No formal mountain bike trails for Bray Head as consultants warn of ecological sensitivity
The Wicklow PeopleA long-awaited feasibility study on the future of recreation at Bray Head has concluded that the main summit trail requires urgent repair, mountain biking activity will not be formally developed, and a new disability access route is ready to proceed once funding is secured.
The report, prepared by specialist consultants Outscape and funded through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, is now undergoing appropriate assessment (AA) screening before being finalised.
Wicklow County Council commissioned the study to produce a comprehensive guidance document for managing recreation across its lands on Bray Head, an area carrying both special area of conservation and special amenity area order designations.
The consultants were tasked with examining three core issues: the deteriorating summit trail, the proliferation of unauthorised mountain biking, and the design of a proposed accessible trail intended to open the headland to users with mobility impairments.
The study finds that the summit trail has reached a point where intervention is unavoidable.
Years of erosion, heavy footfall and exposure have left long stretches unsafe, with the report recommending that repairs be treated as a priority.
A full trail design and specification has already been completed and will form the basis of an ORIS funding application due to be submitted in December 2026.
Participants in the 2025 Wicklow Head2Head challenge, on Bray Head.
The works, which will involve hand building in sensitive sections and upgrading others, are expected to take around six months from commencement once funding is secured. Council officials say the design aims to balance safety with environmental protection, ensuring the route remains within the constraints of the SAC and SAAO.
On mountain biking, the consultants carried out a detailed review of activity on the headland, including mapping informal trails and assessing environmental impacts. The study concludes that Bray Head is not a suitable location for developing formal mountain bike facilities, citing ecological sensitivity and the risk of further habitat damage.
As a result, the council has decided to leave the activity “as is”, meaning no sanctioned trails or infrastructure will be provided. The decision is likely to prompt debate among riders, some of whom have long sought official recognition, but the report stresses that the headland’s protected status limits what can be accommodated.
The third strand of the study, a planned disability access trail, has progressed further.
The route has been fully designed and approved through the Part 8 planning process, clearing a major hurdle. It now awaits funding before construction can begin. The council says the trail will provide an inclusive way for people with disabilities to experience Bray Head without compromising its environmental designations.
With the feasibility study complete and AA screening underway, the council is preparing to move into the funding and implementation phase. The summit trail application will be lodged later this year, while the accessible route remains shovel ready once money is secured.
The decisions on mountain biking, meanwhile, set a clear direction for how recreation will be managed on one of Wicklow’s most iconic landscapes.