Karura Forest MTB Trails — Nairobi

Karura Forest is Nairobi’s most prized green lung — 1,041 hectares of indigenous forest inside the city, famous as the site of Wangari Maathai’s environmental activism in the 1990s. Today it contains the best urban MTB network in East Africa, attracting riders from across the continent for its combination of quality trail infrastructure and extraordinary urban-forest setting.

The Trails

The 12km Main Forest Loop is the social ride — wide, well-graded murram track through tall canopy, suitable for all abilities including beginners and families. The 8km Waterfall Trail leads to the Karura Waterfall via gentle singletrack — a popular destination in its own right. The 18km Murram Singletrack is the technical heart of the network, with rooty sections, off-camber traverses and fast flowing descents through dense forest. The 7km Technical Ridge is the challenging option — tight singletrack with drops, roots and demanding technical features.

Nairobi MTB Scene

Nairobi has a thriving MTB community centred around Karura. The Nairobi MTB Club runs regular rides and trail maintenance sessions. The forest also hosts organized XCO and enduro events annually.

Getting There

Main gates at Museum Hill (near United Nations compound) and Limuru Road. Numerous Nairobi Uber drivers know Karura Forest well. GPS: -1.2309, 36.8297.

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🌐 Visit Official Trail Website →