BeltonLake is a little-known secret up in Belton. It seems like nobody knows it's there. The trails are beautifully marked and graded in terms of beginner, intermediate and expert. I found that the expert trails were not quite as challenging as some of the other trails I've ridden from a technical standpoint, but definitely a challenge from the climbing sense.
When you ride these trails, you essentially descend into a bowl where you ride a good chunk of the trail and then climb out at the end. The trails have a lot of rock coming out of them, which can make riding somewhat of an obstacle course in some areas. There are lots small rock ledges (~6" in height)throughout the beginning of the ride but you don't really hit any real challenges until the very end (at least on the paths that I took.) Also be on the lookout for livestock, I came around a corner and missed a bull by a few feet.
Location:Belton, TX
Directions: From Austin, take I-35 north to Belton. Exit on highway 190 west. Then take highway 121 north for 3-4 miles and turn left at the light (right BEFORE the school). Take that 5-6 miles to the entrance of BLORA.
Technical Level: Several trails from low to high, technical from a climbing, not an obstacle standpoint
{youtube}403Bz3g-KWQ{/youtube}