Best ATV Trails in Texas: Public OHV Areas and Top Riding Parks

Last updated on October 26th, 2026 at 08:14 pm

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The best public ATV riding in Texas is the 85-mile Sam Houston National Forest trail near New Waverly, Barnwell Mountain near Gilmer and Northwest OHV Park near Bridgeport. Private parks such as Hidden Falls, General Sam’s and River Run add mud, rock and campgrounds, and each sets its own pass and waiver.

At public OHV venues, and at private venues that took state grant money, you need a $16 Texas OHV decal on the machine. Trail status, fees and closures change often, so call before you load up.

Texas public OHV venues by machine type

Venue	Near	ATV	Motorcycle	Side-by-side	Full-size 4x4
Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area	Gilmer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Eisenhower State Park	Denison	Yes	Yes	No	No
Lake Buffalo OHV Area	Iowa Park	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Red River (BLM land, Texas side)	Clay, Wichita, Wilbarger counties	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Northwest OHV Park	Bridgeport	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Trophy Club Park at Grapevine Lake	Trophy Club	Yes	Yes	No	No
Buffalo Valley MX Park	Marion	Yes	Yes	No	No
Mud Buddies ATV Park	Hallettsville	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Sam Houston National Forest trail	New Waverly	Yes	Yes	No	No
Buffalo Springs Lake OHV Area	Lubbock	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Childress ATV Park	Childress	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Lake Mackenzie Recreation Area	Silverton	Yes	Yes	No	No
Lake Meredith NRA (Blue Creek, Rosita Flats)	Fritch	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
White River Reservoir	Spur	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Escondido Draw Recreational Area	Ozona	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Moss Creek Lake ATV Park	Big Spring	Yes	Yes	No	No
San Felipe Park	Fabens	Yes	Yes	No	No
Twin Buttes OHV Area	San Angelo	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Three of these are ATV and motorcycle only: Sam Houston National Forest, Eisenhower State Park and Trophy Club Park. A side-by-side stays on the trailer there.

Barnwell, Northwest OHV Park, Escondido Draw, Lake Buffalo and Lake Meredith also take full-size 4x4s, which makes them the better pick for mixed groups.

Trail mileage for most of these is quoted differently from site to site. Where sources disagree, this guide says so instead of picking a number.

Find a Texas riding area for your machine

Based on the TPWD venue list plus each park’s own pages cited below. Phone numbers and rules change; confirm before you drive.

The finder lists every venue in the table that allows your vehicle, then three private parks that have their own rules. Choose “Private parks” to see only those.

If the result says “TPWD-listed venue,” the state decal applies. For private parks, the park decides what you need at the gate.

East and Southeast Texas

Sam Houston National Forest Multiple-Use Trail (New Waverly)

The Forest Service describes 85 miles of multiple-use trail for hiking, biking, horses and registered OHVs. It is the only trail open to OHVs in the National Forests in Texas, and TPWD lists it for ATVs and motorcycles only.

Machines on the trail can be no wider than 50 inches, with a spark arrestor exhaust at 96 decibels or less. Riders carry a valid ID, proof of day-use payment and, on an ATV, proof of an ATV Operator Education Course. Helmet and eye protection are required. Forest Service trail page.

A day pass is $5 per person per day at trailhead self-pay stations or online through recreation.gov. The annual pass is $25. Trails close when wet soil could be damaged, so call the Ranger’s Office at 936-344-6205 (or 888-361-6908, option 2) for status.

Trailheads include the West Side (FS Road 208), East Side (FS Road 233), Kelly’s Pond and Northwest. The 234 trailhead is equestrian only. Forest roads are open to street-legal vehicles only, and cross-country riding is not allowed.

Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area (Gilmer)

Barnwell sits at 6284 State Highway 155 North and is run by the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition. TPWD lists it for ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs and full-size OHVs, and calls it out as a private venue that still requires the decal because it used OHV grant money. Phone 903-797-4066.

Published trail totals range from about 50 miles to more than 200, depending on the source. Ask for a current trail map instead of trusting any one number.

General Sam’s Offroad Park (Huntsville)

About 70 miles north of Houston, General Sam’s describes itself as 756 acres with more than 100 miles of trails, mud pits and rock ledges. It lists ATV, UTV and Jeep trails, plus cabins and RV sites. The acreage and mileage are the park’s own figures. General Sam’s

River Run ATV Park (Jacksonville)

River Run sits on the Neches River on more than 2,000 acres of private land, with 156 RV sites and 40 cabins. Riders under 18 need a parent or legal guardian or a notarized park waiver, and photo ID is required at the gate.

The park says motorized vehicles are not allowed in the river itself and gives no total trail mileage. It closes Thanksgiving Day and December 14–30 this year. River Run

Central and South Texas

Hidden Falls Adventure Park (Marble Falls)

Hidden Falls, at 7030 E FM 1431, is private property with trails for motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs. Acreage and mileage claims vary: the park’s Facebook page describes more than 2,100 acres, older write-ups say 3,000 and trail totals run from 200-plus to about 240 miles. No total is quoted here. Phone 830-798-9820.

