Explore the best rated trails in Jacksboro, TX, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway . With more than 4 trails covering 46 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Rode on a trekking bike -- many sections very rough or had deep sand. Not a casual easy ride at all. Needs to be smoothed with a firmers more regular surface like cinder or paved. Very quiet and scenic though a lot of potential
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-mineral-wells/alert
FYI:
Jan. 16, 2025 - The trailway will be closed from the Weatherford Trailhead to Garner Trailhead from Jan. 26 to March. 15, 2025 for extensive improvements. Other areas of the trailway may be closed as well.
June 1, 2023 - Part of the trailway, from FM 1195 in Mineral Wells to the Vietnam War Memorial, is closed until further notice. Please observe closure signs for your safety.
We rode this trail Saturday. We parked at the trailhead in Mineral Wells after driving three hours. The goal was to change in the advertised restrooms, fill up water, and head east to Weatherford. We were disappointed to find the restrooms locked, but adapted and changed in the truck instead. The first several miles were paved. The trail became crushed gravel at the state park pay station. We rode a little further east from the pay station to find a bridge blocked off due to structural damage. We discussed how odd it was that there was not any info about the bridge at the pay station that wanted $7.00 a person to ride, and continued on by hiking the bike down through the creek and around the broken bridge. A little further on we found ourselves fenced in and facing a huge washout. We could either get the bike across the washout or head back out past the broken bridge. We chose to go forward and get the bike across the washout. I am glad we did because a little further down the trail we came upon a beautiful steel girder bridge over a clear creek! We spent a little time enjoying the few and hit the trail again. Imagine our dismay when we came to some orange cones and barrels with in the trail near the Vietnam War Museum. After talking to the museum docent, we discovered that the trail has been “closed” for a while on the section we hiked/carried our bike over. We would have gone around had there been any information anywhere, although getting through the broken sections wasn’t a big challenge at all. After visiting the museum, we continued east. The trail is in ok shape with multiple soft areas that might cause a fall. Also, the only water was found on the Weatherford side, although the maps showed more locations for water. All in all, it was a fun one way ride. We chose to return by highway to the Mineral Wells trailhead to avoid soft spots, ginormous holes, and broken bridges. If you decide the ride, the Crazy Water Hotel is a fun place to stay. Don’t miss the Vietnam War Museum, either!
Started at Lucy Park after riding our bikes 1/2 mile to the trail from Wichita Falls RV Park. Rode to Lake Wichita where bathroom and picnic shelter are, had a snack, and rode back, 31.5 miles. Wide concrete pavement. Used trail link to keep us on track. 2 or 3 road crossings on not very busy streets, otherwise all underpasses for a continuous ride.
We rode from Mineral Wells east. Paved section was passable but look for breaks and gulleys along the way. The first section of fee trail was not finely crushed anything- rocks and cinders washed out . Once we found the section of crushed limestone it was good until we reached 3 mile spot at 1195 road crossing . Trail closed due to a bridge out. No idea which one. No warning at trail head. No idea signs detours. None At trailhead
Beautiful fall day temps last night in the 40’s high today 86, perfect for a ride from state park campground to the end of the trail, 33 miles total of course some was just riding in the park. The trail down was a hike a bike for over half of the half mile. But not that bad. Rode toward mineral wells crossed the bridge and had to stop at Vietnam memorial, which is very worth seeing. I will park there next time and ride the trail. Trail closed so you can’t go into town. Looks lovely me it’s been closed for awhile. Headed East and almost turned around. So sandy you need wide tires for sure. After about 7 miles things looked up and spots where sandy and loose but not like the first few miles. A good ride if you live near by but not a destination trail.
We rode in Sept 2022. Started great and was a nice ride until Lake Wichita. Shortly thereafter the trail goes into a neighborhood and city streets. The easy to follow trail becomes a navigation exercise in Wichita Falls.
All in all it is a nice ride around the city but the circle is not complete and a local street map is required for the "non locals" who may be riding.
