more stats
2.9 miles
Distance
174 ft
Climb
-464 ft
Descent
00:25:29
Avg time
-290 ft
Altitude change
665 ft
Altitude min
961 ft
Altitude max
956 ft
Altitude start
666 ft
Altitude end
-1.9%
Grade
-22.1%
Grade max
18.4%
Grade min
4,524 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
1,818 ft
Distance flat
00:25:29
Avg time

Summer Lightning Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Surrey Hills
    Dorking
  • AKA
    Waggle Dance, Moonbase, My Cousin Vinnie
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (3 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 5 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #1639 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #94397 in Trail Running
    • #91905 in Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Season
    Jan-Dec
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Land Owner
    National Trust, Forestry Commission,

The extended Summer Lightning trail on Leith Hill combines the original Summer Lightning Trail (now the end part of the full trail, starting near Wolverns Lane) with the new trail sections (April 2014), that start at Leith Tower and link to the original trail.

The trail starts near the Tower at the top of Leith Hill on the North side just below the green and starts with a great fun swoopy, bermy, jumpy descent down the steep side. The trail keeps mountain bikes segregated from the hikers and horses climbing or descending the main track to Leith Tower.

At the bottom of the 1st section at the gate, take the track up to the right and then cut off to the right onto the next section (currently signposted) which roughly follows the original “moonbase” trail with its bombhole dips

At the end of this section, carry on down the track past the cricket pitch on your left and then take a left into the next section (signposted) through what was originally known as Cousin Vinnie’s Strange Garden. This section has lots of dippers and a big step-up towards the end if you see it and have the skills!

Follow the signposts into the woods below Coldharbour lane and hook up with the original trail (Waggle dance and regurgitator sections) at the end turn left on the bridle path and look for the signposts into the last 2 fast descending sections.

Link up with Wovens Lane and the Rookery descent to get back to the A25 at Westcott.

Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 5 rides
  • 34.8 km average
6 Months
  • 84 rides
  • 30.3 km avg distance
All
  • 537 rides
  • Last: Aug 16, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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update trails status or condition

Summer Lightning Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Aug 7, 2026 @ 8:37pm (Europe/London)
Aug 7, 2026
 First 3rd is open. Then suddenly train is shut signs appear. Rides fine nonetheless
Jun 9, 2026 @ 9:18am (Europe/London)
Jun 9, 2026
 Trail says "closed" but rides tip to bottom with no issues.
May 4, 2026 @ 9:33pm (Europe/London)
May 4, 2026
Apr 27, 2026 @ 4:25pm (Europe/London)
Apr 27, 2026
 Summer Lighting
Apr 1, 2026 @ 11:35am (Europe/London)
Apr 1, 2026
 Signed closed due to not being maintained or monitored. Otherwise fine.
more »
Status:
on Aug 7, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 4.21 (23 votes)
Your vote: 0

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  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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        Directions to summer-lightning trailhead (51.176430, -0.370740)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        36 more »
        mtb
        418 |
        May 11, 2016 @ 12:33pm
        May 11, 2016
        mtb
        423 |
        Dec 21, 2014 @ 2:09am
        Dec 21, 2014
        mtb
        82 |
        Oct 10, 2024 @ 9:43am
        Oct 10, 2024
        mtb
        565 |
        Mar 6, 2018 @ 3:19pm
        Mar 6, 2018

        Videos

        8 more »
        Summer Lightning Trail Re-visited 27 10 19 -...
        mtb
        9:54 | 4147 | Nov 1, 2019 , Dorking
        Summer Lightning Trail Leith Hill Surrey
        mtb
        13:18 | 1781 | Mar 19, 2019 , Dorking
        When you're blocked in...
        mtb
        0:40 | 385 | Jan 22, 2017 , Dorking
        Kelly's Heroes
        mtb
        4:27 | 205 | Dec 28, 2016 , Dorking

        Routes with this trail

        38
        Surrey Mountain Bike Loop Circuit
        16 miles • 1,694 ft • 8 •
        Nice loop circuit from Gomshall rail station. Mixed terrain and plenty of good views. This ride really...
        39
        Britain's Best Singletrack: Surrey Hills on GPSies.com
        ★ 2.4 • 19 miles • 1,809 ft • 3 •
        Route from EMTB Forums rideout.
        38
        Westcott Leith Summer Lightning Loop
        10 miles • 1,060 ft • 13 •
        Medium difficulty route from Westcott to Leith Hill Tower, taking in Summer Lightning Full Trail on return...
        4.3 ★★★★★
        23 Ratings
        5 ★ 48%
        4 ★ 39%
        3 ★ 9%
        2 ★ 4%
        1 ★

        4 Reviews & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Surrey Hills

        • By singletrackckTF Pro & contributors
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        Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Lightning

        ▼ Where is Summer Lightning located?
        Summer Lightning is located in Surrey Hills, Dorking, United Kingdom. It is part of the Surrey Hills trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 51.17643, -0.37074.
        ▼ How hard is Summer Lightning?
        Summer Lightning is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 1.9%. The climb difficulty is rated Green.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Summer Lightning?
        Summer Lightning has 174 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 464 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 665 ft to 961 ft.
        ▼ Is Summer Lightning a point to point trail?
        Summer Lightning is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Summer Lightning?
        Summer Lightning is 2.9 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Summer Lightning?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Summer Lightning. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Summer Lightning?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Summer Lightning are:
        • May (48 activities)
        • February (43 activities)
        • August (33 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Summer Lightning? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Summer Lightning are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Summer Lightning?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 28 minutes to ride Summer Lightning. The trail is 2.9 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Summer Lightning?
        Summer Lightning is a very popular trail. There have been 4,687 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 4,439 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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