Under the park’s rules, ATV and motorcycle riders wear DOT helmets at all times and UTVs with roll cages require seat belts. Riders stay on marked trails only. Night riding is allowed Friday and Saturday until midnight. No membership is needed. Park rules

Minors 17 and under need a parent or guardian over 21, and children 14 and under cannot ride without adult supervision.

After a flood, the park says some trail ratings no longer match its map, and its homepage listed Wet & Wild as still closed when this was checked in October 2026. It offers no recovery, so carry a strap and basic tools. For roadside fixes, see our ATV and UTV troubleshooting guide.

Mud Buddies ATV Park and Buffalo Valley MX Park

TPWD lists Mud Buddies at 5541 County Road 450 in Hallettsville for ATVs, motorcycles and ROVs (361-798-1940). Online fee and hours listings conflict, so call first.

Buffalo Valley MX Park near Marion (210-845-2017) takes ATVs and motorcycles.

North Texas

Northwest OHV Park (Bridgeport)

TPWD lists Northwest OHV Park in Wise County for ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs and full-size OHVs. The gatehouse numbers are 940-683-3480 on weekdays and 940-683-3685 on weekends. Sources disagree on hours and fees, so call.

Trophy Club Park, Eisenhower State Park and Lake Buffalo

Trophy Club Park (682-831-4603) is ATV and motorcycle only. The Army Corps of Engineers says it is the only place on Grapevine Lake where ATVs and dirt bikes are allowed. Corps FAQ

Eisenhower State Park in Denison (903-465-1956) is also ATVs and motorcycles only, and it sells the Texas decal. Lake Buffalo OHV Area in Iowa Park (940-592-2642) takes ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs and full-size OHVs.

On the Texas side of the Red River, BLM land is open to ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs and full-size OHVs along the navigable river. Call the BLM Tulsa Field Office at 918-621-4400 or the Moore Field Office at 405-794-9624 before you go.

West Texas and the Panhandle

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area (Fritch)

Blue Creek and Rosita Flats are the designated off-road areas. Riders must stay within the cutbanks at Blue Creek and below 3,000 feet in elevation at Rosita. Dune buggies and sand rails are allowed along with ATVs, motorcycles, ROVs and full-size OHVs.

Besides the Texas decal, you need a free NPS ORV permit. It runs January 1 to December 31, lists each vehicle’s VIN and is applied for by email to lamr_permits@nps.gov. DOT helmet and eye protection are required, and ATVs need a whip and flag. NPS ORV page. Phone 806-857-3151.

Escondido Draw Recreational Area (Ozona)

This Texas Motorized Trails Coalition property covers 3,400 acres. The park lists a 35-plus-mile single-track trail for dirt bikes and 23-plus miles of trail for ATVs and OHVs, with primitive and RV camping. It is open Thursday through Sunday, and reservations help: 325-206-4251. Park site

More venues in the Panhandle and West

TPWD also lists Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock), Childress ATV Park, Lake Mackenzie (Silverton) and White River Reservoir (Spur) in the Panhandle. In West Texas it lists Moss Creek Lake (Big Spring), San Felipe Park (Fabens) and Twin Buttes (San Angelo). Use the finder above for machine types and phone numbers.

Texas OHV decal and ride rules

The decal is required by state law for anyone operating an OHV at a legal public-land venue, or at a private venue that received a TPWD OHV grant. Street-legal trucks and motorcycles need it too when trail riding on public land.

Using a street-legal vehicle on private land or public roads does not require it. Having a decal does not open public land that is not already legal for OHV use. TPWD OHV FAQ

Question	Answer
Price	$16 per fiscal year, not prorated
Valid	September 1 through August 31
Where to buy	TPWD at 512-389-8917, authorized dealers, and some venues such as Barnwell and Eisenhower State Park
Out-of-state decals	Not honored in Texas
Lost decal	No replacement; the wallet card is your proof, or buy another
Penalty	Class C misdemeanor, fines $25 to $500
ATV registration	No longer required (HB 3849)

Helmets, age and machine size

TPWD’s responsible-use page states that helmets are required and recommends helmets, eye protection and sturdy footwear. Riders should travel in groups of two or more and never ride on paved roads. Full-size OHVs should have hard tops or roll cages, seat belts and fire extinguishers. TPWD safety page

Rider age	Engine size TPWD recommends
6 and older	Under 70 cc
12 and older	70 to 90 cc
16 and older	Over 90 cc

If you need gear, a DOT-approved helmet and, for Lake Meredith, an ATV whip and flag are cheap to add. Check that anything you buy is rated for off-road use.

Tire pressure matters on sand and mud. Our air-down PSI calculator gives a starting range, and our ATV gear checklist covers the rest of what to wear.

Where you cannot ride

ATVs cannot be ridden on State Wildlife Management lands or leased Type II Permit lands unless the operator has a disability license plate or placard, and then only directly to and from a hunting or fishing spot. Recreational trail riding on those lands is not allowed. TPWD

National forest riding is limited to designated roads and trails on the Motor Vehicle Use Map. Sam Houston’s trail is the only motorized trail. If you run a side-by-side, see our ATV vs side-by-side guide for where each fits.

FAQs

Related guides

• Best ATV Trails in North Carolina: Public OHV Areas and ATV Parks
• ATV and UTV Troubleshooting: Bogging, No-Start, Heat and Belts
• What to Wear ATV Riding: The Essential Safety Gear Checklist