Having just returned from riding the Katy Trail in MO from Clinton to Machens, my buddy (Jim, 67, primarily road cyclist) and I (49, started cycling Fall '21) were still geared up for some bikepacking. Overnight cycle trips of any length without riding highways are difficult to come by in the area. We decided to give this a shot, as we had heard it was a pretty nice trail and we could camp at the state park in Mineral Wells. We are your average, run of the mill riders that aren't in great shape or with super expensive gear. We had no idea how great this would be!
We used the Cartwright trailhead in W'fd, heading West toward Mineral Wells. To say this trail would have been perfect for prepping for the Katy is an understatement. With the exception of a handful of short spots (100 yds or so each), this trail is a fantastic ride. There are some washouts and a few soft gravel/sandy spots that prevent you from riding on mental "auto pilot". Be careful, or you might find yourself spread eagle beneath your rig.
The first four to five miles heading West are very shaded, climbing to the highest point of the ride at 1,263'. After that, it is a lengthy stretch of fast, slight decline riding for what feels like several miles. Just remember what goes downhill must come back uphill :)
12 or so miles in you will pass through Garner. If you need water, soda, beer, or a meal, stop at the Garner Cafe, about 30 yds off the trail. You can't miss it. We ate breakfast here on the return leg, and it was fantastic. And interestingly enough, Garner, Tx is where the domino game of "42" was invented. No joke. So there's a little neat local history of that town...
Four miles west of Garner you will come to the split where you may either continue the mail trail into Mineral Wells or take the state park spur. We initially continued riding the main trail toward the Vietnam Memorial, just beyond the elevated riding bridge over Hwy 80. There are some great view of the Caprock from the riding bridge oddly enough. At any rate, just as we came down the other side of the bridge, we saw the "Bridge Out" sign on the trail. Not being familiar enough to know where the park access road is in relation to the bridge, we opted to bike back over the bridge (ugh) and the to spur (about 1 mile back).
The spur to the state park says "2/3 mile to trail head". This is where it gets good. The majority of that 2/3 mile is a 5% grade up singletrack, switchback with some 6"+ deep washouts and mixture of loose rock, gravel, and sand. We were each carrying about 20# of gear in our pannier/rack. It wasn't hike-a-bike, but it was close. It's a great burn at the end of the ride, and the resulting views from the park are more than worth the work to get there.
You will come out in the amphitheater in the park. When you cycle out of the parking lot, GO LEFT. We added 2 more miles of cycle wandering trying to get out of this back area of the park. Easy riding and we enjoyed it, but the extra ride might not be for everyone after that hill climb :)
Riding through the park you will see the lake, swimming beach, and some great views of town. We camped in the Equestrian part of the park, which ended up being one of the best places we've camped in a long time. Very nice restroom/showers, views, and space. Worth the $14 for sure.
If you are thinking of riding the Katy, this is your training trail. Everything you will experience on the Katy, you will experience here, just for another 240 miles. You could easily ride out and back from Weatherford in a day. Heck, get started by 7am and you could out and back twice with a short break for lunch back in Wfd. That would give you about a 72 mile trip, great prep for Katy.
Enjoy the ride!
My wife and I started from Lucy Park and rode to the end at Lake Wichita (at Fairway Blvd), ate lunch, and then headed back. The trail was easy to follow and went under most streets. There were some hills, but nothing too long or steep. The condition of the concrete was very good. The weather was sunny, but the wind was stiff, especially on the dam. Overall, a very good day.
Texas loves the crushed yellowish stone for its trails, doesn't compact real well and this trail suffers a bit from that malady. no skinny tires here so on to the thorns since many shrubs trees need to be cut back to not deposit their thorns to my tires! Overall a great ride on a not so hot day, bring water and enjoy the water views!
