Where to cycle

County Durham has 543km of bridleways, 45km of byways and over 150km of railway paths which offer excellent facilities for leisure and commuter use. A growing number of cycle lanes complements the off-highway facilities and helps create a more comprehensive network.

Cycle routes in County Durham

• Great North Cycleway
• County Durham West: Hills and Hollows - Trees and Trails
• County Durham North: Skirting the Cities - Routes to Roam
• County Durham South: Villages and Towns - tracks without Trains

These are available at our various libraries and venues across the county. Contact Active Travel if you want a copy.

We also have  Bike Bowes (PDF) [1MB]  and  The Locomotion Way (PDF) [518KB]  to explore on your bike.

Places to cycle 

Our maps have all you need to know about cycling for these areas including cycle routes, safety and security, secure cycle parking and tips.

• Cycling in Barnard Castle (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Bishop Auckland (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Chester-le-Street (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Consett (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Crook (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Durham City (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Newton Aycliffe (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Peterlee (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Seaham (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling In Shildon (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Spennymoor (PDF) [2MB]
• Cycling in Stanley (PDF) [2MB]

Visiting the area to cycle

Visit County Durham has information on top ten cycle routes across the county including Coast to Coast (C2C), Teesdale Way and Link up the Loops routes. To pick a route that suits you check out Visit County Durham: top 10 cycling routes.

If you want to plan your own cycle journey then check out Sustrans and CycleStreets.