Passes & Canyons Blog

Not one, but three twisted sisters. That sounds good.

From Colorado, taking a motorcycle trip in Texas is not unthinkable. If you head down toward Lamar, to the southeastern corner of the state, Texas is only 40 miles away across the Oklahoma panhandle. From Denver you can actually be in Texas in just a few hours. But then your trip is barely begun.

“Texas is a world all of its own. It takes a lifetime to drive from Eastland to Van Horn.” That’s a line from a Little Feat song. And they should know. Texas is BIG.

So where would you go to ride in Texas? You guessed it: I’ve got another new Butler Maps map, this one for the Texas Hill Country. And where exactly is the Texas Hill Country? Oh, just about 700 miles south of where you would be coming into the state. Down around Austin and San Antonio. And let’s face it, most of that is going to be just burning up miles. Unless you’re Iron Butt-inclined, this needs to be a trip of a full week or more.

And what do you find when you get there? Well, hills for one thing. And that generally means twisty roads running through canyons and valleys. That sounds good, doesn’t it? The biggest attraction as far as I can see is what they call the Three Twisted Sisters. I don’t think that needs explanation. Butler maps out a Three Twisted Sisters route that starts and ends in Kerrville, running 225 miles. A nice day’s ride.

The map also shows three other day ride loops, a 131-mile ride out of Bandera, a 140-mile ride out of New Braunfels, and a 140-mile ride out of Luckenbach.

Perhaps surprisingly for Texas, the map also lists 28 dual sport adventure roads. Texas is known for not having a lot of public land but if you want to get off the pavement there are at least some places you can go. However, be warned. Here’s what Butler has to say about these roads:

They are best suited for advanced riders on bikes such as the BMW R1200GS or KTM 1190. Do not try these roads if your skills or machine are not up to the task.

Something on this map I don’t recall seeing on others are highlight text labeled “Don’t Miss This.” On the Bandera loop, for example, they list things like:

• The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum near Vanderpool houses a treasure-trove of bikes dating from 1910 to the present.
• The Apple Store in Medina is a great place to stretch your legs. Be sure to try their signature apple-cinnamon ice cream.

Texas really is a world all of its own. I guesstimate that this map covers maybe one-fifth of the state. In other words, there’s a whole heck of a lot more of it. And I’m sure there is some good riding in other places but I suspect Butler focused on the Hill Country because that’s the best. At least in a concentrated grouping. Considering how huge Texas is I welcome someone pointing me to the really good stuff so I don’t end up burning up thousands of miles on country that is not all that interesting.

One note though: if you’re going to go I suggest you do so in the spring or fall. I’ve heard that, just as riders put their bikes away for the winter up north, riders in Texas put their bikes away for the hottest part of the summer.

So am I going to go riding in Texas? Well, yeah, I’d sure like to. But will it happen? I honestly can’t say. We’re talking serious miles and I’m in the heart of some of the best riding in the world here in Colorado. But I’m definitely going to be considering it.

Biker Quote for Today

But officer, I only have two wheels so I’d have to do 110 mph to break the limit!