Austin / San Antonio TX riding options.

mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4
Edited Date/Time 11/11/2015 11:00am
Hi guys.

I am starting to seriously consider moving to Austin/ San Antonio area due to job options/ quality of life.

Are there many trail riding/ track options within 1hr from either one of those cities? Any other input from locals?

Thanks.
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731chopper
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731chopper 11/9/2015 11:49am
11/9/2015 11:49am
Lots of tracks in the Dallas-Ft Worth (DFW) area and a few good options like 3 palms and Rio Bravo around Houston but I'm not familiar with too many tracks in the Austin San Antonio area. Not saying there aren't any but it isn't the most moto saturated part of the state.
TenDollarHead 11/9/2015 12:00pm
11/9/2015 12:00pm
mikemxbike4 wrote:
Hi guys. I am starting to seriously consider moving to Austin/ San Antonio area due to job options/ quality of life. Are there many trail riding/...
Hi guys.

I am starting to seriously consider moving to Austin/ San Antonio area due to job options/ quality of life.

Are there many trail riding/ track options within 1hr from either one of those cities? Any other input from locals?

Thanks.
Take a look at this track map. I'm not absolutely 100% this is up-to-date, but might help.
http://txmotocross.com/track-map/
MotoMo165
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MotoMo165 11/9/2015 12:11pm
11/9/2015 12:11pm
Murphys MX. Open every weekend and just made a night track. 30 minutes out from san Marcos which is between Austin and SA. Del valley is practically in Austin but the dirt is shitty but does get pretty rutted when they water it enough.buffalo valley, probably the worst track in the state is rideable when desperate enough and is located in seguin. There's a few private tracks that you may be able to ride at if you meet a few people... Cycle ranch is "closed" but not sold. Iain may open it back up?

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aroden41
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aroden41 11/9/2015 12:13pm
11/9/2015 12:13pm
Unfortunately Cycle Ranch recently closed it's doors. It was an amazing place so hopefully they can find a way to bring it back.

Austin area has a couple good tracks. Austin Del Valle which is across the street from Circuit of the Americas which holds the F1 race, Moto GP and X Games. Another newer track that I have heard some pretty good things about is Murphy's MX. Red Rock MX isn't open every weekend, but when it is that place is top notch. Very sandy, some elevation, and some awesome jumps.
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/9/2015 1:34pm
11/9/2015 1:34pm
What about good trail riding/ freeride oprions around Austin?
HackMan162
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HackMan162 11/9/2015 1:54pm
11/9/2015 1:54pm
For trails/free riding, there is Emma Long Park in Austin (or whatever its called). But its mostly trials guys. There are trails at Murphys, so I have been told, and lots of private ranches that are open to various clubs. Del Valle has been really good the last year or so on Wednsdays when they dig it deep. Weekend mornings are good too. Murphys is super fun as well. Red Rock is one of the best tracks in Texas. There are other private tracks around too....

But if you are moving for moto, go to DFW or Houston, not Austin.
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/9/2015 2:54pm
11/9/2015 2:54pm
HackMan162 wrote:
For trails/free riding, there is Emma Long Park in Austin (or whatever its called). But its mostly trials guys. There are trails at Murphys, so I...
For trails/free riding, there is Emma Long Park in Austin (or whatever its called). But its mostly trials guys. There are trails at Murphys, so I have been told, and lots of private ranches that are open to various clubs. Del Valle has been really good the last year or so on Wednsdays when they dig it deep. Weekend mornings are good too. Murphys is super fun as well. Red Rock is one of the best tracks in Texas. There are other private tracks around too....

But if you are moving for moto, go to DFW or Houston, not Austin.
I'd consider Dallas and Houston, but I've heard from a few people that Austin and San Antonio are much better all around cities.
731chopper
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731chopper 11/9/2015 3:59pm
11/9/2015 3:59pm
mikemxbike4 wrote:
I'd consider Dallas and Houston, but I've heard from a few people that Austin and San Antonio are much better all around cities.
It depends on what you like. I travel all around Texas a lot.

Houston has a lot to offer but the traffic there is some of the worst in the world. Of course, this depends on where in the Houston area you live in. They also don't really have any zoning which can be different if you're use to an area that was developed with more structured city planning. Houston is close to the coast but the Texas coast is mostly a place you'd rather not be. I spend a lot of time in Houston and just about tore out my hair last week because of the traffic.

