The city of McKinney now has a mountain bike skills area. For mountain bike enthusiasts there is nowhere else in the area quite like it.
The Erwin Park skills area is a six-line, beginner, intermediate and advanced difficulty downhill jump line drop course. For those of use not familiar with these biking terms, this skills area is, essentially, a dirt area consisting of different lanes or "lines" for different skill levels. It is a place where kiddos and adults alike can practice biking up and down hills and also jumping.
The Erwin Park skills area is located inside Erwin Park and connects with the park's eight miles of cross-country mountain bike trails.
This special project was a joint effort between the McKinney Parks and Recreation Department, DORBA, the McKinney Parks Foundation and many other groups. The skills area took over 2,000 volunteer hours to construct over 16 months and was built with over 7,000 tons of dirt.
The skills area will be maintained by DORBA and Trail Steward Rich Szecsy.
Erwin Park Trail
Also at Erwin Park is the Erwin Park Trail. It is a single-track route of 8.1 miles with tight twists and turns. The drops and climbs are steep and sometimes sudden, making for an exciting ride. The last section of the trail is called the expert section. There is an alternate route to your left crossing a bridge (left – easy; right – hard). Don’t worry about flat tires, because Erwin Park has two Dero Bike Repair Stations for minor repairs.
Erwin Park, McKinney
Driving to Erwin Park is a bit tricky and when you’re there you feel miles away from home. The park is north of Highway 380 and Lake Forest Drive. Going north on Lake Forest, turn right onto CR162 (you’ll see a brown sign for Erwin Park) and immediately turn right onto CR164. In less than a mile, turn left onto CR-1006 (do not go straight onto the gravel road). The park entrance is down this road on your right.
Enter the park and as soon as the road splits, turn left. Pass the first parking lot and park in the second parking lot. The trailhead is down the road on your right. Erwin Park is a city of McKinney public park, and there are lots of tables for camping out (so after your ride, enjoy a picnic lunch). The park is open from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Erwin Park
4300 CR 1006