This year’s May long weekend was exceptionally short, lasting only three days, but the weather was exceptionally good. As a result, numerous bike parks were opening in Poland and the Czech Republic, attracting crowds of riders eager for their first bike park rides. We chose the German direction, heading to Winterberg Bike Park, and also stopping by the neighboring Green Hill Bikepark.
Green Hill Bikepark
Green Hill Bikepark was only established in 2022, but has been considered Germany’s number one bike park since its inception. It is located in Schmalleneberg, in the Sauerland highlands of Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia and partly in Hesse. The hills here are part of the northeastern Rhenish Slate Mountains.
Green Hill is a Bike Park where Canadian-style trails meet the wonderful landscape of the German Sauerland region.
Green Hill Bikepark
The bike park itself isn’t very large, but the space is utilized perfectly. There are 14 fully-fledged trails with varying difficulty levels. Beginners can choose from one green line and three blue trails, each with a flow and technical focus. Riders will also appreciate the three red trails, which also have a similar technical and flow division, plus one consisting primarily of jumps. For the most demanding riders, there are six black trails, perfect for jumping and figuring out how to smoothly descend downhill.
The entire experience is served by two parallel T-bar lifts with the Easy Loop system. This means that even on the busiest days, the queue to get up the mountain doesn’t exceed 5-10 minutes, and the entire trip runs smoothly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the only drawback is the lack of rest during the ride up, especially since the upper section of the T-bar lift is quite steep. It’s safe to say that the T-bar lift ascent, especially on this steep section, is the most challenging route in the entire complex.
Co-operation with Bike Republic Sölden
It’s worth noting that Green Hill Bikepark collaborates closely with the Austrian Bike Republic Sölden. This resulted in the joint organization of the Swatch Nines competition in 2025, with part of the event taking place in Green Hill and part in Sölden. Another cool feature is the snowcat drop, which is present at both locations.
Thus, we can see the slopestyle lines used during the Swatch Nines and remnants of Erik Fedka’s film project “Above the Trees.” During our visit, the slopestyle course was closed due to high winds and construction, and unfortunately, I don’t know if it’s open to the public on a daily basis.
Trails
The trails here are very diverse, though built in a similar style. They’re very flowy and challenging in some places and well designed. In fact, you could say most of them are completely safe to do (but don’t go full on-sight mode), though there are a few spots where you need to be careful.
The large number of drops is noteworthy, something sorely lacking in Polish and Czech bike parks. Here, you can really practice them, in several sizes and specifications.
The entire bike park is divided into two sections, separated by a T-bar lift. The trails themselves are clearly marked, and in addition to color, they also feature difficulty points, making it easy to plan the order of your first runs.
- Moose Cruise (green, 2.3pts) – The easiest trail in the entire Bike Park, recommended for beginners or as a warm-up. It features plenty of long, flowing sections connected by wide banked sections.
- In-N-Out (blue, 2.3pts) – This is a natural extension of the Moose Cruise trail, and it’ll get your heart pumping harder. It’s still a simple trail, but a bit more challenging and active than its green counterpart.
- Save Wimmons (blue, 3.5pts) – Named after freeride legend Wade Simmons, this is the easiest, technical trail in the complex, resembling a mountain singletrack, but threaded through the trees. In places, it intersects with the Moose Cruise.
- Thin Air (blue, 4.8pts) – the final section consisting of several medium-sized tables, which is an optional ending to the Moose Cruise, Save Wimmons or Canadian Tuxedo trails.
- Jonas & Pablo (blue, 4.8pts) – The trail, named after two Swiss brothers (unfortunately we couldn’t find who they were), is also the most popular line in the entire Bike Park. It’s a typical blue flow trail with plenty of rollers, berms, and jumps, both large and small.
- The Green Hill (black, 6.5pts) – This is actually an optional entry to the Jonas & Pablo trail, which is… a small drop from the huge, wooden Green Hill Bikepark logo.
- Canadian Tuxedo (red, 5.3pts) – According to the builders, this is a semblance of the trails in Vancouver, Canada. A completely natural line that constantly reveals new rocks and roots, and is designed in an enduro-downhill style. It’s narrow, tight, and steep in places – a smile is guaranteed!
- Mixtape (red, 5.5pts) – As the name suggests, this is a course that offers a mix of everything. Roots? Rocks? Wallrides? Drops and jumps? It’s all here, and all the obstacles are fully rollable.
- Bounce & Blow (red, 6.5pts) – What can I say? A red jumpline starting halfway up the mountain, providing plenty of air time and a healthy dose of adrenaline.
- Timeshift (black, 7.5pts) – This is the hardest trail to find, as it’s accessed through a narrow passage near a tree on one of the first Jonas & Pablo’s berms. Technically demanding, with several drops, a wooden “whale tale,” and a section of larger jumps at the end.
- I. Love. Fidlock. (black, 7.5pts) – The second jumpline in the bike park, but more advanced than Bounce & Blow. The jumps are medium-sized, but instead of tables, there are very smooth double jumps that are a lot of fun.
- Insta360 Think Bold (black, 8pts) – A black jumpline, but with a slightly different character. The double jumps are flat and fast, typical gaps, but also placed between trees, and some are quite large.
- Groomer (black, 8pts) – A very smooth, flowy & technical, black downhill trail. Plenty of lines to choose from, and quite steep in places. It also ends with a series of three drops, the last of which is a jump from a snowcat.
- Mile High Club (black, 8.3pts) – the biggest jumps and longest airtime in the entire bike park. Unfortunately, it was closed during our visit…
- BYND Whip-Off Line (black, 8.5pts) – slopestyle route at the bottom of the mountain, i.e. large jumps and drops.
- Mammut (black, 8.8pts) – The second black downhill trail in the bike park and the most difficult of them all. Steep, natural, with lots of roots and rocks, it ends with a big road gap.
We’d tried to go to Green Hill a few times, but since it’s only open on weekends, we didn’t want to head to a new and unknown place for our first day in the mountains. Oh, how wrong we were… Once we got there, we found the trails to be very nice, and from the very first ride, we were happy to finally make it there.
Tomasz Profic, 43RIDE
Useful informations:
- Green Hill Bikepark is located in Schmallenberg, in the Sauerland highlands of Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia and partly in Hesse. The drive from Warsaw is approximately 1,033 km and about 11 hours.
- Accommodation options in the area are sparse, so if you’re planning a longer stay, we recommend Winterberg, which also got an interesting bike park. If you’re traveling by a camper, you can park in the parking lot right by the main entrance.
- There is a large restaurant with very tasty food, a small shop with rentals and basic service.
- A one-day adult pass costs €43.50 and can be purchased on-site or directly on the website. The Gravity Card is not accepted at Green Hill Bikepark.
- The Bike Park is open only on Fridays and weekends, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. During the summer season, you can also ride on Thursdays.
About Green Hill Bikepark
Official website: greenhill-bikepark.de
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