Two Bikers Riding All Over The Internet

The Best Dirt Bike Trails in Austin, Texas

Table of Contents

The Live Music Capital of the World, Austin Texas is a hub for some of the major country, blues, and rock music events. But that’s not all it’s known for, its large size and abundance of natural scenery make it the perfect destination for dirt bike trails and the adventurous souls looking to tackle them.

 

So let’s take a look at some of the best locations with the best trails for daring dirt bikers to enjoy.

 

1. Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area

 

Dirt-Bike-Trails-in-Austin-Texas-CTOR

 

Considered one of Texas’s best dirt bike trails, this area hosts a 27+ mile motorcycle loop, with shorter and easier 16-mile trails available for beginners. Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area sits at around 1,850 acres of mostly forested areas, with facilities and a trail system designed specifically for motorized off-road purposes. The trail system is developed and maintained by all-volunteer TMTC members and is mapped and rated with signage at the trailheads.

 

Overnight accommodations are available if you want to stay the night or the entire weekend, but you’ll need reservations. This area is only open to dirt bikes and offroad vehicles, however, as they don’t allow hikers, bikes, or horses.

 

2. Red River Motorcycle Trails

 

Originally established in 1972, the Red River Motorcycle Trails have become a Texas tradition since they were open to the public in the 1970s. Set in northeast Texas, RRMT is a part of a 2,700-acre park dedicated to ATVs (All-terrain Vehicles) and dirt bikes. They host several trails ranging from amateur to expert-level, where you can find loose sand, clay, and dirt, as well as steep climbs and descents. But you’ll have to stick to the trails, as they don’t allow trailblazing, you’ll also find some of the most difficult trails in the country here.

 

Red River Motorcycle Trails is open to camping and RVs, with plenty of power but no water sources. They host two cabins available for rent and operate on the weekends from 8 am to 8 pm, with weekdays being possible provided you have a reservation.

 

Its scenic views and natural areas create the ideal location if you’re looking for good dirt biking destinations, a refreshing hike, or a simple place to lounge around and enjoy the views.

 

3. Sam Houston National Forest

 

Located on the east side of Lake Conroe, Sam Houston National Forest offers around 85 miles of dirt bike trails with a bonus of multi-use trails that also serve as hiking spots. The trails at the national park are made up of mud & sand crisscrossed by many creeks, and considering this park is public property, it’s open all year with a few exceptions depending on weather, environmental preservation, or other reasons.

 

Bear in mind that any OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) must be less than 50 inches wide and display a decal, with more information available if you visit the USDA regarding rules and contact the Ranger’s office before heading out. Also remember to call before you make plans, as camping is allowed, but there are also water sports venues.

 

4. Gator Run Offroad Trail

 

Dirt-Bike-Trails-in-Austin-Texas-Emma-Long-Metropolitan-Park-City-Park

 

Located in the small community of Easton, Texas which is approximately 12 miles south of Longview, TX, Gator Run Offroad Trail is the largest off-road park in Texas with bulldozers on standby that are constantly making new trails and mud pits. They also offer RV campsites, free primitive campsites, tent camping, showers, restrooms, pressure washers, air pumps, a pavilion, and a concession stand
They are open Friday to Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm. All offroad vehicles are welcome. For weekday visits, you’ll need to call ahead. Visit their website to make reservations

 

5. Rio Bravo Motocross Park

 

Making offroad trails since 1972, The Rio Bravo Motorcross Park works on a membership system, so if you’re not a member, you need to call before you go. They’re a full-service family destination complete with barbecues, picnic areas, restrooms, swimming pools, and most importantly, a deck that overlooks the dirt bike tracks. Their trails mostly consist of loose dirt and sand with several small to high jumps which are suitable for any amateur beginning their journey to the seasoned professional looking for a thrill.

 

The Rio Bravo Motorcross Park usually operates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and is also open on the odd Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm.

 

6. Cycle Ranch Motocross Park & Events Center

 

This 200-acre park doubles as an event center for concerts, benefits, birthday parties, and weddings in addition to being a dirt bike trail, providing the ideal space to do whatever you may need. It’s a well-kept sanctuary filled with mature oak trees, a huge pavilion with a cafe that serves organic options, bathrooms, showers, and a pro shop. Their tracks mostly consist of loose dirt with plenty of jumps that are perfect for amateur riders, while pros and thrillseekers might find these tracks slightly tame for their liking

 

Visit their website to reserve cabins, RVs, or camping areas. 7. Village Creek Motocross Park
Considered the most ideal location for events, Village Creek Motorcross Park is the premier motocross playground in north Texas. Activities are found in abundance in Village Creek, with their event calendar always being full.

