I’ve always been drawn to unique and one-of-a-kind experiences, so when I first learned about Spider Mountain Bike Park – the ONLY lift-served bike park in all of Texas – I knew I had to get there.
On a recent trip to Texas Hill Country, I finally made it happen. Spoiler alert – it’s awesome!
I was a little skeptical at first because [one] Spider Mountain has roughly 350 ft of vertical drop (compare that to 3,100 ft of vertical drop at Mammoth Mountain, one of my favorite parks in the west) and [two] there are a whopping 7 miles and a dozen trails to choose from (read that with an edge of sarcasm).
BUT, despite its short stature and finite run options, I had a blast at Spider Mountain. I spent a full day there and got my money’s worth by fitting in 23 laps and hitting all of the trails – many more than once.
If it’s your first time heading to Spider Mountain Bike Park, in this post I cover everything you need to know to make it a fun, memorable, and successful day.
Let’s ride!
Special thanks to Carey Kriger of Debcar.com for taking some of these photos and joining more for an awesome day at Spider!
FAQs & Facts about Spider Mountain
Here are a few quick things to know about mountain biking at Spider Mountain:
Loading your bike onto the lifts at Spider Mountain
One of the biggest questions people have before visiting a new bike park is how bikes are loaded onto the lift.
Even I feel a bit of anxiety every time go to load my bike – will I be able to do it? What if my bike falls off? Am I going to the person who causes the whole lift to shut down?
Stop and take a breath – you got this! My advice is to ask the lift attendant to load your bike for you the first time so you can see how it’s done. After that, you can try it yourself or even have the liftie continue doing it for you – that’s their job.
At Spider Mountain, bikes are loaded by placing the front wheel on a hook at the back of the lift. It’s pretty simple, but you do need a bit of arm strength to lift it up. It’ll probably be awkward at first, but once you do it a few times it gets easier. Again, if you’re nervous, have someone do it for you.
Getting to Spider Mountain Bike Park
Spider Mountain Bike Park is located in Burnet, Texas near Lake Buchanan. If you’re coming from one of the major cities nearby, Spider Mountain is:
- Austin: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Dallas: 3 hours 15 minutes
- San Antonio: 2 hours
The drive to the mountain is on winding back roads and you’ll probably be wondering whether your GPS is lost. It’s not – Spider Mountain is just a bit out there.
Here are the Google driving directions for Spider Mountain Bike Park.
For parking, there is free parking at the base of the lift. You might have to drive down the road a bit to find a spot, but there should be plenty of space. That being said, Spider Mountain gets really busy on weekends, so parking will probably be a bit more of a hassle.
Watch Dusty MTB explore Spider Mountain
Spider Mountain Passes, Hours, Rentals, & more
Passes
Passes are required to ride at Spider Mountain Bike Park, but there are a few things to know before you purchase your pass:
Hours
The lifts at Spider Mountain Bike Park run Friday through Monday from 8am to 4pm. The park is open year-round, but they do close for rain and bad weather. Spider Mountain also hosts races and other events, so it’s a good idea to check their Events page to see current conditions and happenings.
Rentals & Bike Shop
Spider Mountain has a fleet of rental mountain bikes ready to be ridden. I saw mainly Trek bikes, but they might have a few different brands. All are full suspension. Rentals are $99 per day and you can reserve your bike online as well as rent a helmet and protective gear if needed.
If you need something fixed on your own bike, there is a small bike shop staffed with mechanics who can try to help you out.
Shopping for a full face helmet?
Protect your face and pearly whites. When I’m at the bike park, I always wear a full face helmet. Not only does it give me more peace of mind when I’m bombing downhill, but I also know that it’s going to do a lot more to protect my head and face in the event of a crash.
My favorite full face helmet is the Smith Mainline. It’s comfortable to wear, has decent ventilation, and is downhill-certified meaning it has been tested for safety.
This helmet also comes with three different cheek pad sizes, so you can get a snug fit.
Lessons
New to bike parks and/or mountain biking? Spider Mountain offers FREE beginner lessons on select Saturdays starting at 9 am. You do need to register online. I’ve never heard of a bike park offering free lessons, so this is pretty cool. Bike rental and lift pass are not included, so you need to purchase those separately.
The layout of the park
Spider Mountain is a pretty easy park to figure out. There is one chairlift – the Texas Eagle – and all trails start at the top.
Here are a few stats about the park:
An intro to the trails
So what are the trails like at Spider Mountain? They’re awesome! I thought Spider Mountain had a good mix of everything from beginner-friendly tracks to expert-only descents. There’s also a variety of terrain – there are machine-built trails as well as raw and rugged downhill ones.
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New to Bike parks?
My experience at Spider Mountain
I spent a full day at Spider Mountain and loved every second of it. While it is a small bike park compared to some of the massive DH parks out west, Spider has done an awesome job at creating a place where everyone can have fun.
I was really impressed with the quality of trails (for a year-round bike park, they are in great shape) and I really appreciated the variety of features and terrain. The builders packed a lot in on a small mountain!
My day at Spider didn’t start until about 10:30 am (lifts open at 8 am) but we rode lap after lap until the lifts closed down at 4 with only a short lunch break. I think if I’d had two days to ride, I wouldn’t have done such a long day since there are only so many laps you can do on a dozen trails.
One thing to note is that I visited on a Monday. I think the scene is very different on Saturdays and Sundays. Expect to wait in line longer and run into some trail traffic. Remember that everyone is there to have fun, so be kind and courteous.
Where to stay: Camping & Lodging
Sticking around for the weekend? Here are your options for camping and accommodations near Spider:
Booking a hotel? Check out these hotels near Burnet, TX.
Other things to do around Spider Mountain
Spider Mountain Bike Park is a destination in and of itself, but if you have more time to explore the area, here are a few more things to do around Burnet, TX:
I hope this guide gives you all the info and details you need to head out to Spider Mountain Bike Park. It’s a really fun place to spend a day or weekend and I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.
Read next
Looking for more lift or shuttle-accessed bike parks? Here are a few of my favorite close-ish to Spider:
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Have you been to Spider Mountain? What do you think? Did you love the riding as much as I did? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!
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