The Circle Trail in Wichita Falls, Texas should be on the top of your bucket list of rides in the U.S. Although two sections are still under construction to complete the circle trail as of December 2021 (Lucy Park to Loop 11 – 1 mile and Barnette Road to Lakeshore Drive), much of the 24 mile trail is open and worth the journey to experience all or part of the trail. The completed portions offer a clean 10-foot-wide cement pathway with benches, gazebos, picnic tables, and other spots to stop and rest along the trail. My husband and I have had the privilege of riding this trail and watching it expand over the last twenty years. Our favorite part is along the Wichita River and Holiday Creek. Along the way, you pass some of the friendliest people on foot, bicycles, scooters, and skates taking advantage of the trail, but it is usually not too busy. The scenery along the Circle Train is some of the most beautiful in Wichita Falls. You must experience it to believe it. It is full of nature’s bounty – Trees, natural landscape, and a variety of wildlife. We often see groups of deer near early evening by Lake Wichita. While riding through Lucy Park and along Holiday Creek, the birds sing as we roll through their habitat. Squirrels run out in front of us and even jump from tree to tree. We often see rabbits nestled in the brush or hear them jump through the dried leaves and brush. If you are interested in riding the full trail including the unfinished portion from Lucy Park to Loop 11 (1 mile), you can access the finished portion of the trail by riding a mile on Seymour Highway which offers a wide safe shoulder until you reach loop 11 entrance of the trail. The other unfinished portion of the trail is by Barnett Road. You can ride Lakeshore Road to the entrance at Fairway/Wichita Lake. That portion of the road is old, bumpy, curvy and full of potholes. Stay to your right and you will be fine.
Two of the best places to hop on the trail is Lucy Park (100 Sunset Drive, Wichita Falls, TX 76302) and Wichita Lake (5205 Fairway Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX 76308). There are bike repair stands with tools attached available at both places. You don’t have to ride the entire trail all at once. If you begin at Lucy Park, you can ride the circle within the park that is a little over a mile and a half. You ride under a covered bridge, through the park and pass colorful floral gardens that are scattered throughout the park. You can take a break and stroll the brick walk to the top of the water fall to experience the marvelous creek view. Often you will see people fishing from the banks. There are several places to stop for a snack break around the park – picnic tables, gazebos, and park benches that are scattered throughout the park. Occasionally, snakes will cross the walkway, but they will not bother you if you do not bother them.
A bit down the trail past Lucy Park, you can exit the trail and ride to the Wichita Falls downtown area which is about a mile from the trail. There you can find a variety of coffee shops, restaurants, wineries, pubs, and antique and art stores and clothing boutiques. We often carry a light weight foldable backpack when we plan to ride our bikes down town because we like to pick up fresh veggies or wine from the local farmers market for dinner or grab a bite to eat at one of our many local restaurants. A few of our favorite downtown eateries are: Eight Street Coffee Shop (710 8th Street) that serves delicious breakfast and lunch options. Two of my favorites are their Breakfast Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich and The Buffalo Chicken Salad and my hubby likes The Philly. The Gypsy Kit (801 Indiana Ave.) has a variety of unique dishes, but I like their Thai Salad with Shrimp or any of their fun taco flavors. When we are in the mood for authentic Mexican food, El Norteno #1 (110 N Burnett St.) is our go to spot for their Street Tacos and my husband loves their Horchata too. Karat Bar Bistro (800 Ohio Ave) offers a great brunch on Saturdays. Hook and ladder 616 7th Street) is a great place to refuel. Their charcuterie board, The Vollie flatbread pizza with brie, bacon, walnuts and arugula and In the Fog wine are our favorites. 9th Street Burrito Shop (907 9th Street) has great breakfast burritos. Our favorite is the supreme. We split it in half because it is so big. If you want to carb up in the morning, The Duck Coffee Company has a delicious Power Oatmeal, and their coffee is fabulous too. My hubby likes their dark roast with half and half. I like their cold Nitro with Lavender and cream. If you are into local brew, Half Pint Tap House is a great place to pick up a personal pizza and some of Wichita Falls finest local brew. Although I shared our favorite items to order, I have not had one bad thing from any of the eateries I listed.
Although the two unfinished portions of the trail are currently under construction as of December 2021, I highly recommend a roundtrip to the great city of Wichita Falls to ride the Circle Trail and take advantage of our quaint downtown. Hopefully by the time you visit, the city-wide trail will be completed. Winter, spring, summer and fall there are sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that will make your visit to ride the Circle Trail memorable and worth while. This is not a paid advertisement. My husband and I travel around riding bike trails together as a hobby and we truly are thankful for Wichita Falls Circle Trail and the development that has happened downtown. Come to Wichita Falls and play!
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