Upper Foothills
- 2.2 mi
- round trip
- 479 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–Apr
- best months
Upper Foothills is a mountain biking route in Franklin Mountains State Park in Texas, managed by State Park and Recreation. The ride is an out-and-back of about 4.5 miles, with a total climb of roughly 479 feet from the start at about 4,550 feet to a high point of about 4,726 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 1.7 miles in, with a grade of about 11 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show October highs around 78°F with lows near 54°F, and April is similar at about 79°F by day and 51°F at night. That station sits roughly 850 feet lower than the route, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Shortcut #2 and Shortcut #1 are both within about 2 miles, and the Sierra Vista Trail is a hiking option at a similar distance. Climbers can head to Tom Mays Park, about 3 miles away.
Best time to go · Oct–Apr
Best time to visit Upper Foothills
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, 4 mi away at 3,870 ft. The station sits about 900 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
Shortcut #2
~2 min drive
0.44-mile out-and-back singletrack with 157 ft gain in Texas.
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Gasline Road
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6.31-mile out-and-back trail in New Mexico with 527 ft elevation gain.
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Shortcut #1
~3 min drive
0.20-mile out-and-back trail in Texas with 80 ft of elevation gain.
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Schaeffer Shuffle
~3 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back singletrack with 473 ft gain in Texas.
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Aztec Caves Trail
~5 min drive
0.61-mile out-and-back singletrack with 659 ft gain in Texas.
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Scenic Road
~5 min drive
2.09-mile out-and-back singletrack with 969 ft gain in Texas.
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Sotol Forest
~5 min drive
1.89-mile out-and-back singletrack with 466 ft gain in Texas.
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Blue Moon Road
~5 min drive
1.23-mile singletrack out-and-back with 184 ft elevation gain in Texas.
RIDE
Aztec to Mundy's Gap
~5 min drive
0.53-mile out-and-back singletrack with 625 ft gain in Texas.
RIDE
Lower Sunset
~6 min drive
7.10-mile out-and-back singletrack with 910 ft gain in Texas.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