Austin is a different city. There is a pretty big art culture along with a huge music scene in Austin so younger people tend to be more attracted to Austin. It is also the State capital so you get some of that nonsense if you're into that sort of stuff. If the bar and music scene is what you consider weekend fun then Austin is the city for you. Having said that, there are a lot of hipsters in Austin. But of all the downtowns in Texas, Austin's is the best. The traffic in Austin isn't as bad as Houston but the city is starting to feel pretty crowded, especially compared to how it was 20 years ago when I'd go down there as a kid. Austin has some nice scenery as it is in what is known as Texas Hill Country.

I haven't spent too much time in San Antonio, probably only a weeks time on average each year, but it is my least favorite of the big cities in Texas. Their downtown "River Walk" is what its known for (other than The Alamo) but it is a little hokey to me so I can only imagine how it feels for the locals. There are some beautiful parts of San Antonio to the North West but the city as a whole just seems a little more run down compared to the others. Just my opinion though of course.

I've lived in Dallas most of my life so I do have a bias towards it but it is still my favorite all-around place in Texas. I live in the north suburbs of Dallas (Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, Addison, Carrollton, etc.). All of our big cities and metroplexes in Texas suffer from the same problem - rapid population growth so the traffic is only getting worse in every city but Dallas (including the surrounding suburbs) seems to still be tolerable. What is nice about DFW is that it puts a lot of places easily within reach. DFW airport is American Airline's main hub and Love Field airport is Southwest Airline's main hub so you can fly to just about anywhere direct. Oklahoma is only an hour North, East Texas (with several nice tracks) is only 1.5-2 hours East, Decatur (with a couple of nice tracks) is only an hour West, Austin is 2.5-3 hours South on I-35E and Houston is 3.5 hours South on I-45. We've got a lot of great places to eat, hang out, shop, live, go to school, play sports, lakes, bicycle etc. What we don't have in DFW are big hills. It isn't literally flat and you can still find some elevation but you don't get a lot of "Wow, that is pretty" feelings driving around the metroplex like you can in other places.

But I don't know why I just typed all of that out. Too many people are moving here. It's driving our home values way up and we've got fairly high property taxes since we don't have a state income tax so I feel like it would be in my best interest to start telling people how terrible Dallas is...
kunk
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kunk 11/9/2015 4:12pm
11/9/2015 4:12pm
I have been reading post on Vital for a while, but I signed up to respond to this post. DFW is a great place if you love to ride. There are a dozen tracks within 2 hrs of the metroplex. One of those has held nationals and three more could be considered national caliber. If you like to ride in the woods there are a few places that you pay to ride. Red River motorcycle trails is where Last Man Standing was held. You can get into anything there. There is one winter cross country series and two off-road series that run I the winter months. One is more works style the other more GNCC style. There is also an AMA enduros series which DFW is centrally located for. Also if you are a fan of the strip mall and chain restaurants. This place has them all
tylermx967
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tylermx967 11/9/2015 4:15pm
11/9/2015 4:15pm
I GOD TO CYCUL RANCH 4 TIMES BEFORE THATS BY FLORSVILLE AND IT MAY FAVERITE PLACE TO GO RIDE BUT I READID ON HERE THAT THEY CLOSE IT DOWN
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/9/2015 5:19pm
11/9/2015 5:19pm Edited Date/Time 11/9/2015 5:22pm
My ifdea of the weekend is some goid hiking/freeriding/mountain biking. Nightlife/ social scene are important as well. I do want to pick a place that has that good otutdoor activity options within a 1hr of driving if possible. Right now I'm torn between Texas and Arizona (Phoenix area)but Texas seems to have a much better job market and economy. Great responses so far though! Keep em coming!
Highsider
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Highsider 11/10/2015 6:21am
11/10/2015 6:21am Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 6:21am
731chopper wrote:
It depends on what you like. I travel all around Texas a lot. Houston has a lot to offer but the traffic there is some of...
It depends on what you like. I travel all around Texas a lot.

Houston has a lot to offer but the traffic there is some of the worst in the world. Of course, this depends on where in the Houston area you live in. They also don't really have any zoning which can be different if you're use to an area that was developed with more structured city planning. Houston is close to the coast but the Texas coast is mostly a place you'd rather not be. I spend a lot of time in Houston and just about tore out my hair last week because of the traffic.

