As of September 2018, this page of the NTX Trails Progression Guide is incomplete. Please check back often for updates.
Advanced trails offer increased difficulty for those riders whose skills have progressed beyond the intermediate level. Such trails are typically designated with signage bearing a black diamond as shown on the chart above.
In general, black trails are about half as wide as blue trails at an average width of 12-inches. The trail surfaces are variable—meaning you’ll find loose gravel, rock, and sand.
Advanced trails often feature unavoidable obstacles much larger than those found on green or blue trails—features such as roots, rocks, and drops that are up to 15-inches tall. The grade of uphills and downhills will also be much greater on the average, increasing the difficulty and danger on those sections. Advanced trails may also feature increased exposure (drop offs on either side of the trail).
A trail rated black for advanced riders will not necessarily adhere to the standards laid out in the chart above. Many times, trail ratings are subjective, meaning that the person(s) who gave the trail its rating may be under- or overestimating the trail’s actual difficulty—especially for a new rider. On top of this, when you look up trails online on sites such as Trailforks or MTB Project, the rating shown may not be the official rating, but rather the editor’s personal estimation of the trail’s difficulty in relation to their own skills.
Another caveat is that the rating given is the average rating for the entire trail or trail segment.
This means that, in the instance of a black trail, the majority of the trail may be advanced-level but still contain short segments or technical trails features that are more (or less) difficult. Bypasses may be available for some of the more difficult TTFs but there’s no guarantee, particularly on black trails.
Not sure what some of the words in this article mean? Be sure to check out our Glossary of MTB Terms and Slang.
The following is a list of black, advanced-level trails in North Texas.
Just because a location is listed here does not mean all of the trails at that particular location are advanced-level—only that the location has at least one loop or segment that is rated black.
Always do your own research, know your own skill level, and don’t ride beyond what your comfortable handling. Never be embarrassed to walk your bike until your skills increase. Do not ride closed or wet trails.
NTX Advanced Trails
- Big Cedar Wilderness Trail
- Binkley Park
- Cameron Park
- Cleburne State Park
- Cross Timbers Trail
- Dinosaur Valley State Park
- Endeavor Bridgeport Adventure Park
- Isle du Bois State Park
- Johnson Branch State Park
- Katie Jackson Park
- Northshore Trail
- Possum Kingdom Bike Trail
- River Legacy Park
- Rowlett Creek Preserve
- Sansom Park