As of September 2018, this page of the NTX Trails Progression Guide is incomplete. Please check back often for updates.
Expert trails offer increased difficulty for those riders whose skills have progressed beyond the advanced level. Such trails are typically designated with signage bearing a double black diamond as shown on the chart above.
In general, double black trails are about half as wide as black trails at an average width of 6-inches. The trail surfaces are extremely variable and unpredictable—meaning you’ll find loose gravel, rock, sand, and other technically-difficult surfaces..
Expert trails feature unavoidable obstacles much larger than those found on blue or black trails—features such as roots, rocks, and drops that are up to 20-inches tall or larger. The grade of uphills and downhills will also be much greater on the average, increasing the difficulty and danger on those sections. Expert trails may also feature increased exposure (drop offs on either side of the trail).
A trail rated double black for expert 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 double black trail, the majority of the trail may be expert-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 double black, expert-level trails in North Texas. Just because a location is listed here does not mean all of the trails at that particular location are expert-level—only that the location has at least one loop or segment that is rated double 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.