In the heart of the Hill Country, Texas’ only chairlift ushers visitors—and their bikes—to the top of Spider Mountain. Beneath the lift, cyclists weave in and out of trees along one of Spider Mountain Bike Park’s 20 downhill bike trails. Opened in 2019, the park stakes its claim as the only lift-served bike park in Texas, and the only one open year-round in the U.S.
At Spider Mountain Bike Park in Burnet, Texans are introduced to a sport usually reserved for out-of-season ski resorts. The park’s specialty is downhill mountain biking, a subgenre of the sport that focuses on the descent. Rather than expend energy pedaling up to a trail, riders are dropped off at the top of the park, and gravity does the work on the way down.
Since its opening day, the park has grown from its original 12 trails to 20 for a variety of skill levels, from true beginners to mountain biking pros. “We opened up and we introduced a mountain sport into a non-mountain sport state,” Spider Mountain Community Manager Brian Stevens says. “A big part of what we like to do is educate and give people multiple pathways to progression.”
For experienced bikers, the black and double black trails feature technical rock sections, jumps, and ride-on features. Intermediate riders can find their stride on the blue trails, with banked turns, known as berms, and wood features adding more difficulty without veering into expert territory. One blue trail, Tarantula, infuses the Lone Star spirit into the run with a wooden wallride painted like the Texas flag.
Spider Mountain isn’t just for cycling prodigies: According to Stevens, the only requirement is to know how to ride a bike. All equipment, including full-suspension bikes, helmets, and body armor, is available to rent at the park, and a free lesson is included with the purchase of a lift pass. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, an instructor takes participants for a practice ride and introduces them to the basics of downhill biking.
“We’re really big on lowering that whole barrier of intimidation and trying to educate people to where they learn and have an opportunity to grow and progress,” Stevens says.
New riders can check out the park’s green trails for a beginner-friendly introduction to Spider Mountain. Daddy Long Legs, the park’s most recent addition, is a smooth and wide path that’s ideal for novice bikers. After Daddy Long Legs, take a spin on Itsy Bitsy and Centipede, the park’s other green trails. At the base of the park, riders can try out new skills or polish techniques in a controlled environment at the Creepy Crawly Skills Park.
The park’s chairlift, the Texas Eagle, runs Friday through Sunday and can be visited just for the views (no bike required). If guests aren’t ready to hop on a bike, they can opt for a scenic pass that includes a ride on the chairlift and access to the park’s hiking trail. The park is still open when the lift isn’t running, and bikers can use an uphill access path to get to the trailheads.
While Stevens says spring is the park’s most popular season, fall visitors can look forward to cooler temperatures and the start of the park’s downhill racing series. The series will kick off in October with races for all age groups, and the park encourages spectators to attend.
“We’re beginner friendly, very family friendly, and youth focused,” Stevens says. “We’re really big on connecting with the community.”
