Mountain Biking in Big Bend – tis’ the season

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Rock Quarry Trail - Big Bend Ranch State Park

Prime time on the trails is now. There’s mucho ground to cover and fine weather to pull you along this winter. Trails are in good shape and ready for mountain biking enthusiasts.

Yes, it’s buzzing about mountain biking in Big Bend. Big Bend Trails Alliance and Desert Sports have paired up with Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa to offer some outstanding mountain biking for all levels of riding. From the challenging jeep roads in the national park to the smooth packed trails of Lajitas to the rugged, epic of the state park.

Did I just say epic? Just getting here can be epic, but now much of the Big Bend Ranch State Park trail/jeep road system, known as the Fresno-Sauceda Loop, has been deemed EPIC by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). Jeff Renfrow of Big Bend Trails Alliance applied for this honored status, and now it’s time for cyclists to celebrate this fine award.

Join us for the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest on February 17-19, 2011! We’ll be featuring some of the outstanding riding in the Big Bend. Old Ore Road in the national park on Thursday, Lajitas trails on Friday, and portions or, if you dare, all of the state park’s EPIC loop on Saturday. Family and Kid rides on Friday and Saturday. And, of course, there will be celebrating. Details about the fest are still on the ironing board, so we will be posting very soon on the Desert Sports website.
In the meantime, check out ‘the buzz’….

“Mountain Bike Dream Ride in Big Bend Ranch”
by Karen Hoffman Blizzard
Texas Parks and Wildlife

“IMBA Unveils Six New Epic Rides”

“The 2010 Epic Rides”
IMBA Trail News Fall 2010 newsletter – hard copy only
Cover photo by Crystal Allbright of KT Misener on the Rock Quarry Trail, Big Bend Ranch State Park

“Biking in Big Bend Ranch State Park is Truly Epic”
by Pamela LeBlanc
Austin American Statesman

“Are IMBA’s Six New ‘Epic” Trails Really Epic?”
by Chris Lesser
Adventure Journal

Mountain Biking Big Bend Ranch State Park
a Texas Parks and Wildlife Film
This piece will air on TPW TV in March.

and then, a bit dated but never posted…
Biking Big Bend
a video by Crystal Allbright, music by Julian Mock