Name: Hamilton Greenbelt & Hurst Hollow Preserve
Rating: 4.4

“A beautiful scenic ride highlighting the best of the Hamilton Greenbelt and Hurst Hollow Preserve.”

— Donovan Acker

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Overview

The Hamilton Greenbelt has been around since 1990. It has matured over the years to become a first class trail network. Hamilton Greenbelt Trail Network, including Hurst Creek Preserve, offers several miles of both developed and primitive trails that wander along Hurst and Yaupon Creeks.

This Featured Ride routes you through all the highlights and different terrains the greenbelt has to offer. You'll see waterfalls, make multiple creek crossings (in wet times), and get great views of Lake Travis at the far end of the route.

Need to Know

The best time of year to do this ride is when the finger creeks are up and flowing. When the water fills the finger creeks, the sound of the flowing water and mini-waterfall features fills the trail system...making for a great experience and a lot more photo ops. The finger creeks are mild collection streams, easily crossable, and usually not more than 10 or 12 feet wide with short bridges or natural crossovers. Doing this ride in summer when the creeks are dry is a completely different experience from wet months, but still well worth it!

60 to 70% of this ride has all-day shade. Most of the sun exposure is on the first and last bit of the ride along Hamilton Greenbelt I & II Trails.

Description

Starting off at the Lohman's Crossing parking lot and main trailhead, you'll have a nice easy ride down the Hamilton Greenbelt I Trail. A little less than half a mile into the ride, you'll come across a very popular waterfall area for a nice photo op. For the best view and photo op of the waterfall, you'll need to get off your bike and walk down a small path to the lower level of the waterfall along the creek.

The Hamilton Greenbelt I Trail will meet up with the Hurst Hollow Connector. At that point, you'll be moving onto wooded singletrack trails for the next couple miles.

Following the Hurst Hollow Trail and Hurst Hollow Loop Trail, you'll have a chance to see some great views of Hurst Creek, Hurst Hollow, and Lake Travis.

On the return portion of the ride, you'll come back through the heart of the 'primitive' trails area via Hurst Hollow Trail, Squires Trail, Clubhouse Trail, and Palos Verdes Trail. Some nice out-of-the-way picnic areas and 'hang out' spots are located in here.

After that, you'll be on Hamilton Greenbelt II Trail and an easier gravel road that follows Yaupon Creek for a while before connecting back to Hamilton Greenbelt I Trail for the remainder of the ride back to your car.