UT Tyler’s Little-Known Bike Trail
Students run along UT Tyler's mountain bike trail on campus. Photo Courtesy Recreational Sports.
By SOFIA DIAZ/Contributor
In a YouTube video, a mountain biker with a GoPro mounted to his helmet crashes down a little dirt path that winds through trees. He climbs a hill on the opposite side, bounces over roots, and crosses a wooden bridge across a river.
“The trail is surprisingly ridable,” comments the bike rider as he picks up speed.
It looks as if the rider is traveling through wilderness or a forest far from a city. But he is actually at the University of Texas at Tyler.
UT Tyler mountain bike trail. Photo courtesy of UT Tyler.
UT Tyler is home to the 3.3-mile Robert G. Hepler Mountain Bike Trail, which zig-zags though woods on the southwest corner of campus. An entry point is near the parking garage that serves the Soules College of Business.
Marked by blue paint on trees and signs, the trail moves northeast around the baseball/softball complex before doubling back and ending at the parking garage.
Brittany Brunson, the assistant director of Aquatics & Outdoor Adventures, said the trail has “various technical mountain biking features like bridges, jumps, brims, a teeter-totter feature.” Brunson added that the trail also is unique since it intersects in places with the campus disc golf course.
A website for mountain bikers, AllTrails.com, claims that the UT Tyler path is excellent for hiking and bird watching, but notes that it is also moderately difficult.
Trail Usage Rules
- Riders should always wear a helmet
- Walk, run, jog at your own risk
- Do not leave trash
- No authorized trail cutting
On the website, a hiker posted the following review: “This trail loops over itself many times so it can be hard to maneuver. Overall nice trail and well maintained. Lots of trail markings.”
“Several surprise creeks with flowing water. Mainly nice shade and breezy throughout trail,” the review continues. “Easy to get turned around when trying to decide which trials to take.
UT Tyler student Kevin Guo says he uses the mountain bike trail frequently. Photo by Sofia Diaz.
UT Tyler student Kevin Guo, who lives in Liberty Landing and is majoring in psychology, was surprised and thankful to learn that campus has a trail.
He now uses it often.
“It is definitely very reliable, as I am an active person and can, therefore, use the trail a lot to hike, bike or run,” he said. “It’s also very nice that everything is shaded, and the sun doesn’t hit you in the face.”