some little climbs. 😅

It’s rated blue (moderate) which means it’s suitable for:

• Confident children (aged around 7+) who’ve ridden off-road before
• Grown-ups who want to enjoy themselves without white-knuckling it
• Mums who are just getting started at mountain biking and want a fighting chance of keeping up with their children (no names mentioned…)
• Families who love a bit of speed and flow but want to skip the scary stuff

Distance: 2.7 miles
Time: 20 minutes depending on pace (and water/snack breaks)
Start: Birches Valley Forest Centre

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Our Route & Experience (With Bonus Red Trail Detour)

After surviving (and loving) Go Ape’s Treetop Adventure Plus, we decided to ride the Blue Trail straight from the car park. After a decent lunch to refuel, we got the bikes out of the van and headed back towards the start of the trails.

Here’s how our first outing on the Blue Trail went…

• Red Trail Detour: At the start of the trail you can either go left to the Blue trail, or right to the Red. Having been here before (and on the Red trail), our eldest was keen to do the first section again, which had a couple of jumps, before we continued onto the blue. My youngest and I, a little more dubious in our skill level, snuck down the side of the jumps whilst Dad and our eldest had a couple of goes. The beauty is, this short section quickly took us back onto the blue trail, where the youngest and I felt a little more at home. 😅
• Loop One: Everyone was buzzing by now and raring to hit the flowy berms and twisty forest paths. There were a few inclines, as is the way, which were less exciting, but they were short enough to make the rewarding downhill more than worth while. And everyone else not on an ebike would all congregate, red faced, at the top of these sections, to recover together 😂. Having done limited off-road biking since I was a teen, this blue trail was the perfect place for the youngest and I to build up some skills (and in my case, confidence) to handle some of the usual twists and turns you get on the trail.
• Loop Two: Having now done a lap of the Blue route and feeling a little more familiar, we set off again, a little faster, and a little more confident. Knowing what was coming, I was ordered to dash off ahead to film the boys down a lovely flowy section of rollers, that even I managed to gain some speed on! The best bit might not even have been the adrenaline rush coming across this section – while waiting for his brother, my eldest spotted two deer just beyond the trees and was so excited about this!

Deciding that 2 laps after all the Go-Aping from the morning was probably enough, we bundled everyone and all the bikes back into the van, all happily agreeing that this place was brilliant and that a return visit was needed. What I didn’t expect was to be up and heading back just two days later! Bikes cleaned, boys re-fuelled, and ready for more. I’d honestly go again next weekend. And the next. And the one after that…

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Is the Blue Trail Good for Kids?

✅ Yes – if they’ve done some off-road riding before.
The trail has enough excitement to feel like a proper adventure, but it’s not technical or scary. There are no huge drops, really steep climbs, or gnarly roots. Just flowy, confidence-building fun. On our visit we saw plenty of children around the ages of ours giving it their best shot, and each family/group kindly allowing others to pass when other faster riders (or those lucky ebikers) were catching up (no, we were rarely one of those faster riders 😂).

✅ Balance bikers & young beginners?
Stick to the Pedal & Play area – it’s brilliant for developing basic skills in a traffic-free area. Or, for a longer ride, hit the Green trail.

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What You’ll Need

• Bikes: Well-maintained with gears and knobbly tyres
• Helmets: Always! And gloves and elbow/knee protection are a good idea too
• Snacks & Water: There are no mid-trail shops 😉and it’s thirsty work!
• Trail Map or Forestry England App: Just in case you lose your bearings
• Camera or GoPro: You’ll want to relive their victory laps!

Optional: Bring a change of clothes. Mud happens.

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Facilities at Birches Valley

• Parking (there is a charge)
• Toilets (portaloos at our visit) & baby changing
• Café & picnic benches
• Bike hire and repairs (Cannock Chase Cycle Centre)
• Pump track/skills area nearby

It’s honestly such a good setup for families, and covers everyone from those just beginning their mountain biking journey, to the seasoned pros in the family. Everything’s close together, and there’s no rush to do everything in one go. If you’re wondering what else you can do with the family at Cannock Chase, be sure to subscribe and catch my upcoming post on things to do at Cannock Chase with the family.

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Final Thoughts: Why We’ll Keep Coming Back

Some trails are fun once. Others make you want to ride them again and again. Perry’s Trail sits firmly in the second category.

It’s got the perfect mix of challenge and fun, with enough corners, bumps and whoops to get the children cheering – but not so much that parents need to pack a first aid kit and emotional support biscuits. 😂

I see now why Cannock Chase is just so popular with mountain bikers!

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