Land of the free? Not in Texas: you have to pay to ride all 5 of the best MTB trails

The Lone Star State is fiercely independent, and that independence, coupled with its massive size, almost makes it a country in its own right. In fact, as the second-largest state in the United States (after Alaska), it’s bigger than many countries: for instance, Texas is bigger than France, about the size of Afghanistan, and smaller countries don’t stand a chance. (Click here for some interesting size comparison maps.)

Despite its massive size, mountain bikers often struggle to find places to build trails in the state due to the lack of public land. While there’s little in the way of federal land, the Texas State Park system is massive, with at least 89 state parks (and growing). Many of the state’s best trails are found in these parks.

In other areas, local mountain bikers have formed close relationships with ranchers and have built extensive trail systems on private land. Oftentimes, these ranches charge a fee to access the trails, and as you’ll see below, every trail on this list requires a day-use or parking fee of some sort.

One thing’s for sure: mountain bikers are resilient. Despite a serious dearth of public lands, local riders have found a way to create a thriving two-wheeled dirt scene.

Reveille Peak Ranch, Burnet

“The moment you arrive at Reveille Peak Ranch (RPR), you know you are in for a unique experience,” said Dale Daugherty, Marketing and Communications Director for the Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club. “The dirt sparkles with quartz from grippy granitic formations that rise out of the rolling hills, creating gnarly terrain that will challenge the best riders. If that isn’t your style, you’ll surely enjoy miles of jeep roads, mellow singletrack, wildflowers, sweeping hill country views, and saying ‘moooove’ to the occasional trail cow.

“The Dirtworks RPR team ensures this is also the top destination for big dirt jumps, slopestyle, and freeride, with trails like ‘Boats And Flows’ and ‘El Jefe’ becoming social media famous with riders like Wes and Cam Lukens and Ryan Rodruguez occasionally making a visit.”

RPR claims ~60 miles of trails, with over 15 miles of dedicated singletrack. An adult day pass costs $15, and if you want to make a weekend of it, there’s on-site camping.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon in the country, after the obvious leader. And its location is so unsuspecting: it sits in the panhandle of Texas, just south of Amarillo, surrounded by flat ranchland. Palo Duro Canyon State Park protects most of this incredible natural wonder.

Riders arriving in the park are greeted with sweeping vistas of the stunning canyon landscape dropping away into the ground below. Cliffs of myriad red hues line the massive cleft in the ground, and in the flat bottom of the canyon, cottonwood trees, mesquite, and willows crowd the banks of the stream, while yucca, prickly pear cactus, and sagebrush grow on the drier sides of the canyon.

The state park is home to a 30-mile multi-use trail system, with extensive singletrack lacing the valley floor and climbing high up the canyon walls. The easiest trails are located in the bottomlands, with the singletrack becoming progressively rockier and more challenging the higher it climbs.

Palo Duro has long been renowned as one of the best trail systems in the state, but unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to have changed much over the years. During a visit in 2025, I found rugged, historic singletrack that was quite eroded in places and had extensive trail braiding in the flat areas. There wasn’t any modern trail development to be seen, yet this classic destination still stands the test of time.

As an added bonus, camping in the bottom of the canyon with trail access right out the van door can’t be beat! If you’re not camping, a day-use fee costs $8.

Northshore Trail (Lake Grapevine), Flower Mound

The Northshore Trail, located on Lake Grapevine, is “the most well-known and most used trail in the entire [Dallas] metroplex,” according to the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association (DORBA). Originally an old moto trail, Northshore has since been converted to mountain biking, and it provides an extensive one-way loop ride.

The trail is divided into seven narrow loops that can be combined into a seamless ride of about 20 miles. The eastside loops are good for intermediate riders, while the westside loops “are considerably more technical,” according to DORBA.

“It’s easy to see why so many people like this trail,” writes Singletracks trail reviewer SlowMitch. “There is something for everyone in this massive DFW trail.”

“[The] terrain is mostly loose over hardpack with the occasional rocky sections, and the trail is very well thought out and takes advantage of the elevation changes perfectly,” SlowMitch continues. “Climbs are mostly short and manageable, with a few seriously gnarly scattered about. Nearly every climb is followed by a fun descent, and what’s really amazing is how fast you can go (and for how long), considering this is fairly flat terrain surrounded by houses. There are a handful of jumps, drops, and rock-covered technical climbs scattered throughout, and it’s well marked and VERY easy to navigate.”

Some, but not all, of the Northshore trailheads charge a $10/day parking fee.

Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso

One of the most outstanding state park MTB trail systems in this massive state is tucked away in the far western corner near the Mexican (and New Mexican) border. Franklin Mountains State Park covers 24,200 acres of rugged Chihuahuan Desert terrain, with over 100 miles of multi-use trails, all within the city limits of El Paso. The park sprawls across the Franklin Mountains, which rise dramatically to 7,192 feet at North Franklin Peak, providing substantial climbs and descents for Texas mountain bikers. Most riders gravitate toward the Tom Mays Unit on the west side and the Tin Mine area on the northeast side.

This rugged, rock-strewn desert singletack is home to a plethora of challenging trails that can be pieced together into a variety of loops, such as Little Moab, GI Joe, La Espina, and P2. Other, more intermediate-friendly trails such as Lower Sunset, Antler Run, and Mad Cow are also quite popular. Due to the expansiveness and complexity of this trail system, it’s possible to create loops ranging from just a few miles to 20 or more.

A day-use fee runs $5, but note that the parking can fill to capacity on busy days. Reservations are recommended on the weekends.

Spider Mountain Bike Park, Burnet

As the only year-round lift-served bike park in the USA, Spider Mountain is a true anomaly. Also the only lift-served bike park in Texas, Spider offers 350 vertical feet of chairlift-accessed downhill mountain bike trails.

The park claims over 20 different downhill trails, totalling roughly seven miles of singletrack. While that might not sound like much, Spider offers a full range of difficulties, from beginner (green) to expert (double black).

Beginners will love the newest and longest trail in the park, Daddy Long Legs, which offers the most gradual (and smoothest) descent. Intermediate riders will enjoy Viper’s Den, which is one of the most popular trails on the mountain. Sticky Icky is a favorite black-diamond trail, while the double black Stinger is renowned for its steepness and challenging tech — a true outlier in the Texas MTB scene.

According to the website, lift tickets start at $29, but the actual prices are dependent on the day and the season. A spot-check of November prices returned $45 for a Saturday lift ticket.