 

It’s a smaller park with manicured lawns and 6 miles of biking trails that are well-kept with plenty of jumps and cater mostly to amateur dirt bikers.

 

8. Hidden Falls Adventure Park

 

Dirt-Bike-Trails-in-Austin-Texas-Hidden-Falls-Adventure-Park

 

This privately owned 3,000-acre comes complete with camping facilities, RVs, bunkhouses, and a motel. Hidden Falls Adventure Park is very organized, with trails that are hard-packed soil and very little loose dirt, lots of trees, some rocks, steep hills, and around 240 miles of off-road trails. Most of these trails are single-track with very few hazards, which is a haven for amateur dirt bikers.

 

For more information, visit their website and social media, and if you’d like to see the place for yourself, check out their YouTube channel.

 

9. Trophy Club Park

 

The Trophy Club Park is a golf-centered club, but they provide everything from horse trails, to boating, to dirt bike trails that span around 6 miles and are open every day.

 

The trails at Trophy Club Park are ideal for novices or amateurs, with mostly loose dirt and mud and very little hard-packed soil.

 

10. River Valley Motorcross

 

River Valley Motorcross is a little park of around 200 acres is located in Boyd, Texas. Their bike trails are all loose dirt, with more jumps than can be counted, plenty of space, and few riders, which is perfect if you enjoy solo rides.

 

It’s also well-known for its wonderful staff and great hospitality, ideal for a day trip if you’re looking for MX tracks close to Fort Worth.

 

11. Emma Long Metropolitan Park

 

This Austin city park is a convenient dirt biking destination if you live in the city, with around 9 miles of trail to explore. Camping at the Emma Long Metropolitan City is allowed, but a reservation is needed with park management.

 

The main loop trail is single-track, with double-track access trails. The soil is hard-packed, with packed-in rock, and loose softball-sized rocks spread throughout. The trails also offer several large rock step-ups, steep faces, and vertical climbs for advanced & expert riders. The park itself is a relaxing environment with plenty of shade and the trails range from advanced-level to expert and are not for amateurs.

 

They’re open seven days a week, from 7 am to 10 pm.

