USA | Texas | Austin | Austin Trails
Because Texas has no BLM lands and very few parks, (! - for all that space, it's sad) there are a lot of fee based mountain biking areas. The fees are usually fairly low, and are listed in places, but may also be out of date.
Map 1 (jpg), Map 2 (pdf), Map 3 (pdf)
Barton Creek is the quintessential mountain bike trail in Austin, but not necessarily the best. Because the trail is so close to downtown, you can easily be ride there without having to fire up the car. It's primarily a 7.5 mile out and back from Zilker Park, but there are several other options.
The trail starts as wide as a double track, and gets progressively narrower as you get further from the park. It's quite rocky, and has multiple stream crossings, or loose river rock crossings when it's dry. The trail is shared with other riders and a lot of hikers, so you rarely can cut loose. It's primarily flat and non-technical, but the rocky areas can be challenging or simply difficult in a non-challenging way, if that makes any sense to anyone but me. Beginners and those wishing to avoid more hikers should consider starting at the Loop 360 entry (just east of 360's junction with Loop 1 (Mopac)) and ride north toward Barton Springs. This part of the trail is much smoother.
The trail has constant mile markers, but is sometimes poorly marked at forks, you won't get lost though, all of the trails basically follow the river. To ride the whole trail, but avoid the out-and-back, and cut the ride time down, you can ride the "Hill of Life" at the end of the trail. It's a short, steep climb that will drop you off at Camp Craft Road & Scottish Woods Drive. From there you can connect to Loop 360 at Westlake High Drive and take that back to Zilker Park.
After a heavy rain the Parks Dept. closes the trail until it dries up some, so it's a good idea to call beforehand if it has rained in the last few days. To get current trail conditions and closure information, call the hotline anytime at 472-1267.
This is a free public access trail.
Zilker Trail Head - West of the shallow end of Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park.
Spyglass - Take Barton Skyway east from MOPAC until it dead-ends.
360 - On the north side of 360 between MOPAC and Lamar, use the dirt parking lot at the bottom of the Toy's R Us hill.
Gaines - MOPAC frontage road south of 360.
Hill of Life - Take Scottish Woods road west (south) on 360 to Camp Craft rd. Turn right on Camp Craft rd and trail head is up the street approximately 100 ft. (Parking available on east (north) side of 360 at school.)
Walnut Creek Map (jpg), another Walnut Creek Map (jpg) (the powerlines aren't shown on either map!) See the aerial photo with the superimposed trails. There probably isn't a better way to get a feel for what it's like.
Walnut Creek is an endless playground of hardpack trails, constantly intersecting and splitting off. The trails are pretty smooth and fairly wide singletrack, with occasional rough or difficults spots and some doubletrack. Great for beginners, and fun for all abilities at the same time. Not much technical, but when it does happen, it sometimes sneaks up on you. There are more ups and downs than at Barton Creek, but fewer rocky areas making this more fun for my tastes, but harder to ride if you don't know the trail, since you never know where to turn. Watch for directional arrows spray-painted directly onto some of the trails and obey them to make trail usage more fun for everyone.
If you ride there regularly, you can develop some great loop combinations. For a first timer, your best bet is to just get in there and ride. Keep taking random turns and lose yourself in there. Eventually you'll start to recognize sections and will figure out how to get out. Other options are to try and hook up with people in the parking lot, or to join the ARR on one of their organized rides. Maps are useless, (example) I can't imagine a more appropriate place for a handlebar mounted GPS or for an off-road crit. To help you out, pay attention to the direction of the highway noise, and note where the power lines and streams are. But be careful with the streams tip, since there are multiple streams in the area.
This is a free public access trail.
Walnut Creek Park is in North Austin, on North Lamar street between Braker and Parmer, near IH-35. To get there, go north on either IH-35 or Mopac Expressway and exit onto Braker street?. Take Braker to N. Lamar Blvd. Go north on Lamar for about a half-mile, looking for the park sign on your left. Park at the first parking area on the left, at the swimming pool. There are multiple trailheads at the parking lot, more trails east of the bridge and even more in other parts of the park. There is no info at parking lot or anywhere else in the park about the trails.
You pretty much need to drive there. The buses do have bike racks, but you'll need to call to figure out how to get there. Don't try to ride there on Lamar St. I did and it was one of the worst rides i've ever had: Lots of traffic, no shoulders, crappy sidewalks on occasion, and ugly neighborhoods are all you get.
St. Edward's Park Map (jpg)
Trail Description: There are two main parts to this trail - the singletrack near the creek and road side, and the 'climb' and singletrack trails on the hill. The roadside/creekside stuff is pretty flat and simple - nothing technical or hard. The 'climb' is an excellent challenge - a rocky, 8% average elevation gain over ~ 7/10ths of a mile. Once at the top, you can take the singletrack down and enjoy the crossing the gully and the view from the ridge. Repeat that loop a few times each week, and you'll be a climbing fool before you know it.
St. Edward's Park is about 2.5 miles northwest of Loop 360 on Spicewood Springs Road. Nice trails for children and beginners wind through the meadows near the creek, and an easy trail follows Spicewood Springs Road for about a mile north of the park. On the east side of the park, across the creek, a trail climbs up toward Jester Estates on top of the mountain. Some dangerous trails can be found leading off this upper trail.
