Park Road 4, TX [Archive]

buck000

08-08-2003, 11:46 PM

What: Park Road 4 is a fun little roller-coaster of a road. The surface is very nice, with little to no junk in your way as you motor by Ink's Lake. The road has a lot of 35 mph turns and, unfortunately, a fair number of RVs snailishly maneuvering through those bends, especially around the state park entrance, or on weekends, of course.

The western end of the road is pretty straight, with the some nice up/down sections. Travelling eastward, it gets a bit more curvy.

Where: P4 is located between highways 281 and 29. The intersection at 281 is just a few miles north of Marble Falls. The intersection with 29 is just a few (boring) miles east of Llano, where you can grab some Cooper's barbecue (http://www.coopersbbq.com/home.asp) (yum) after enjoying P4. ;)

Designation: P for Park Road.

Roll the vid, Bubba:
Windows Media Player 9 (http://www.bitsof.info/us/tx/PR4Hi.wmv) (software (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/player.aspx))
QuickTime 6.3 (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/PR4Med.mov) (QT software (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/))

VFRinAustin

08-09-2003, 10:36 AM

8) Great road Paul, but who is that cool rider out front of you :angel: hehehe

buck000

08-09-2003, 01:36 PM

I think it was a real friendly guy, who is a silver addict... ;)

arcangel

08-09-2003, 07:54 PM

Schweeet. Saw your posting on s-t.net, and thought "I've never actually heard a Futura"--sounds sweet. Can't wait for this heat to leave so I can try to get down there again to hit some of the hill country's best.

:chug:

chad

buck000

08-09-2003, 08:23 PM

chad,

hehehe, I like the sound. Gonna like it even more when a replacement for the collector can becomes available. here's how the prototype sounds: rowrrr (http://www.af1racing.com/03forumpics/hpipero.WMV). Soon, it'll sound almost as good as a Viffer. ;)

AggieVFR

08-09-2003, 08:53 PM

Soon, it'll sound almost as good as a Viffer. ;)

Sounds pretty darn good! :-D I sure like the sound of my VFR with the full system better than the stock stuff. The left exit pipe makes it where the wheel is fully exposed just like on your Futura. Nice. 8)

buck000

08-13-2003, 06:19 PM

Added QuickTime version of the vid, see first post.

Mittster

08-23-2003, 12:58 AM

Just to let you all know a group I was in went down this road a week ago. We stopped at the little store after making a run and the park ranger caught up to us. He stated that there had be several wrecks on the road and that they have a no tolerance policy now. If you are going 10mph or over you will be taking to jail. So becarefull and watch for them while riding the road, I know I will keep my eye out for them but I am still going to enjoy the road.

scratch

12-20-2003, 08:42 AM

I got stopped for doing 70 on a 55 mph section of PR4 a little over a year ago and got off with a warning from the county-mounty. Nice guy, really - he motioned me to keep my helmet on when he rolled up next to me. Told me that there had been a number of bikers going down around there and he just wanted me to be careful. Maybe I wouldn't have been so lucky a few months later...

If you're ever on PR4 after a strong rain, you might be in for a treat. Early last spring, I was there about 12 hours after a deluge hit the area, and all the streams had become swollen with run-off, and one of them had formed a pretty impressive cascading waterfall a short distance off the road. A Kodak moment for sure, but no camera! :roll: :wink:

HotChickenStrips

12-20-2003, 08:29 PM

Whew!! nice road!! And your bike sounds grea Buck!! Nice bug splatter too!! :P

By the way,i was using headphones when I watched the video, the wind noise mademe dizzy!! :oops:

Anonymous

09-12-2004, 10:17 AM

love park road 4 espeacilly since i live a few miles from it.

Anonymous

12-17-2004, 12:57 PM

I just wanted to mention the castle that is visible while riding on that road. Yes, it appears to be a actual castle. If you're westbound on PR4 it'll be on your right. Does anyone know who that belongs to? A Dellionaire? Very cool, but it can be hard to get a clear view with all the trees in the way.

Zbassman

03-04-2005, 03:58 PM

I rode PR4 with a group of Volusia riders last year. We rode out 1431 to MF then up to PR4. Great ride. Very beautiful area, great scenery and a really nice road to ride. Plus Coopers has pretty decent bbq!

Chris Mitchell

09-17-2005, 11:31 PM

I love Park Road 4, but it was the setting for a friend of mine to have a bad wreck and ended up with a broken neck and a quad on a Honda Fi a couple of years ago. The road begs to be ridden fast of course, have ridden it both ways on several occasions just for the fun of it. The store you mentioned that also has a restraunt attached to it has great hamburgers to offer. Problem with P-4 is that recently too many riders have been hurt or killed on that road and the powers that be have reduced the EMS services available on it, so if you go down you might end up waiting a long time for help to arrive. My FJR Yammie loves this road .