Austin is a different city. There is a pretty big art culture along with a huge music scene in Austin so younger people tend to be more attracted to Austin. It is also the State capital so you get some of that nonsense if you're into that sort of stuff. If the bar and music scene is what you consider weekend fun then Austin is the city for you. Having said that, there are a lot of hipsters in Austin. But of all the downtowns in Texas, Austin's is the best. The traffic in Austin isn't as bad as Houston but the city is starting to feel pretty crowded, especially compared to how it was 20 years ago when I'd go down there as a kid. Austin has some nice scenery as it is in what is known as Texas Hill Country.

I haven't spent too much time in San Antonio, probably only a weeks time on average each year, but it is my least favorite of the big cities in Texas. Their downtown "River Walk" is what its known for (other than The Alamo) but it is a little hokey to me so I can only imagine how it feels for the locals. There are some beautiful parts of San Antonio to the North West but the city as a whole just seems a little more run down compared to the others. Just my opinion though of course.

I've lived in Dallas most of my life so I do have a bias towards it but it is still my favorite all-around place in Texas. I live in the north suburbs of Dallas (Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, Addison, Carrollton, etc.). All of our big cities and metroplexes in Texas suffer from the same problem - rapid population growth so the traffic is only getting worse in every city but Dallas (including the surrounding suburbs) seems to still be tolerable. What is nice about DFW is that it puts a lot of places easily within reach. DFW airport is American Airline's main hub and Love Field airport is Southwest Airline's main hub so you can fly to just about anywhere direct. Oklahoma is only an hour North, East Texas (with several nice tracks) is only 1.5-2 hours East, Decatur (with a couple of nice tracks) is only an hour West, Austin is 2.5-3 hours South on I-35E and Houston is 3.5 hours South on I-45. We've got a lot of great places to eat, hang out, shop, live, go to school, play sports, lakes, bicycle etc. What we don't have in DFW are big hills. It isn't literally flat and you can still find some elevation but you don't get a lot of "Wow, that is pretty" feelings driving around the metroplex like you can in other places.

But I don't know why I just typed all of that out. Too many people are moving here. It's driving our home values way up and we've got fairly high property taxes since we don't have a state income tax so I feel like it would be in my best interest to start telling people how terrible Dallas is...
Thanks chopper, for this post.
It helps snow birds from up north.

We stay at 3-Palms often and always spend time at Oak Hill.
Great folks running them, great dirt and facilities make these fun.

Yet to try the tracks east of Dallas. Drove by Swan mid week last winter and it looks sweet!
Pirate421
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Pirate421 11/10/2015 7:29am
11/10/2015 7:29am
Don't go any farther south than San Antonio. Go to Austin, Houston or DFW would be the best but there is nothing in SA, or south of Houston. Basically make a triangle with Austin, Houston, and Dallas and I wouldn't deviate out of that triangle
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/10/2015 8:19am
11/10/2015 8:19am Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 8:20am
I was amazed that 96% of Texas is private land. I have just found out about that. I would think that finding open places that you can freeride for miles like you can in AZ would be a problem. Is that true?
kunk
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kunk 11/10/2015 8:25am
11/10/2015 8:25am
I worked in AZ for a while and Texas is not like that. You can't just pull over on the side of the road and start riding. There are a few places that you pay to ride. 20$ to ride and camp. The temp is not 120 in the summer in TX either
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/10/2015 8:27am
11/10/2015 8:27am
kunk wrote:
I worked in AZ for a while and Texas is not like that. You can't just pull over on the side of the road and start...
I worked in AZ for a while and Texas is not like that. You can't just pull over on the side of the road and start riding. There are a few places that you pay to ride. 20$ to ride and camp. The temp is not 120 in the summer in TX either
You can or can't pull off the road to ride in TX?

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731chopper
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731chopper 11/10/2015 8:45am
11/10/2015 8:45am Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 8:46am
mikemxbike4 wrote:
You can or can't pull off the road to ride in TX?
You cannot in Texas. There is some public land meant for hiking, camping, etc. but almost if not all of these outlaw motorized vehicles. You'd think with how big Texas is that we'd have a lot of open to the public land for off-road recreational use but we really don't. Not in North Texas at least. There are some private off-road parks but I haven't ridden anything but MX since I was a kid so I'm not a good resource for information about those places.

