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The Great Escape Loop

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Intermediate
 4.1 (30) RECOMMENDED ROUTE
  1. Areas
  2. TX
  3. …Central Texas
  4. …Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
  5. Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area
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“A great intermediate ride that has a nice mix of hardpack singletrack and some fun, short, rocky, and rooty sections. ”

Donovan Acker
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6.3

Miles

10.2

KM

95%

Singletrack

808' 246 m

High

702' 214 m

Low

333' 101 m

Up

329' 100 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

7%

Max Grade (4°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Family Friendly Great camping, well-marked trails, easy water/swimming access, nicely spread out and uncrowded.

Overview

A great intermediate ride that has a nice mix of hardpack singletrack and some fun, bumpy sections with some additional add-on sections for more advanced riders or those wanting to add more technical bits to their ride.

Need to Know

The main parking lot right at the entrance to the park has very nice bathrooms, water, and shaded area with tables. The entrance fee to the park is posted at the entrance ($5/adult, kids 12 and under free)...and it's an 'honor system'. There is a box at the entrance where you self register, get a window tag for your car, and drop your money in the 'honor pay box' ;) CASH ONLY.

For full details on the park, click here.

Description

This ride is a single seven-mile trail loop called "The Great Escape" (as indicated on the trailhead sign and markers along the way). It is very well-marked with very visible signs each quarter mile indicating current mileage distance from the trailhead (very helpful!).

Along the ride, there are three or four black diamond add-on sections, which you can include to add another three miles to the ride. Completely optional, and well-marked.

As well, there are park roads and multi-use trails conveniently accessible at various points along the ride if you need to bail out back to the parking lot or shorten your ride.

Local middle school and high school mountain biking teams regularly practice here as well, so you'll often see young riders session-ing parts of the trail and honing their skills.

The ride is straightforward:
  • Enter through the main entrance and grab a spot in the parking lot immediately visible as you enter the park.
  • The trailhead and info board for "The Great Escape" trail are right off the parking lot.
  • The trail is designed to be ridden clockwise (the trail signs along the ride are marked only on the side facing clockwise riders).

Contacts

Local Club: Austin Ridge Riders (ARR)

Land Manager: Lower Colorado River Association - Parks

Shared By:

Donovan Acker
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.1 from 30 votes

#1

in Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area

#612

Overall
  4.1 from 30 votes
5 Star
27%
4 Star
57%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
3%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Muleshoe Bend Recreati…

#21

in Texas

#612

Overall
140 Views Last Month
8,327 Since Jul 16, 2014
Intermediate
0%
0%
71%
17%
13%
0%
Add a Photo

Photos

Afternoon ride at Muleshoe Bend...
Jan 21, 2018 near Spicewood, TX
Most of the terrain looks like this here.
Oct 21, 2017 near Spicewood, TX
Gnarly climb over babyheads on a rigid sled.
Oct 21, 2017 near Spicewood, TX
One of the rock climb sections on this trail
Aug 5, 2018 near Spicewood, TX
Nice smooth covered section of the trail towards the start.
Aug 5, 2018 near Spicewood, TX
Main trail is marked by green; the 'harder' sections that loop off and back to the main are marked with blue.
Oct 21, 2017 near Spicewood, TX

4 Comments

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Weather

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Check-Ins

Dec 4, 2020
Richard Schmiedeke
Trail is under rated. Should be a blue/black. Has quite a few rock ledges without defined lines. Lots of fun blue level singletrack with lots of rock 7.2mi
Nov 23, 2020
Miles Robinson
Check out campsite area great view 9mi — 1h 30m
Sep 20, 2020
Emily Cowles
Sep 6, 2020
Mickaella Castañeda
May 24, 2020
Jacob Ciha
10mi
Nov 5, 2019
Matthew Shepard
quick ride 3.5mi
Jul 4, 2019
Claus Dieter
5.4mi — 0h 57m
Jun 29, 2019
Nathan Verdonk
7.3mi — 2h 00m

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