Best mountain biking trails in Dorset, England

Stunning views of the ocean with the occasional challenging section. Show more

The Old Harry Rocks are three chalk formations, including a stack and a stump, located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. They mark the most Eastern point on the Jurassic Coast, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Show more

Swyre hill, the highest point on Purbeck. Stunning views.Show more

- Shell Bay to Knoll Beach - For the first third of the hike from Shell Bay to Knoll Beach you can choose to stick to the beach or cut back inland and follow the paths behind the dunes. We hiked it in Jan. and we choose to cut back into the dunes after about half a mile to cut the wind. There are a lot of paths and its easy to get off on the wrong one. Mostly it doesnt matter but you have to be careful. There are a couple posts that point out things to see. In Jan. when we went through several paths were flooded. -Knoll Beach to Old Harry Rocks- The next third From Knoll Beach to Old Harry Rocks you'll have to take the road up from the end of Knoll Beach and then take the trail that leads off the road next to the cottages. Theres a sign at the trail head that gives a map and gives details about the cottages. Many maps show a trail that follows the beach. At High tide no such trail exists and it appears it would be very easy to get trapped if the tide is coming in. sticking to the beach would be an incredible hike if you go through at a low tide and dont delay to long and thus get trapped. We took the high trail and the view is incredible. Well worth walking out to the Harry Rocks and not cutting it short. - Old Harry Rocks to Swanage - From Harry Rocks to Swanage its fairly desolate the trail is obvious. Theres really only one split that might mess you up and that is where the purbeck way forks off the SWC Path. Just always take the trail closest to the Coast and you should be fine. As we got to Swanage it was getting dark so we choose to turn into town and go up the stairs instead of going on down to the beach. Our map ends at the bus stop. We parked at Shell Bay and took the 50 from Swanage back up to Shell Bay. On the weekends the buses run about once an hour and the last bus leaves Swanage and heads to Shell Bay around 6:30p.m. The bus runs down right next to the beach so whether you cut into town or follow the beach you should be able to catch the bus back to your starting point. Bus fare in 2020 was £4.50 per person.Show more

The Old Harry Rocks are three chalk formations, including a stack and a stump, located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. They mark the most Eastern point on the Jurassic Coast, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Show more