This is probably the most popular place for off-road. http://www.redrivermotorcycletrails.com
kunk
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kunk 11/10/2015 9:11am
11/10/2015 9:11am
The vegetation in Texas hurts a lot less to crash into also
Spydee
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Spydee 11/10/2015 9:21am
11/10/2015 9:21am
Last time I was in San Antonio I was informed that there were ZERO tracks in the area.
Moto Mofo
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Moto Mofo 11/10/2015 10:12am
11/10/2015 10:12am
mikemxbike4 wrote:
I was amazed that 96% of Texas is private land. I have just found out about that. I would think that finding open places that you...
I was amazed that 96% of Texas is private land. I have just found out about that. I would think that finding open places that you can freeride for miles like you can in AZ would be a problem. Is that true?
This is the point I was going to make. Definitely not a bunch of open, public land that can be ridden here like in AZ. Very limited.
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/10/2015 10:28am
11/10/2015 10:28am Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 10:30am
mikemxbike4 wrote:
I was amazed that 96% of Texas is private land. I have just found out about that. I would think that finding open places that you...
I was amazed that 96% of Texas is private land. I have just found out about that. I would think that finding open places that you can freeride for miles like you can in AZ would be a problem. Is that true?
Moto Mofo wrote:
This is the point I was going to make. Definitely not a bunch of open, public land that can be ridden here like in AZ. Very...
This is the point I was going to make. Definitely not a bunch of open, public land that can be ridden here like in AZ. Very limited.
Thats a damn shame. BUT TX does circles around AZ as far as engineering job oportunities and stable economy, which is why I started looking into moving there. Colorado may be on my list of states to move to as well
Andrew337
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Andrew337 11/10/2015 1:51pm
11/10/2015 1:51pm Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 1:52pm
mikemxbike4 wrote:
My ifdea of the weekend is some goid hiking/freeriding/mountain biking. Nightlife/ social scene are important as well. I do want to pick a place that has...
My ifdea of the weekend is some goid hiking/freeriding/mountain biking. Nightlife/ social scene are important as well. I do want to pick a place that has that good otutdoor activity options within a 1hr of driving if possible. Right now I'm torn between Texas and Arizona (Phoenix area)but Texas seems to have a much better job market and economy. Great responses so far though! Keep em coming!
I grew up just north of DFW (Denton) and now live right in the heart of DFW. There is year-round off-road racing in the area, and a handful of very nice MX tracks that have series and races regularly.If you are in to mountain biking, the area has a very strong cross-country mountain bike scene, with Dallas Off-Road Bicycling Association (DORBA) trails all over the metroplex. I don't even know of any public riding areas, most everything is private land as others have mentioned.
mikemxbike4
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mikemxbike4 11/10/2015 3:16pm
11/10/2015 3:16pm Edited Date/Time 11/10/2015 3:19pm
mikemxbike4 wrote:
My ifdea of the weekend is some goid hiking/freeriding/mountain biking. Nightlife/ social scene are important as well. I do want to pick a place that has...
My ifdea of the weekend is some goid hiking/freeriding/mountain biking. Nightlife/ social scene are important as well. I do want to pick a place that has that good otutdoor activity options within a 1hr of driving if possible. Right now I'm torn between Texas and Arizona (Phoenix area)but Texas seems to have a much better job market and economy. Great responses so far though! Keep em coming!
Andrew337 wrote:
I grew up just north of DFW (Denton) and now live right in the heart of DFW. There is year-round off-road racing in the area, and...
I grew up just north of DFW (Denton) and now live right in the heart of DFW. There is year-round off-road racing in the area, and a handful of very nice MX tracks that have series and races regularly.If you are in to mountain biking, the area has a very strong cross-country mountain bike scene, with Dallas Off-Road Bicycling Association (DORBA) trails all over the metroplex. I don't even know of any public riding areas, most everything is private land as others have mentioned.
I'm ok with having to pay a reasonable fee to freeride/trail ride somewhere as long as there are more than just a few options. Is that the case in TX or do you have to know people ? As far as MX, i just want an area with big/fun jumps
Suns_PSD
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Suns_PSD 11/10/2015 7:58pm
11/10/2015 7:58pm
mikemxbike4 wrote:
You can or can't pull off the road to ride in TX?
The land was all given to settlers 200 years ago. There is essentially no free riding in TX.
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kunk 11/11/2015 5:07am
11/11/2015 5:07am
If you like big jumps TX Moto tracks are the place for you. You do not have to know anyone to ride at the areas. You have the red river motorcycle trails, rocky ridge, and a few other areas. The Moto tracks are fast with big jumps. At least around DFW

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