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Level: Intermediate
Length: 12 mi (19.3 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Out & Back
Elevation: +277/ -259 ft
Total: 131 riders
Mountain Biking Knob Hills Grapevine Lake
#25 of 279 mountain bike trails in Texas
Intermediate level trail with a mix of terrain and a variety of technical trail features throughout. Some Rocks, Roots, Gravel, Short Climbs and Descents. rnThis trail offers it all. From flat out "put your head down and fly" to rocky ascents and descents. Every surface type is available here,from hardened smooth clay to rocky and all in between. rnSince 2016 this trail is comprised of 6 loops and all One Way. Short tough climbs and a lot of technical mixed throughout.rn Managed by the ACOE in partnership with D.O.R.B.A. The Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association
Loop 1 - 2.8 Miles
Loop 2 - 1.8 Miles
Loop 3 - 2.8 Miles
Loop 4 - 3.3 Miles
Loop 5 - .6 Miles
Loop 6 - 1.9 Miles
First added by blakeovard on Jul 18, 2007. Last updated Apr 30, 2020. → add an update
Before you go
- Drinking water: unknown
- Lift service: unknown
- Night riding: unknown
- Pump track: unknown
- Restrooms: unknown
- Fat bike grooming: unknown
- E-bikes allowed: unknown
- Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
Take 114 to 377. Turn north on 377 and start looking for a small dirt parking lot and the trailhead on the east side of the road. If you get to FM 1171 you have gone to far and you need to turn around and go .4 miles back. Just up the road on FM 1171 is the Northshore Trail.
This trail is a series of loops in which the further out you go, the further you have to come back. It is very well marked and difficult to get lost.
The way out is very easy flat hardpack with the exception of a few rock gardens and hills, mostly on loop 4. The way back is a different story. It is much more of an intermediate trail as it runs along the ridge. The way back has a lot of flow with both rock and root gardens. What's interesting is that there are a few expert level features sprinkled in that may be unridable for some. I really enjoyed the that the trail actually bhad some length as well.
| ThankGreat trail. However, just after all the storms and high winds we had there were several trees that fell accross the trails. I moved some of the smaller branches but it's going to need a chain saw for the larger ones.
| ThankLots of fun mixes of topography, fun features and good bits of smooth XC to get from place to place. Right now the mosquitoes are outrageous and a few trees are down. I came out because I saw a feature I wanted to ride in a video someone posted on line-- I didn't find that feature, but I did get my A€£ kicked by the cardio.
| ThankJust an update for this week... loop 3 is a "tall weed fest". Almost impassible due to over growth of the tall 10' stalks that are common on loop 3 along the lake/creek. Seems our unusual heavy August rain caused a real growth spurt. It's a tough long section to maintain and trim back. One suggestion might be to go against the flow (clockwise) of traffic at the start of loop 3, and get back on track (counterclockwise) at loop 4. Kinda of like when that section is flooded. Just watch for head on traffic! And Yield!!!
| ThankI would call Knob Hills "one of the hardest easy trails in DFW", because it's a deceptively hard trail if you attempt all 13 miles. While it may not have gnarly climbs and descents, it has a lot of unique qualities that make it harder than it seems. First off, it's an "out-and-back" style trail, so you can only bail out at the halfway point. Second, its right on the edge of a big creek, so the humidity can make you feel much hotter than it actually is. Third, the terrain is very soft dirt or gravel for most of the trail, and it can really make it hard to keep your speed up. The real challenge of this trail is having the stamina to do the entire thing, and keeping a smooth pace that doesn't gas you out halfway.
As you start from the main trailhead, the loops are numbered 1-6, and at the turn around point, they count back from 6 to 1 (but you ride different terrain on the way back). Loops 1-3 are very flat, which can fool you into thinking the rest of the trail will be easy. Loop 4 has a lot of short rollings climbs and descents that can wear you out very quickly (think EKG at River Legacy). At this point you can continue onto loop 6 which has the most challenging climbs (and therefore, you'll ride the entire trail), or if you're tired, you can choose to turn around after loop 4, but you've still got another five (demanding) miles back to the trailhead. Another thing that makes this trail hard is that most of the rollers in loop 4 have sharp turns built into them at the bottoms, and therefore you can't really use your momentum to keep yourself going like you could at Northshore (for example), because you're always trying not to go over a ledge.
