Review Date
June 18, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: biga6462 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I just found this trail recently and wished I would have found it a long time ago. It is not the most technical trail in the world but not bad for a city. I enjoy actually putting some miles on compared to doing short mileage circles at Memorial Park. People seem to be more friendly here also.

Recommended Route:
I like to follow as close to the bayou as possible, but there are many other options.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Memorial Park, Paved Terry Hershey Park Trail

Review Date
December 28, 2007

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: robbmatt ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I live in the East Texas area and regularly ride some pretty good trails. I checked out the Ant Hills in Houston today and was pretty disappointed. The signage is horrible and the trail has been terribly eroded. The paved areas are nice for a Sunday stroll, but the off road sections are quite lacking. Next time I will bring my road bike!

Recommended Route:
Just followed the route of some of the other reviews.

Review Date
February 13, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: thebat411 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
This is a great trail. I love how it's so long. It's not really that technical, but it's still pretty good especially for a cardio work out. It's not like the Memorial trails where you finish it in no time. It's pretty extended. The single track is the best. When you get to the end of the trail you have a nice surprise waiting for you at the end. You'll find a track with a bunch of dirt ramps so you can fly around in the air. It is so awesome.

Recommended Route:
If traveling from I-10 East going west bound, exit HWY 6/Addicks exit and make a left under the the freeway. Park where you see an Enterprise Rental. It'll be on you right side. The Enterprise is right before Briarhill Pkwy. If you pass it then turn around and it'll be right after that street. You'll see all the cars with bike racks in the parking lot. You'll find plenty of riders around there that can tell you where to go to get to the ant hills. Once they send you off to the right direction, you can't get lost. Just follow all the bike tracks on the dirt/grass. It'll lead you to your destination.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Jack Brooks and Memorial trails are my other two favorites. Jack Brooks is pretty fun. Just becareful with that damn see-saw ramp in the playground. You can have a nasty fall on it if you don't catch enough speed.

Review Date
December 15, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: GSG ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Great trail! You can start at Wilcrest and go E to W or start at Eldridge and go W to E. Stay up high for more technical route (experienced) or down low for fast and easy going (beginners). The trail makers are out all of the time keeping the Ant Hills one of the best trails in the Houston area. There are roots, drops, hills, jumps, and close calls with the bayou. Something for everyone...but not all at once. Gets a little crowded on the weekends and after work. Use this website the check the USGS flood gauge at Dairy Ashford: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_00060=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&period=60&site_no=08073500
If gauge height is over 60 ft, trail will be segmented and parts are unpassable. You can use it to check for wet trails too. If they have released water from Addicks, it takes about 2 or 3 days to dry out enough to ride without damaging trail.

Recommended Route:
Terry Hershey parking lot between Hwy 6 and Eldridge on I-10 access road to Wilcrest and back. Good warm-up and cool-down on paved trail to start and finish. Drop in on South side of Buffalo Bayou at Eldridge bridge.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Memorial (all), Rocky Hills, Warda, Flat Rock Ranch (if it's not hunting season)

Review Date
June 28, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: pan ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
A great trail system for a gigantic city, and its free. All the trails run East-West on the south side of Buffalo Bayou. With a little experience it's possible to get a challenging 14 mile ride. Trails are twisting, rooty, and tunnel-like. A couple of stunts on the Wilcrest side, along with the bowl provide a bit more challenge. There are a couple sections that really fly. Hills tend to be of the short, vertical type with roots exposed. Bridges provide links across gullies that usually either muddy or flooded or generally too steep/deep to be passable, since the entire system is in a flood-control zone for the reservoir on Hwy 6. Technical skills are needed for this trail.



One caveat - while I think this trail makes a great way to stay in shape and keep the technical skills honed, I don't think that I would make a special trip to ride them if my usual riding was outside the Houston metroplex (anywhere more than 1.5 hours away).

Recommended Route:
The trail is best ridden as an out-and-back. So either park at the Hwy 6 end or the Beltway 8 end and ride one to the other and back. There are numberous overpass streets with some parking lots that would allow other parking options. The general rule-of-thumb I follow while riding is to go up or down whenever the opportunity arises. Go with someone familiar with the trail your first few times to get the feel for how good it can flow with experience (and to learn the up/down pattern for best effect).

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Houston area - Cypresswood, Memorial Park, Jack Brooks Park