This is a free public access trail.
Take Spicewood west from 360. Look for a parking lot on the left after bridge #5. Yes, they are numbered. There is room for one or two cars near the sign, the parking area is around the curve from the sign.
a.k.a. City Park
Emma Long Park Map (jpg)
Emma Long Park, aka City Park Motocross, is six miles of extremely rough trail suitable for accomplished mountain bikers. There are no facilities. Take a lot of water. Motorcyclists share the trail. From downtown, take Loop 1 (Mopac) to RR 2222. Go left, or west, on RR 2222 to the light at City Park Road. Take a left on City Park Road and another left at Oak Shores. The entrance is to the left in less than a mile. It is about a 20 minute drive from downtown.
Directions: Take 2222 exit from MOPAC or 360, head west to City Park Road. Turn left and go 3.8 miles to Oak Shore, turn left and go 0.9 miles until you see the motocross sign on the left, and you're there.
Trail Description: Difficult. Six mile loop with technical rocky ledgy drops and climbs mixed with a bit of fast twisty hard pack. It's challenging - probably one of the most technical trails in Texas - but it's also a ton of fun.
Important Stuff: This is an endangered species habitat so BE NICE! Stay on the trails. As you might have gathered, there might be motorcycles there. Listen and get out of the way if you hear one - you'll know about them before they know about you. And be friendly to the motorcycle riders - they built this trail and maintained it for years before mountain bikes ever came around. They were nice enough to let us ride their trail - so be nice back to them.
Contact Information: 512-837-4500 Austin Parks & Recreation Department.
Fee: No fee for this public access trail
One loop about 5 miles long, with a cross-cut in the middle making a loop of about 3 miles. Several undocumented offshoots. Lots of loose rocks (got my first non-road flat here) Somewhat hard to find, but if you get on the right road, you can't miss the big sign. ;-)
Ride Summary:
Technical trail at a motorcycle park
Trail Description:
Emma Long Park offers one of the most technically challenging rides in the area. It is a very tough ride. (There is a short beginner's loop however.) There isn't a lot of climbing here, but you will still get a good workout. Bouncing over the rocks and bolders as the trail twists and turns around the trees and cliffs. No real opportunities to gain speed on the downhill as they remain very twisty and technical. This park is a motorcycle park so expect some noise.
How to get there:
From Austin, take I-35 North to FM 2222 west of Loop 360 to a stop light. Take a left here up City Park Road. After a few miles of winding along City Park Road, take a left onto Oak Shores Road (follow the big "motorcycle trails" sign). The parking lot will be on the left.
I have ridden all over the country and this is one of my favorite rides. Anyone who says you should get rid of your pads is a fool. I ride with full armor and will continue to do so. The drops are great and the climbs are historic. I've never had a bad ride and I've never made the loop without having to get off the bike. My helmet is off to the guy who can ride the whole thing (I want to see it done though) Bring lots of water in the summertime. The park was built by the motorcycle trials riders and I always thank them for letting us play.
Trail Description: Easy / Intermediate. The McKinney Falls Homestead trail is an easy three mile loop across the creek from the parking area. Most of the trail twists and turns through the woods and then climbs up the hill to the back side of the park. There is a fun little whoop-de-do and a quick downhill run back to the creek. Most people ride counter-clockwise starting at the homestead, but this trail is NOT one way. This is a good trail for kids and beginner riders but has enough twists and dips to still be fun for the quicker intermediate riders. This is the trail ARR uses for the Kid Trips program and there are always hikers in the park so yield the trail to slower users. Upstream from the Upper Falls take a right turn off the paved path onto the singletrack that runs along Onion Creek. This trail follows the creek to a lava flow. Cross William Cannon on the Longhorn Pipeline easement, cross the creek for five more miles of trail in Onion Creek District Park and Greenbelt.
Contact Information: 512-243-1643.
Fees: Kids 12 and under are free. All others $3.00 per day. For Camping Reservations at all state parks call 512-389-8900 (M-F 9a-6p)
McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls has 2 trails good for beginning cyclists: a winding 3 mile paved bike trail suitable for kids and a very winding 3 mile dirt single track. The park is open for camping and sometimes for swimming. It has group cabins. Find the park by driving on Highway 183 south toward Lockhart, along Bergstrom airport, and turning right on McKinney Falls Parkway. Phone (512) 243 1643. There is an entry fee.
Directions: 183 South towards Lockhart. 'Bout 1.5 miles past Hwy 71 turn right on McKinney Falls Parkway. Park entrance is about 3 miles on the right.
Willits
My dream bikes! They used to be made in Crested Butte, Colorado, and now Wes has moved to Austin. His shop is about a mile south of the Bicycle Sport Shop just off South Lamar.
There is no offical shop tour, but he'll show you around if you can find it.
willitsbrand.com (Wes said that the website would eventually be back up at this (the old) URL.)
some good pics here: http://community.webshots.com/album/147258186aYgWVn
The following shops in Austin offer rentals:
Bicycle Sport Shop Central Austin
517 S. Lamar
