Houston has a few bike riding tracks not too far from the city centre. The type of places which are great for day-tripping or camping.
Most dirt bike riders in Houston city head for Sam Houston National Forest most weekends. This place gets seriously busy so we recommend going mid-week where there will be 80% fewer people. Avoid this area during national and state holidays too as the region gets full of mountain bikers as well as hikers and 4×4 enthusiasts.
Best Houston Dirt Bike Trails
Frontaer had to look around to really find where people were riding. We wanted to find some tracks that weren’t MX-focused because, while closed-circuit racing is awesome, many riders are into recreational riding and enduro racing. Even dual-sport riders are looking for adventure rides in the state.
Editor’s Note: You will need a Texas OHV Sticker to enter most riding areas in the entire state. This means you’ll be legal and won’t be hassled by the ranger or state trooper.
These are Houston’s dirt bike riding trails:
1. Sam Houston National Forest
There are 3 areas within Sam Houston National Forest for dirt bike riders to explore. You can take the East, West or Northwest Side. You’ll find dozens of miles of single trail and some double track under a good forest canopy. There are some camping areas too though you’re only an hour from home in most cases, so most people do a day-trip here. This spot gets real busy on weekends.
2. Mud Buddys Recreation Area
Mud Buddy’s is an awesome recretion area and very popular with ATV’s. Most people don’t realize that there is some good dirt bike trails here, though the actual area is quite minimal. They are closed on Mondays so keep this in mind. You’ll probably get bored here within a few hours of riding, so you can swing a rope from the Lavaca River and do some swimming, or watch the 4×4’s in the deep mud pits.
3. Three Palms Extreme Sports Park
Three Palms have 3 great motocross tracks and a supercross track too. Got kids? Then they’ll appreciate the 2 popular PeeWee tracks. There are lights on the main track so you can ride in the evening if you want to avoid the daytime crowds.
4. Splendora Motocross Park
Splendora is simply one track but seriously long! It’s almost 2 miles long and you’ll be trying to beat your personal best on each lap. While you might be an enduro rider who isn’t into MX, you can certainly use Splendora MX Park to improve your skills. Aim for a mid-week ride here if you want to avoid every other dude from the city on weekends.
Getting Started
There you have it! The city has some really good spots that you can get to in just 1 hour.
There is a popular Facebook group in Houston that has a lot of chatter with other riders organizing group rides especially in the national forest. Likewise they also do some trips out of state or into other areas within Texas. It’s the best place to find some new friends who share your same passion behind the handlebars.