The toughest parts of the trail are loops 4 and 6 (eastbound) and then loops 6, 4, and 1 going back (westbound). I'd like this trail more if it had more downhill flow and opportunity to go fast, but personally, i'd rather ride it's neighbors Northshore and Horseshoe because I just feel they are more fun.
| ThankThis trail is 13.1 miles long of amazing singletrack. Out of the trails in dfw, this one is my favorite. It starts off hilly, then gets flat for a while, and then it get technical and rocky. Some sections come out on the plains and have some fun berms. It's definitely has some technical descents in some sections but beginners will enjoy this trail as well.
| ThankWow, has Knob Hill matured... in a very good way. I used to ride Knob Hill long before there was parking lot, before anyone knew it was there, and back when you had to watch for loose cattle. Yup, back then many of us still rode rigid bikes (no front or rear suspension!). Heck, back then, most front suspension forks were crap and were easy to snap off on a trail like Knob Hill. It was a two way trail, and yes, riding down Goat Killer was a real hair raiser launching off the rock ledge, with no suspension no less!. Good times.
But Knob Hill has evolved into a really nicely laid out ride. Those that have laid out its current route have maintained the nice sweeping flow Knob Hill has always been known for. The intermediate techy sections are still there, as well as several new ones. The addition of the roller coaster sections is fun and fast. Some of the longer, rocky ascending grinds have been replaced by more numerous, short grunts. And what a nice job finding some interesting scenery along the way. I personally like the little bluff section at the far end.
This is really a trail for everyone. Yes, beginners will need to bail more than others, but that's a part of building skills. But there are enough miles for any level of rider to enjoys this trail.
GREAT JOB DORBA!
| ThankA bit challenging in areas, but alot of fun riding - a good workout!
| ThankMan this trail has changed. Rode here for the first time in 2014 after not riding here since 1999..... WOW... pretty fun place to ride.
| ThankI figured out give an updated review of this trail since alot has changed since it was first added. Total trail length is now about 12 miles and you'll be riding through 3 different types of terrain. The first 1/3 is one way single track through some twisty woods with some fun rollers. The second 1/3 is thru flat plains which is two way so be aware of incoming riders. The final 1/3 switches back to 1 way and has you doing some climbing over loose rocks, similar to Sansom Park.
Once you loop back, it's a lil more climbing back to the flat part then finally some more climbs through the woody part, including some rooty ones.
It's much more challenging now so if you haven't ridden this trail in a while, give it a try!
| ThankThis is an excellent trail in the DFW metroplex. If you do the full 12mi there is about 500ft of climbing with the vast majority being flat and meandering single track. The far East side has some great limestone features and the area along Denton Creek on the West side has some excellent little hills and climbing features. I suggest parking at the 377 trailhead (West side) although parking at the Cross Timbers trailhead is not bad either. This would be a good trail to bring your wife or girlfriend, and they wouldn't get too mad at you.
| ThankPretty wide open but stuff will sneak up on you. Great exercise and lots of places to open it up.
| ThankGreat trail for beginners, short technical section at the beginning then opens up to flat dry packed trail. Usually not very busy.
| ThankOne thing that came as a surprise to me is the loop setup for the first 2 miles, before the course changes to the high bushes along the lake. That means that goat hill is now uphill only. Have fun pedaling!
No need to complain, though. The trail has a lot of variety and a nice flow to it.
| ThankGreat place! Much more scenic than i had anticipated. More challenging ride the first several miles in with some nice straight-aways to really open it up. Went through with my 8 year old and she made it through most of the hard stuff too. Don't let her age fool you she is a better rider than some adults I know... Will be back for sure. Didn't get any flats but many thorns and catucuses. Going to convert to "getto tubless" before I come back first. * Review edited 5/19/2011
| ThankThis trail has a little bit of everything. some nice elevation changes, nice flat singletrack, rock gardens...etc. Great trail
| ThankThis trail is great if your not the first one on it. I went through atleast 100 spiders. The trail said closed but by the looks of it had been used often. This is a great ride through woods and old creek beds and then opens up on grapevine lake marsh land. Watch out for logs in trail. Not much elevation change and you can fly down the singletrack.
| ThankI liked this trail. There are lots of trees and elevation change. The trail was pretty busy with riders and hikers. When I rode this trail last Spring there were wildflowers everywhere. It was so colorful and the smell was great.
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