Texas Trail Log
List of trails I have ridden. Non exhaustive list of trails in the area.
*** Dictates my personal favorite trails
Click on Underlined area for Trailforks link!
Amarillo
Palo Duro Canyon State Park:
This is a very neat place to visit! It seems to be not a very well known location, but this is actually the second largest canyon in the United States! There is some great hiking here as well as camping available. Amarillo, TX is a short 30 minute drive away as well which has numerous hotel and food options. The line to enter the park gets extremely long. I highly recommend getting here earlier rather than later to avoid the line. The first day here we got there around 10am and waited almost an hour to get in the park. I can’t confirm, but I heard they were limiting the number of cars allowed into the park. Not sure what that limit is however or if this is a permanent thing.
I would say it feels like mountain biking in a miniature Moab here. Lots of rocks, sand, and desert vibes. There are definitely some fun technical descents mixed in, but overall, expect this ride to feel a little more on the XC side. My buddy and I tried to create our own route through this trail system and we both agree it would be better ridden as Trailforks shows.
A very easy green trail. Flows well and can go fast. Watch out for hikers on this trail. Good to use as a connector between areas in the park.
This is a pretty fun bit of trail. Lots of loose rock and sand (not the deep stuff though). Some exposed sections and fun “whooptiedoos”. Definitely get some pretty views along this trail. No wild features along the trail.
This is really just a connector between the Comanche trails and road/ parking lot. Smooth trail that you can go quite fast down but is also a fairly easy pedal up.
Juniper/ Cliffside trail: (Blue)
Has some fun fast flowy sections and a handful of short punchy climbs. Some spots you can hop off of along the trail that make it fun. Keep your eyes peeled for a cave on your right if riding the trail as Trailforks shows. It is a quick walk up from the trail to the cave and is neat to check out. This trail is a fantastic alternative to riding the road to the southern bit of the park.
Very short section of trail with some fast fun bits. Probably more of a green in rating in my opinion.
*Lower Comanche Part 1: (Black)
We rode this trail the first time in the opposite direction Trailforks shows. Definitely a mistake. Where it isn’t impossible to climb, there are easier options. This stretch of trail is also the most “Enduro” style trail in Palo Duro Canyon based on what we re road. Probably best to call this trail a “downhill only” (when riding in direction on Trailforks) trail I think to keep everyone safe. On day 2 here, we road it like you are supposed to, and it was definitely a fun trail! We climbde using the lower portion of Rock Garden to get to the start. Tight loose switchbacks, lot so of rock chunk, some option side lines to keep an eye out for to hit some small drops, and some steep spots. There is some exposure on spots, including the switchbacks, that can make the trail feel a bit sketchier.
*Lower Comanche part 2: (Blue)
This park of Comanche opens up a bit and levels out to create a very fast, “Full throttle” section. A great way to end your ride down Lower Comanche!
This trail was one of the top rated trails in the area based on some research we did prior to heading here. We planned our ride to end with this trail thinking we would have a fun end to the day. We both agreed in the end, the climb to the top wasn’t really worth the descent. That being said we were already tired and made the mistake of climbing Lower Comanche as the initial portion of the climb. The trail is very beautiful and definitely cool seeing the canyon from the top, so from a scenic standpoint it is amazing. There is a small descent in the middle of the climbs that has some fun rock drops and chunk. When you are on your way back to the bottom and pass this middle climb, the trail becomes fun again. Perhaps the trail is better in fresher legs, but my buddy and I decided it wasn’t at the top of out list to ride again.
Wichita Falls:
Wee-Chee-Ta Trail:
There are a couple of options to ride this trail system. Either as a a full loop of the entire system or as smaller individual loops. This is a XC ride through and through. Some cool wooden features and well maintained trails. Nothing that is going to get your adrenaline pumping in my opinion, but a fun place to get out and ride none the less. Especially if you are looking for more of a workout. They hold races each year varying in style. Brewery about a mile away from eastern most trailhead parking lot. The western most trail head is directly off the highway at a rest stop.
Wee Chi Tah Trail Camp to Bowl: (Blue)
Nothing crazy. Classic XC riding. I would say the trail is really more green than blue. Most difficult part a beginner may struggle with is some quick steep “whooptiedoos”. Nothing scary but maybe challenging for a beginner if they aren’t comfortable holding a bit of speed down those short sections. My wife road this trail as one of her first trails and was able to ride everything here with a bit of struggle on these sections. A couple of optional wooden features that are neat and well done!
Wee Chi Tah Trail Bowl to Exit: (Blue)
This is really the same as above. Difference being there are a couple of optional routes that split off for a very short period that add a little extra challenge to the trail, but still nothing super crazy.