Memorial Park - Mountain Bike Trail

The Memorial Park Trail Group out & back is the most efficient way to cover almost all the trails in the Memorial Park trail system. Sure, you’ll have to double back in some sections but for most of the track, you’ll only need to go through it once. That is unless there has been rain which floods some sections and can make them impossible to get through. Overall, it combines all the color-coded trail sections, i.e., the Blue, Orange, Purple, and Red trails.

Before you go:

Drinking water

Restrooms

Fee required

Lift service

Fat bike grooming

Family Friendly

Night riding

E-bikes allowed

Dogs Allowed

Obstacles

Shuttles

Detailed Trail Description

There’s available parking on N Picnic Lane. To get there, you’ll have to get on either Memorial Drive or Woodway Drive off W Loop Freeway heading northeast. These two roads join near the kinder Landbridge, and from there, the next intersection is with N Picnic Lane. Once you’re on N Picnic Lane, you’ll turn right at the T intersection, then left at the next turn. From there, stick to the right and turn right at the next intersection. The Parking lot should be right ahead.

This parking gives you easy access to the trail and the restrooms if you need to go before you start cycling. The Purple Trail trailhead is near the parking. Once you get into the trail the best way to go around it is to turn at the Red Trail and loop around it to the Blue Trail. From there, turn left at the next intersection to get back onto the Red Trail, although this time you’ll stick to the right until you’re back on the Purple Trail.

Stay on the Purple Trail until the intersection with the Yellow Trail and turn onto it. The Yellow Trail will also loop around and then dump you back onto the Purple Trail. From there stick to the left until you find the intersection with the Orange Trail.

Near the end of the Orange Trail is the “Call Out” section, a technical descent followed by a climb. However, it’s not always passable, depending on whether it rained recently. If it’s not passable, you’ll have to go back on the Orange and Yellow Trails, then use the Red Trail to connect to the Blue and back to the parking lot.

Each of these trail sections is unique, with different difficulty ratings. The Red Trail is the easiest, followed by the Purple Trail. As for the Blue, Yellow, and Orange Trails, they’re for intermediate mountain bikers.

In our opinion, the Blue Trail is the most technical, with plenty of roots all around. As for the Yellow Trail, it has a few technical sections but is mostly fast and flowy. The Orange Trail takes you through the “Call Out” section and if you’re lucky enough to go there while it’s dry, make sure to shout that you’re coming down this section before you do.

The section like most of the other sections of the trail system is bi-directional and this helps prevent collisions at speed.

The only two missing sections of the trail are The Triangle and Green Ridge Trails. However, these are on a different section and you’ll need to get back on N Picnic Lane on your bike and use the TxDOT Hike and Bike Trail Connector to get to them. These sections are an out & back, so you’ll get to the end and turn back.

Additional Trail Features

• Extra fees: No extra fees were charged when we were there.
• Obstacles: There are some root-filled sections with some manmade obstacles and turns as well.
• Shuttles: There’s a bus station on Memorial Drive, so it may be possible to get to the park using public transportation, but once you’re on the singletrack, you’re on your own.

Sights of Interest, Landscapes, Views

The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is nearby.

Recommendations/Precautions

Some of the other trail users have headphones, so they might not hear you at the Call Out section.