Llandegla Skills Park & Pump Track: What Families Need to Know Before Riding

Family Fun at the Llandegla Skills Park & Pump Track: A Parent’s Guide to Riding with Kids

If your children live for bikes (and you secretly do too 😉), the Llandegla Skills Park and Pump Track in North Wales is one of those spots that keeps everyone happy – from balance-bike beginners to mini trail shredders.

It’s part of the Oneplanet Adventure Centre at Coed Llandegla, which already has some of our favourite family-friendly trails (you can read about those here). But even if you’re not tackling the longer routes, the skills area and pump track are worth the trip alone!

If you’re not sure what a Pump Track is, and why they’re so great, check out this post here!

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What Is the Llandegla Skills Park?

Think of it as a safe playground for mountain bikers. The skills park lets children (and grown-ups!) practice everything they’ll find out on the real trails – only in a compact, confidence-boosting space.

Each section is graded (similar to the trails):

• ⭕: Small berms, rollers, and gentle drops – akin to blue route features.
• ⭕⭕: Slightly bigger and more technical features – more in line with the red route.
• ⭕⭕⭕: Technical and suited to confident, experienced mountain bikers with well maintained bikes.

Even if your child never makes it past the single circle features, they’ll love the confident feeling they’ll get completing each part. And if they’re anything like mine, they’ll be eyeing up those more technical sections before you’ve even finished your coffee! Let’s just say – it might be some time before mine try the harder section of the boardwalk again 😅

You pass the Skills Park on the way to the trails, but with its close proximity to the carpark and café, it made a great little warm up section for the boys, and even after our second visit they spent lots of time here after completing the trails too! It’s clear signage helped make the boys almost make sensible decisions on what they could accomplish, but it also pushed them to try other things and help progress their skills. With the Boardwalk, a jumps section, a drop offs section and a berms section, it really is the best place to start to get a feel for what you will encounter out on the trail. The Skills Park was a winner for our lads!

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The Pump Track: Endless Laps of Fun

Not far from the skills park is the pump track, and trust me – once the children roll onto it, you might as well find a bench because you’ll be there a while!

It’s a smooth loop of rollers and berms designed so riders can “pump” (use their body weight) rather than pedal. It’s ideal for:

• Balance bikes and younger riders building coordination
• Older children practising cornering and flow
• Adults pretending they’re “just having a go” (we all do it 😉)

The surface is hard-packed and well-maintained, meaning it’s good fun even in damp Welsh weather – and there are plenty of safe spots for parents to watch (and cheer) without getting in the way. Don’t underestimate the fun (and hard work!) a pump track entails!

We discovered the pump track at the end of the Blue Route, and the boys still had plenty of energy to spend some time here. They really enjoyed themselves!

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Why Families Love It

Here’s why Llandegla’s skills park and pump track tick so many boxes for families:

• Free to use once you’ve parked up (however there is a parking charge)
• Compact layout means you can keep an eye on the children easily
• Low stress – no long climbs or waiting around – just get straight on with the fun stuff!
• Perfect warm-up before tackling the longer trails
• Surrounded by nature (and mountain bikers of all ages)

It’s also a brilliant spot for building confidence. My youngest went from tentative wobbling to flying around the berms in the space of one morning. That look of “I did it!” pride is what makes places like this so special.

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Facilities at Oneplanet Adventure (Llandegla)

Another reason Llandegla is one of the UK’s best family-friendly biking centres: it’s got everything you need for a full day out.

You’ll find:

• Ample parking right by the centre (pay and display)
• A great café with outdoor seating and great hot chocolate 😉
• Bike shop and hire for all ages
• Toilets, bike wash, and changing rooms
• Walking trails and picnic areas for non-riders

If you fancy making a full family day of it, check out our full post on the Llandegla family trails – they start right from the same car park, and Llandegla has everything for all skill levels, from Green to Black trails! There are also walking routes too, so something for the whole family!

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Tips for Visiting with Kids

• Arrive early – it can get busy at weekends.
• Pack snacks (trust me, you’ll need them).
• Bring a change of clothes – Welsh mud (and rain!) is legendary.
• Check bikes and helmets before setting off.
• Don’t rush progression – let children repeat what they enjoy.

The park layout makes it easy to dip in and out, so you can mix skill sessions with trail rides or café breaks. Grab their trail map here!

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Final Thoughts

The Llandegla Skills Park and Pump Track are exactly what family mountain biking should be – fun, inclusive, and a little bit muddy.

It’s one of those rare places where everyone can ride at their own level, enjoying it together, learn something new, and still leave with smiles (and maybe a few new “hero” bruises 😅).

If you’re looking to spark your childrens love of mountain biking, or just want somewhere they can safely burn energy while you grab a coffee, Llandegla delivers!

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Quick Facts

Location: Coed Llandegla Forest, North Wales ///screening.dare.grin
Parking: Paid, right next to the trail centre [£7 per car + £2 per adult passenger]
Facilities: Café, toilets, bike hire, shop, wash station
Best for: Families, beginners, confidence-building rides
More info: Oneplanet Adventure

Have you been to Llandegla? What is your favourite bit?