Sotol Forest
- 1.9 mi
- round trip
- 556 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–Apr
- best months
Sotol Forest is a mountain biking route in Franklin Mountains State Park in Texas, managed by State Park and Recreation. It is an out-and-back ride of about 3.8 miles, with a total elevation gain of 556 feet and a high point of 4,703 feet. The steepest stretch comes around the 0.9-mile mark, where the grade reaches about 8%. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs near 70°F with lows around 45°F in March to highs near 78°F with lows around 54°F in October. That station sits well below the route, so temperatures on the high ground run cooler. Several other rides lie close by. Goon's Loop, a hike, is about 0.8 miles away, and Mad Cow and Scenic Road, both mountain biking routes, are each about a mile off. Tom Mays Park, a climbing area, is about 3.2 miles away.
Best time to go · Oct–Apr
Best time to visit Sotol Forest
Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
57° / 34°
2 wet
Feb
63° / 39°
2 wet
Mar
70° / 45°
1 wet
Apr
79° / 51°
1 wet
May
88° / 60°
1 wet
Jun
95° / 70°
2 wet
Jul
94° / 73°
5 wet
Aug
92° / 72°
5 wet
Sep
87° / 66°
4 wet
Oct
78° / 54°
3 wet
Nov
66° / 41°
2 wet
Dec
56° / 34°
2 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at La Tuna 1 S, TX, 7 mi away at 3,870 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
RIDE
Mad Cow
~2 min drive
Mad Cow is a 2.23-mile out-and-back trail in Texas with 482 ft of elevation gain.
RIDE
Gasline Road
~44 min drive
6.31-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 527 ft elevation gain.
RIDE
Scenic Road
~2 min drive
2.09-mile out-and-back singletrack with 969 ft gain in Texas.
RIDE
Blue Moon Road
~2 min drive
1.23-mile singletrack out-and-back with 184 ft elevation gain in Texas.
RIDE
Antler Run
~3 min drive
2.68-mile out-and-back singletrack with 265 ft gain in Texas.
RIDE
Polecat Alley
~4 min drive
1.03-mile out-and-back singletrack with 148 ft gain in Texas.
RIDE
Lazy Cow
~4 min drive
2.54-mile out-and-back singletrack in Texas with 112 ft of elevation gain.
RIDE
The Maze
~4 min drive
1.05-mile out-and-back singletrack with 74 ft gain in Texas.
RIDE
Lost Cow
~4 min drive
1.57-mile out-and-back singletrack in Texas with 137 ft of elevation gain.
RIDE
Upper Foothills
~5 min drive
2.23-mile out-and-back singletrack with 347 ft gain in Texas foothills.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
