Erwin Park Mountain Biking Trails

Erwin Park Hike & Bike Trails

The Erwin Park Trail system is a premier cross-country (XC) mountain bike and hiking network located across a 220-acre municipal park and adjoining property in McKinney, Texas. Built and maintained entirely by volunteers from the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association (DORBA), the main park property is owned and operated by the City of McKinney. All City of McKinney Park rules and regulations are strictly applicable across all trail segments.

Trail Mileage & Property Layout

The trail network is divided into two distinct land management zones:
The Main Park Loops: Approximately 10 miles of permanent natural-surface singletrack twisting through the core 220 acres of scenic rolling hills, deep woods, and fragile blackland prairie ecosystems.
The Extension Zone: An additional 2 miles of cross-country trails located on an adjacent 70-acre section of property. Note: Access to this 2-mile section is temporary and dependent on ongoing land-use agreements.

The terrain offers a fast, flowing experience with a balanced mix of tight, twisty wooded singletrack and wide-open field segments. The layout features plentiful punchy climbs to test your lungs, rewarded by fast, fun downhills. While there are technical trail features (TTFs) scattered throughout, almost all of them include clear, built-in ride-arounds. The park also features a progressive, machine-groomed Skills Area equipped with progressive jumps, drops, berms, and a pump track.

Traffic Flow & Trail Etiquette

To minimize head-on conflicts on the singletrack, Erwin Park utilizes a split directional traffic pattern based on user type. Official signs are posted at major trailheads indicating these directions:
Cyclists (All Bikes): Travel Clockwise on the trail system.
Hikers & Trail Runners: Travel Counter-Clockwise on the trail system.
Pedestrian Yield Policy: Because mountain bikes carry significant speed on the singletrack, over features, and around blind corners, foot traffic must be prepared to yield the right-of-way to oncoming bikes for safety.
Bike Feature Policy: All trail features are strictly available for mountain bike use only. Foot traffic must not approach any trail features from a backwards/reverse direction.
No Wheeled Devices: Please do not bring baby strollers, wagons, or other wheeled devices on the trails. They create a severe hazard and block mountain bike traffic on narrow singletrack.
No Rogue Trails or Trail Blocking: Never stop, sit, or stand in a blind landing zone, berm, trail corridor, or intersection. If you need to stop for a rest or mechanical check, pull completely off the trail surface. Do not cut shortcuts or cheater lines. Off-trail traffic destroys fragile native flora and triggers severe erosion. Stay on the marked trail.

Road Crossings & Vehicle Interaction

Uncontrolled Crossings: There are multiple road crossings within the park loops. While these crossings are marked and highly visible to vehicle traffic, there are no official pedestrian crosswalks.
Exercise Extreme Caution: Both cyclists and pedestrians must exercise extreme caution at all road intersections and be prepared to yield the right-of-way to larger motorized vehicles.
Off-Road Restrictions: Motor vehicles must park and drive on paved surfaces only. Driving or parking on the grass is strictly prohibited.
Photography: Photography and filming within the park must not impede or block trail corridors. Production vehicles are completely restricted from driving off-road.

Critical Park Rules & Safety Policies
These regulations are strictly enforced by the City of McKinney and the trail stewards to preserve the landscape and ensure visitor safety:

