If anyone is looking for a place to go mountain biking for the weekend that's only an hour's drive from Dallas, TX, Mike Vaught has some suggestions. Mike's the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association's local trail steward for the mountain bike trail at Bonham State Park. In addition to the trail that he stewards, Mike suggests riding the bike trail at the Bois d'arc Creek Unit of the Caddo National Grasslands WMA (Wildlife Management Area) and a new trail opening this Spring at Lake Fannin. Here are more details on all three trails:

Bonham State Park Mountain Bike Trail
About 12 miles long, this is an excellent beginner to intermediate trail just 2 miles from the town of Bonham in Bonham State Park. DORBA holds a women's biking clinic here annually in August.

Bois d'arc Creek Trail
East of Lake Fannin on the Bois d'arc unit of the Caddo National Grasslands WMA, this combination hiking/biking/horse trail is over 20 miles long.

Lake Fannin Trail
Located in Northeast Texas in Fannin County about 15 miles north of the town of Bonham, Tx (@ 40 miles Northeast of Dallas), this IMBA quality trail runs through Forest Service land and is part of the Caddo National Grasslands. Part of the 1600 acre block sits on the banks of the Red River.

The trail will circle spring-fed Lake Fannin and will pass through one of the few post oak savannahs left in Texas. There are giant sandstone rocks and a huge variety of trees so the terrain is quite different from that which people expect to see here. The trail also passes near the restored Lake Fannin Lodge, restored cabins, latrine, and a partially restored bath house.

According to Mike, one of the more unique features of the trail will be the number and kind of bridges. Seven have already been built and there will be a dozen or so more. Two of the longer spans(26 ft and 36 ft) will be rustic covered bridges.

Mike mentioned that 1.5 miles of the Lake Fannin Trail have been completed, leaving 2.5 miles to go. There is also the possibility that an existing walking trail to the Red River can be improved to accomodate bikes, adding more variety and distance to the trail but this is subject to Forest Service approval.

After receiving Mike's email, I spoke with Jim Crooks, the USDA's District Ranger for both the Caddo & LBJ National Grasslands in Texas. Jim told me that the Lake Fannin Lodge is open now for overnight group stays. Constructed during the Great Depression in 1936-38 by the Rural Resettlement Administration, the 45-acre lake and 95 acre recreational camp complex is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabins are still being restored (see photo, right); however, if you're interested in staying at the lodge, contact Sue Page at 903-640-4130.

If you have a suggestion regarding outstanding bike trail(s) that you've ridden within the last few months, let me know. I'd love to hear about it and may even mention it here.

Regards,
Larry Lagarde