daily biker author
Jim D. Smith
Biker and content writer at Daily Bikers Blog. Addicted to Bikes, aviation, fragrances, sushi and tacos.
Share this article
Subscribe for weekly updates
Check Trending Posts
What Is The Difference Between A Regular Bike And A Harley Davidson Bike?
What Is The Difference Between A Regular Bike And A Harley Davidson Bike?
One of the most significant differences between the two bikes is the core of each cycle!  ...
Read More
Untitled design (13)
The Road to Excellence: How to Overcome Common Challenges in Dirt Bike Riding
Introduction:   Dirt bike riding is an exhilarating sport that provides a unique adrenaline...
Read More
ADR: DAY 3 – PORT ELLIOT TO MILDURA
ADR: DAY 3 – PORT ELLIOT TO MILDURAToday started out hot and got progressively hotter until it felt like riding on molten lava while trapped inside a firefighter’s gear. At 110 km the wind was creating the impression of wearing a scarf that had been cooked in the microwave on High for 2 mins. It was hot. We started at my old stomping ground, the Adelaide Hills – the final destination Mildura, back in Victoria in the centre of the Riverlands. How we got there… was up to me. I was excited by the prospect and had decided on winding back through Strathalbyn, where I went to high school and then further into the hills before heading up to Mt Lofty. I remember from my early childhood going up and down the steepest of all dippers in the world called Tregarthen Road with my mum in a V8 Ford, and I couldn’t wait to take everyone along that road. Sadly as is the way, I grew up and those massive dippers seemed more like a couple of bumps in the road. Maybe the sensation was more sensational in a cage? The ride up to Mt Lofty is beautiful though, it’s a real highlight of the Adelaide Hills so we cut around the back of Ashton and past all the apple orchards before heading up to the summit. Sadly some of us didn’t catch the ‘master plan’ though and missed the turn off to Mt Lofty, then once up there the group broke up looking for one another, and before you knew it the majority were down in the city scratching heads as to what had happened to the ‘lost few’. Somewhere amongst that kerfuffle time got away from us and it was decided that we better get going and slab it out on the highway for Mildura so we could jump in the pool. There was nothing else to do, the group had been split up and it was the night’s destination. It was now 40 degrees Celsius and just the ride through the city forewarned of overheating problems, dehydration and imminent heat exhaustion. We made a plan, every 100kms we’d all stop and take in water, cool down and get going again. It was probably the longest five hours in the existence of all motorcyclist adventures (yes I’m a drama-queen). I remember passing through Renmark at the halfway mark and reading a billboard that said 44 degrees. Delirious I cackled wildly into my helmet, totally demented. Then something happened though. I adjusted to the heat, I adopted new techniques (thanks Steve for the wet t-shirt tip) and I buckled down and got on with the job. Sitting on the speed limit (thankfully out in SA it’s 110km p/hr) and cruising in and out of the pack to break monotony, I was able to barrel down the Sturt Highway, kilometre after kilometre. The Ducati never skipped a beat. I found new love for my massive machine. 4th gear is perfect for roll ons from 60km towns back up to the 110km limit and the sensation is fantastic. Torque pulls you back in your chair as you roar up to that limit then kick it up two gears to sit nicely on 4k rpm and cruise. It also lifts the front wheel in first under gradual acceleration in Sport Mode quite easily. It’s an awesome confidence inspiring machine and how it managed to keep its cool and deliver me safely at the end of every day I have no idea. Technology, such wow. It also has just the right amount of electronic wizard to keep a bored highway rider entertained. I pulled an average of 109 km phr for 5 hrs and got 4.2L to the 100kms travelled. I can easily do 300km on one tank and if things get tight I pop it down to Urban mode cutting power to 100 ponies and saving fuel I can do 350kms on a tank at this pace. I adjusted each trip-meter to catch current mileage on A and overall mileage on B, faffed about with the seat height by adjusting the Pillion and Luggage selections and found some perfect settings that I’m really happy with. Not a fan of luggage I managed with a single Kriega US-20 tailpack strapped to the rear luggage rack no sweat for 4 days. My only complaint about that is nowhere to store several bottles of water, which is where a single pannier (top box maybe) for longer tours would be better. It sounds beautiful humming at this speed, 4k rpm, pinned to the tank slipstreamed the heat up and over my head. Just a gentle hum of valves and pistons working harmoniously to carry me through this sanctimonious heat to my destination, that sweet sound kept me company the whole way, making my heart sing in unison (or delirium potentially). There was no other bike I would have rather been on at that point and I think others may have even sneered at amorously at me occasionally. At one point, a lady pointed at my bike in a car park somewhere and said ‘I like that one, it looks like the Bat Bike’ un-prompted, in front of everyone, and my life was complete. Bat Bike MFW! Thank the mighty lord baby cheeses for Sargent Seats too. I could never have done it without you. Whatever magic pixie dust you put into that foam on your seats, it’s a flaming miracle. I never once had CAF (Chronic Arse Fatigue) that plagued every single one of my fellow riders. And another shout out has to be given to Shoei for the Best Touring Helmet available award for the mighty GT-Air. This is easily the best helmet on the market for long distance touring. The air flow is just incredible. Even in this heat, I managed to keep a relatively cool head when most were on fire, like that guy in that movie, I also put this down to my decision (finally) to try a white helmet. The GT Air has the most brilliant design white helmet IMHO, a honeycomb pearl finish with a black racing stripe straight down the guts. The quietest lid I have ever owned too. By miles. I have more to say about this helmet soon in my full long-term review, stay tuned for that (or just go buy one now, you won’t regret it). So it was after about 5 hours of this type of torture that we pulled into the Mildura Plaza Motor Inn on Calder Highway and within minutes I was in the pool. It was so nice but also had the adverse effect something akin to an ice headache. I guess when you have been roasted like a potato chip for 5 hours then jump into cool water it’s lucky we don’t explode like cheap crockery. One day to go, a survivor and a new level of respect for the road as well as my ability to endure heat for that long, I was pretty relieved to retire for the evening in front of a re-run of Iron Man 2 on the box. Job done. Home stretch tomorrow, should be straightforward and we have planned an early start to beat yet another 40 degree day.
Today started out hot and got progressively hotter until it felt like riding on molten lava...
Read More
Subscribe

Join our weekly newsletter. You’ll also receive some of our best posts today.