Spring Green Wichita Falls Wee Chi Ta Mountain Bike Trail

A morning walk on a trail on which I had not previously walked reveals a change is in the air.

Well, more precisely, a change is on the ground.

Spring seems to be sprouting green, a few weeks ahead of Spring's actual Vernal Equinox arrival.

The green you see here is on both sides of Wichita Falls', one and only, actual mountain bike trail.

Again, more precisely, a trail designed for mountain bikes. There are no actual mountains anywhere in the vicinity.

The Wichita Falls mountain bike trail is known at the Wee Chi Ta Mountain Bike Trail.

This is a well regarded mountain bike trail about which one can find a lot of info via Googling the name, including that which you find via clicking the above link.

A short description blurb from another website...

This is an approximately 12-mile singletrack with many man-made obstacles, short, punchy climbs, and switchbacks.

I did not ride my bike on the trail. I was in hiking mode, communing with nature in Lucy Park, crossed the suspension bridge across the Wichita River. Then followed a sign north directing me to the continuation of the mountain bike trail at the entry to the RV park, which is what one comes to when one crosses the suspension bridge from Lucy Park to the other side.

A couple years ago I had walked the mountain bike trail south from this location, into a section called Alligator Alley. Walking Alligator Alley did not look like an appealing location to roll my bike wheels.

However, crossing the suspension bridge and heading north gave me an entirely different outlook on the Wee Chi Ta Mountain Bike Trail.

I walked on the Wee Chi Ta trail as far at the Texas State Information Center. I had not realized til doing so that this is a one way trail, making, I assume a 12 mile loop. Following the one way direction sign directing pedestrians, that trail ran right next to the river, at times right at river's edge, with a bit of a drop off.

In some locations the two trails are almost parallel.

I reached the Information Center, needed no information, and then took the return trail back to the suspension bridge access to Lucy Park.

I could see the Wee Chi Ta trail is in extremely good shape. Over the years I have looked across the river to see riders on this trail. But not too many. I suspect I had looked at what is not the optimum time for mountain bikers.

Next time I go to Lucy Park I think I will bring my bike and helmet and do some pseudo mountain bike riding. It looks fun, though a bit challenging.

It has been a few years since I have rolled on an actual mountain bike trail...