Strict E-Bike Limitations: Only Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes with a top speed cap of 20 mph are allowed on the trails and Skills Area. Any electric vehicle operating without functioning pedals, or equipped with unapproved off-road moto-style tires, will be confiscated at the owner's expense.
Absolutely No E-Motos: Dirt bikes, gas-powered vehicles, and electric motorbikes (including Sur-Ron, Talaria, Segway, and similar style e-moto bikes) are strictly prohibited. These high-speed vehicles pose a major danger to trail users and are never allowed on the skills course or hike and bike trails.
RC Vehicles & Drones: Remote-controlled (RC) cars and trucks are completely banned from the trails, fields, and skills area. (Note: Dedicated RC aviation and drone filming is welcomed exclusively at the south field airfield managed by the Sky High RC Club).
Skills Area Gravity Rules: The Skills Area features unidirectional, gravity-primary lines. No uphill or backwards traffic is permitted under any circumstances. Absolutely no foot traffic is allowed on the jump lines or pump track. If you are sessioning a feature, walk your bike back up completely outside the active trail corridor.
No Foraging or Wood Gathering: Collecting or foraging firewood from the park is strictly prohibited. Do not cut or trim any tree limbs or branches, whether they are dead or alive. Open firepits are prohibited; fires are only allowed inside city-installed metal fire rings at designated campsites.
No Smoking Policy: Smoking is strictly prohibited on the trail system and throughout the park landscape. Smoking is allowed only within designated camping or active recreation parking areas.
Wildlife Protection: Erwin Park is a natural habitat. Do not kill, injure, trap, or disrupt any wildlife—this includes all snake species. Give them space and leave them alone.
Pet Ordinance: Dogs must remain restrained by a handheld leash no longer than 6 feet at all times. Owners are legally responsible for picking up and properly disposing of all dog waste.
Prohibited Items: No alcohol or illegal drugs are allowed in the park (Zero Tolerance policy). No firearms or any devices that release a projectile are permitted.
Leave No Trace: Erwin Park is a pack-it-in, pack-it-out facility. Littering on the trails or dumping trash is strictly prohibited. Please utilize trailhead trash receptacles or pack your waste out to keep our singletrack pristine.

Reservations, Amenities, & Park Regulations

Park Hours: Open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Front gates lock promptly at 10:00 PM. Authorized overnight campers are exempt from the exit curfew.
Mandatory Reservations: All campsites, pavilions, and organized group events at the park require advanced reservations. Bookings must be handled directly through the official City of McKinney Parks and Recreation online portal or by calling the community center at 972-547-2690 (located on the northbound service road of Central/US-75, north of Eldorado Parkway). RV camping is strictly prohibited.
On-Site Facilities: Paved parking lots, rentable pavilions, and picnic areas. Restrooms are available on-site but are closed during the winter freeze months (November to March). Two Dero Bike Repair Stations are located at the trailheads for quick adjustments. Gas and food amenities are located within 2 miles of the park entrance.
Pond Regulations: Swimming, wading, and the use of personal watercraft (kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or remote-controlled boats) are strictly prohibited in the Erwin Park pond. Fishing is permitted but strictly governed by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) regulations. Anglers aged 18 and older must possess a valid Texas fishing license.

Safety Disclaimer & Nearest Emergency Care

Ride, Run, and Hike at your own risk. Helmets are highly recommended—and strongly urged—to be worn at all times while on a bicycle.

In the event of an emergency on the trail, the nearest medical facilities are:
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - McKinney: Located at the northwest corner of US-75 and University Dr (U.S. 380).
Medical City McKinney: Located off Medical Center Drive, just east of US-75.

Weather, Soil Preservation, & Trail Closures

Erwin Park is built on notorious North Texas black clay soil. When wet, it becomes dangerously slick and highly vulnerable to deep tire ruts and shoe footprint damage. Traveling on wet clay causes advanced erosion that dramatically increases the volunteer workload required to sustain a usable trail system.

IF THE TRAIL IS WET, TURN BACK: Trail conditions on the ground at any given time supercede the arrival of volunteers to physically update signs on property or flip the trail status online. If you are leaving tracks or mud is sticking to your tires/shoes, the trail is closed. Turn back immediately.
Always check the current Region Status right here on Trailforks or via the official DORBA app before heading out. A dedicated Gravel Route map is available on Trailforks for when the dirt singletrack is rained out.

Volunteer Work Days & Community Support

DORBA trails operate under formal agreements with municipal landowners that grant public access to build and maintain singletrack. This work is executed entirely by unpaid volunteers through hard work and sweat equity.

Monthly Public Work Days: Volunteering for trail maintenance is open to the general public on the second Saturday of every month.
Get Involved: Follow Erwin Park MTB on social media for location meetups, event details, and weather updates. All tools and training are provided on-site.
Authorized Maintenance Only: All trail building, trimming, and modification must be explicitly authorized by the Trail Steward. Unauthorized digging is illegal.

Contact & Leadership Roster

Trail Steward: Shawn Feiock (IMBA Trained / Certified)
Assistant Trail Steward: Charlton Mooney
Former Trail Steward: Rich Szecsy, Bill Skalenda
Email Contact: [email protected]
Local Trail Association: Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association (DORBA) | dorba.org