Where to Ride for Free? [Archive]

Mike in Clear Lake

03-07-2008, 07:28 PM

I'd like the names of some places where I can ride off-road and not go to a paid for track or park and be inundated with other riders. And it seems that during the week these places don't open until late afternoon.

So far all I have really gotten from this site is the free Hwy 87 beach ride. I'm not looking for MX, just anything that is a dirt road, trail, etc.

Did we have to pave everything that's a public road?:thpt:

Can we put up a list?

Jack Giesecke

03-07-2008, 07:43 PM

There is a public riding area at Somerville that I've ridden. It's tight and can be muddy, ruts, and has some hills to jump. It's kinda fun, but only on maybe 20 acres at most, probably more like 10. The trees get pretty tight there, too. It's much easier on a small displacement bike than something like a DRz400.

Mike in Clear Lake

03-07-2008, 07:46 PM

Thanks Jack. I'm a 250cc type of guy. Gotta map link?

MusicMan754

03-07-2008, 07:48 PM

I'll add to this question. How about anywhere in Texas? I'd love to riding in dirt sometimes, but I don't know where.

Mike in Clear Lake

03-07-2008, 07:58 PM

I'll add to this question. How about anywhere in Texas? I'd love to riding in dirt sometimes, but I don't know where.

Yep, anywhere in Texas is good, or even LA, OK, NM. Let's get a list with some map links going.

Jack Giesecke

03-07-2008, 07:59 PM

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/somerville/Recreation/Off-road%20Vehicle.asp

Hemibee

03-08-2008, 01:44 PM

Be sure to get one of these before you go off road in public lands...

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/ohv/index.phtml

Map to Yegua
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&lat=30.29657&lon=-96.538417&mag=1&q1=30.29657,-96.538417

or
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.29657,-96.538417&ie=UTF8&ll=30.297981,-96.538582&spn=0.008485,0.014291&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr

rjones

03-09-2008, 09:23 PM

Try the Canadian river on hiway 287 about 20 miles north of Amarillo. It's called the Rosita recreation area. It's big but I don't know how many acres.

Roger

Dirtrideroader

03-09-2008, 10:06 PM

Be sure to get one of these before you go off road in public lands...

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/ohv/index.phtml

Is this required only of vehicles that are not licensed, or any vehicle that goes off road?

ed29

03-09-2008, 10:14 PM

360 is still there, you have to know where to park though. It is a busy place with 4X4s and custom buggies on most weekends, so you have to be on alert. Be advised that it is a huge mudfest after any rain.

TxSandman

03-10-2008, 12:21 AM

You're pretty close to Pelican Island, do you know where that is?

Hemibee

03-10-2008, 06:38 AM

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/ohv/index.phtml

Is this required only of vehicles that are not licensed, or any vehicle that goes off road?

All vehicles, licensed or non-licensed, used off road in or on public lands require the sticker.

All vehicles include motorcycles, dune buggies, kwads, 4X4's or other wheeled vehicles. It is not limited to just bikes and kwads.

Mike in Clear Lake

03-10-2008, 06:39 AM

You're pretty close to Pelican Island, do you know where that is?

Oh yeah!

thumper

03-10-2008, 10:39 AM

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/ohv/index.html I rode in Kisatchie NF this weekend. The Vernon Unit is 175 miles from Humble.

Plenty of trails and dirt roads.:rider:

ed29

03-10-2008, 01:09 PM

Be sure to get one of these before you go off road in public lands...

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/ohv/index.phtml

Yeah.... good luck getting one. None of the 'Where to buy" locations in Tarrant County carry them anymore, and the clerk at the TPWD office in Fort Worth claimed to know nothing about it until I pointed out the information packet on her own desk. Even then they do not sell the stickers at their own office. I would be happy to comply and buy the stickers for my bikes, but the issuing agency does not even sell them.

Squeaky

03-10-2008, 02:50 PM

I need a new sticker. If they have them here, I'll pick up a few extrea to mail off to you folks that are having trouble.