DaveC

09-20-2005, 10:51 AM

There are several turn offs that you need to stop at one over looks Devils Hole, This is a bottomless pit, the caverns open up below it. The other is a roadside park at the top of the hill. In the video the Devil Hole turn out is on the right in the video @ 1:49 the other is @4:36 this is a blind exit. You can not see any oncoming traffic coming outof the rest area. Very dangerous. The time from 3:51 to 4:38 is all up hill with a nice view off to your right. The rock wall is not a break away so try to avoid it.
Great video BTW, for those wanting to know this is the Highway 29 entrance from LLano, if you stay on 29 the best part is between the Park Road 4 entrance and Burnet.
These roads have multiple hazards as menioned: RV, partiers from lake, wild life (deer, skunk, possum, coyote, dogs and dillos and don't forget your road kill diner the buzzard) as much as I like the roads around the highland lakes they have become way to dangerous for me to exceed the speed limit by more than 10.

whoa

01-03-2006, 02:06 PM

they have a no tolerance policy now. If you are going 10mph or over you will be taking to jail.

I was through there yesterday, and read this and another post on CF after the fact.

Any lawyers here? I thought in Texas an officer could not instanter arrest on speeding. That may still be the case, the poster on CF said they were cited for unsafe speed, which may be to get around the issue. Although they were released with a citation.

Another poster there said the speed limit in one section was 35mph. The lowest limit I noticed was 50mph, but frankly I wasn't observing all the warning signs, as required by law.

What a beautiful area, I understand why some drivers bump into one another on that highway.

buck000

01-03-2006, 03:40 PM

I thought in Texas an officer could not instanter arrest on speeding.

Wasn't there a new, quite vague 'racing law' that went into effect a year or so ago? So, if two riders are doing a 'brisk pace' together, the officer can arrest both riders, and impound both bikes... Happened to some CycleForum folks on 1431 soon after the law went into effect...

bluedogok

01-03-2006, 04:46 PM

buck000

01-03-2006, 04:55 PM

Falkenstein Castle (http://www.falkensteincastle.com/) built in the 90's, 1990's that is.

Is that pronounced Falken-stine or Falken-shteen... ;)

Janet

01-03-2006, 05:03 PM

Is that pronounced Falken-stine or Falken-shteen... ;)
Eye-gor :lol2:

Gilk51

01-03-2006, 07:27 PM

Is that pronounced Falken-stine or Falken-shteen... ;)
Fahlken-shtine...

skrap1r0n

02-01-2006, 12:59 PM

PR4 is without a doubt my favorite road in Texas. There is no contest.

scratch

02-01-2006, 05:29 PM

PR4 is without a doubt my favorite road in Texas. There is no contest.
It's also my favorite road in that part of Texas. Have you ridden FM 1341 from Comfort to Kerrville? How 'bout Hwy 55 north of Camp Wood? Or Hwy 118 north out of Fort Davis? None of them are as tight and technical as PR4, but man-oh-man, are they ever FUN! :thumb:

bdropped

02-27-2006, 04:11 PM

i live by pr4 it is a nice place to ride. but i went to eastern tennessee last fall all i could say was wow i wish we had some roads like that here. :rider:

Cherioer

03-05-2006, 03:00 AM

Made park road today and it was quite nice.

Had the wife with though so we left lots of pipe along the right handers.

I just wanted to mention the castle that is visible while riding on that road. Yes, it appears to be a actual castle. If you're westbound on PR4 it'll be on your right. Does anyone know who that belongs to? A Dellionaire? Very cool, but it can be hard to get a clear view with all the trees in the way.

It is a castle which my wife says can be rented from wedding.
Supposedly it was on some wedding show not to long ago.(Looked it up and its bridezilla. That would explain why I was far away when it was on.)

Its the Falkenstein Castle (http://www.falkensteincastle.com/) and here your answer to who built it.
Q. Who lives in the Castle?
A. Terry and Kim Young the builders of the Castle live in the Castle year round. The Castle was not built as a commercial enterprise but the Young’s want to share their beautiful project with the public at least in some limited way. What could have been better than Fairytale weddings.

Cherioer

03-06-2006, 01:40 PM

picture added.

blackhawk

03-11-2006, 05:41 PM

I will be riding this tomorrow! Thanks eveyone for the tips on what to look for.
Hope that there wont be too many RV's!

SKEETER

06-16-2006, 04:24 PM

Totaled my 2003 interceptor on PR4 Dec 30, 2005, when a truck pulling a trailer crossed my lane infront of inks park entrance.
but i still love the road and ride it with my new bike.
Husky 610sm.

fergy

08-22-2006, 02:39 PM

I live just a few hundred yards off of Park Road 4 and ride it every day. I take it for granted I guess, but it is a real nice ride. Biggest danger is the intersection going East just before you start climbing Backbone Ridge out of Hoover's Valley. 2341 takes off to the Right at a Y in the road heading toward Kingsland. If you are coming down the hill from the other direction, be warned! Many locals don't stop at that stop sign coming from Kingsland. Also, if you're going East through that intersection, drivers get confused waiting at the stop sign and will pull right out in front of you if you are staying on P4 to go up the hill. I've gotten into a habit of signaling my intentions either direction, and basically looking out for my life there. I've had countless close calls there, mostly in my truck or car.

Dirtrideroader

08-22-2006, 05:47 PM

PR4 is without a doubt my favorite road in Texas. There is no contest.

I have ridden it on bikes and bicycles. More fun on motorcycles. As for my favorite road in Texas though, I would have to say River Road west of Lajitas is probably my favorite of the roads I have been on.

Another case of lots of scenery and curves causes lots of accidents.