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Neighborhood Trails

09.02.2014 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs in the 1950s (Yes, I’m old). Back then, streets were laid out in a grid pattern, and blocks of houses went on and on. Of course, streets were for cars to get to and from the houses. Bikes were what kids rode to each other’s house, and to the baseball diamond, but rarely more than a couple of miles at a time. Even though we were well out of the big city, we were in an environment that was more urban than not.

Now, I’m in the suburbs again, even though my neighborhood is within the Austin city limits. But boy, is it a different feeling than the 1950s Chicago suburbs.

Less than a mile from my house is a large metropolitan park. It’s known for its large number of soccer fields, but it has playgrounds for kids and a disc golf course — and trails.

They’re multi-use trails, popular with hikers and people walking dogs. But mountain bikes have made them home.

The other day, I set off to ride some of these trails. I wanted to get some mountain bike miles in after several days of road riding.

After heading east in the metro park, I reached a small subdivision. I crossed it in a matter of minutes, and set out for another subdivision just a half mile away.

It’s called Bauerle Ranch. It was built in about 2005, so is relatively new — even around here. But for me, the neat thing about Bauerle Ranch is its trail network.

Bauerle Ranch from Google Maps. Most of the major trails are marked.
Bauerle Ranch from Google Maps. Most of the major trails are marked. (Click to enlarge.)
Riding the streets of the development, you'd never know a nifty trail network is close by.
Riding the streets of the development, you’d never know a nifty trail network is close by.

We enter Bauerle Ranch from the northwest corner, and immediately have a choice of two trails. Bird’s Nest goes off to the left, and skirts the north side of the development. Cactus Ridge goes off to the right, and takes the rider down the west side to the south end. They’re criss-crossed by other, shorter trails that give the biker lots of options to add mileage while not straying too far.

In some spots, the trails are a bit rough, laced with rock gardens of varying difficulty. In other spots, the singletrack widens to a nice two-abreast trail — not at all challenging to ride, but a nice respite from some twisty bits.

A slightly wider part of the trail. The rocks are no bother here.
A slightly wider part of the trail. The rocks are no bother here.
Trail running is popular. I made way for several runners during my ride.
Trail running is popular. I made way for several runners during my ride.

The west side of the park is in a creek valley, and the trails crossing to the east go up increasingly steep hills. The mountain biker has a challenge making it to the top, fighting a combination of a grade and the loose rocks that litter the trail.

The concrete culvert in the background takes the cyclist across the usually dry Elm Waterhole from Cactus Ridge Trail to Slaughter Creek Trail.
The concrete culvert in the background takes the cyclist across the usually dry Elm Waterhole from Coyote Run Trail to Slaughter Creek Trail.

It doesn’t take too long to make a circuit of Bauerle Ranch. I did it in a little over a half hour, including a rest stop at a convenient bench along the trail. But it’s a worthwhile destination for a mountain bike, and it provides relief from the increasingly congested and bike-unfriendly roads in our area. As more developments spring up in our growing city, here’s hoping the developers incorporate trail systems like this one.

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Categories // Rides Tags // bike trail, mountain bike

Comments

  1. Rick Ankrum says

    September 2, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    I live in Kingwood in the northeast part of Houston. We have over 70 miles of greenbelt trails. I ride them on my mountain bike but they are almost all paved. There are a few places along the bayou/drainage ditches with dirt. Not like the trails you describe though. Your post is very interesting.

    Reply
    • Bike Noob says

      September 3, 2014 at 7:59 am

      Thanks, Rick. I enjoy seeing where other people ride, and I thought I’d add my take. Austin might be only 180 miles from Houston, but our terrain is more rugged.

      Reply
  2. pat says

    September 3, 2014 at 9:40 pm

    The baurle area has really grown up. I have ridden parts of these trails since 2000 when the builder(milburn) gave the city the land for the park. A lot of it was in flood areas so this gave the neighborhood a distinctive shape! There were mainly jeep trails
    at that time.
    This group has cut a lot of the baurle trails
    https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SCIAPA/info
    You might want to try the Southland oaks park next time
    you are in the area. Trail head is off Onion Hollow Run. It has
    two loops and is fast singletrack.
    We are really blessed in sw austin with a amazing network
    of mtb trails.

    Reply
    • Bike Noob says

      September 4, 2014 at 5:17 am

      Thanks, Pat! I will.

      Reply

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