Greasemonkey

03-12-2008, 07:27 AM

I need a new sticker. If they have them here, I'll pick up a few extrea to mail off to you folks that are having trouble.

Speaking of stickers?????I have mail problems or should I say mailwoman problems[stuff goes to neighbors].Did you ever get my addy and stuff.

Squeaky

03-12-2008, 09:53 AM

Speaking of stickers?????I have mail problems or should I say mailwoman problems[stuff goes to neighbors].Did you ever get my addy and stuff.

Ack! I haven't made yours yet. :doh:

Teeds

03-13-2008, 02:45 PM

I need a new sticker. If they have them here, I'll pick up a few extrea to mail off to you folks that are having trouble.

We sell 80~100 every weekend at Barnwell Mountain RA.

It is not free to ride there though ... but there are never more than a dozen bikes.

Squeaky

03-13-2008, 02:46 PM

I picked up three yesterday. One for me, Elzi gets first dibbs on the others.

BatCountry

08-15-2008, 08:22 PM

you can no longer ride at Yegua. The ORV area has been closed due to excessive vandalism. Nice -i never got to ride it even once.:miffed:

Cagiva 549

08-15-2008, 08:30 PM

You didn't miss much , did they close it to riders and make it a full time trash dump . SEYA

BatCountry

08-15-2008, 09:10 PM

heh, heh, no kidding huh? I have read the comments on the place being overrun by beer swilling ATV lummox but i thought that maybe that would be part of the adventure. :party: :suicide:
maybe not the adventure i really want

Hemibee

08-15-2008, 09:35 PM

The place was tore up by the kwads several years ago. Was at one time a good place for a new rider but that was 5 years ago.

jollyroger75243

05-18-2009, 10:41 AM

San Angelo is free (Twin Buttes). Nice little trail system maintained by locals.
TX off-road stickers are at almost every bike shop I've been to.

gixxerjasen

05-18-2009, 11:49 AM

Yeah.... good luck getting one. None of the 'Where to buy" locations in Tarrant County carry them anymore, and the clerk at the TPWD office in Fort Worth claimed to know nothing about it until I pointed out the information packet on her own desk. Even then they do not sell the stickers at their own office. I would be happy to comply and buy the stickers for my bikes, but the issuing agency does not even sell them.Check out Trophy Club. I got mine there a few months back.

leadwolf

05-18-2009, 04:23 PM

Try this one: TX Tracks (http://www.txtracks.com/Links.cfm) Make sure you click on the first link. It will show a google map with pins.

and this one: Trail Source (http://www.trailsource.com/scripts/three.asp?STATENAME=Texas&TYPE=DIRT)

swaanimal

05-28-2009, 05:53 PM

Yeah.... good luck getting one. None of the 'Where to buy" locations in Tarrant County carry them anymore, and the clerk at the TPWD office in Fort Worth claimed to know nothing about it until I pointed out the information packet on her own desk. Even then they do not sell the stickers at their own office. I would be happy to comply and buy the stickers for my bikes, but the issuing agency does not even sell them.

I've had pretty good luck finding the stickers at Tuckers Motorcycle Supply in Roanoke: http://www.tucmoto.com/

tjrockit

01-07-2010, 01:06 PM

Emma Long Motorcycle Park in Austin

http://doi.contentdirections.com/mr/trails.jsp/10.2126/BGS082-029

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Emma+Long+Motorcycle+Park&ie=UTF8&hq=Emma+Long+Motorcycle+Park&hnear=McNeil,+TX&z=11&iwloc=A&cid=7939127338684071132

It is right off of city Park Rd just south of 2222.

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Austin,+Travis,+Texas &ll=30.34688,-97.805443&spn=0.072885,0.118361&z=14&output=embed"></iframe>

Click here to go to Google Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Austin,+Travis,+Texas&ll=30.34688,-97.805443&spn=0.072885,0.118361&z=14)