Bike and Run Routes in San Angelo

One of the common questions I get asked by people new to our community is “Where are some good routes for cycling, running or triathlon training?”

Those questions typically come from service members newly assigned to Goodfellow, students attending ASU, visitors to our community, or people who are just new to cycling and running.

To help answer the “where are good routes” question, I’ve compiled a detailed listing of routes and posted them online at http://bcullins.blogspot.com/2013/09/san-angelo-cycling-and-running-routes.html.

It’s a fairly long list, so here’s my pared-down, quick guide to the most common bike and run routes in San Angelo. Save the list — pass it on to new people and visitors — and become a “where to work out” ambassador for our community.

Let’s start with road cycling. Most San Angelo area road rides will start and finish at one of three locations — the swim beach at Lake Nasworthy (Mary E. Lee Park), Liquor City on Arden Road, or at the TxDOT complex on Knickerbocker Blvd.

Although the rides from each of these starting points can be easily modified to suit individual needs, the following are typical examples with links to show complete routes:

 - Knickerbocker out-and-back (26 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/219937395): This is arguably the most commonly ridden route for San Angelo cyclists. It starts and finishes at the swim beach on Lake Nasworthy, so it’s also popular with multisport athletes who want to combine bike, run and swim workouts.

 - Seven Sisters loop (39 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/220071789): Similar to the Knickerbocker ride described above, but extended to include FM 2335 over the “Seven Sisters” hills and U.S. 277 from Christoval back to San Angelo. This route was part of a long-course duathlon course in past years.

 - Jamison Road loop (16 miles, nice after-work route, mapmyride.com/routes/view/219960265): The Jamison loop is a flat route that’s good for an easy day or hard intervals on a low-traffic road.

 - Arden Road out-and-back to County Road 411 (34 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/219941479): This route follows one of the most popular cycling roads in the San Angelo area, with multiple route variations possible. The example shown at the link above goes out-and-back from a starting point at the old Liquor City on the west edge of town.

 - Burma Road (46 miles with nice hills, mapmyride.com/routes/view/219969249): A hill workout favorite for San Angelo cyclists, the Burma route follows Arden Road to South Burma Road, goes over several miles of short, steep hills, and then comes back the same way. Cyclists looking for a harder workout will repeat the Burma hills section multiple times before heading back to town.

 - Loop group routes (19 miles mapmyride.com/routes/view/220077825 and 31 miles mapmyride.com/routes/view/219949563): Both of these routes are used for the Tuesday/Thursday “Loop Group” ride that meets at the TxDOT facility during the summer.

Moving on to mountain biking, you’ll find that most local off-road cyclists ride in San Angelo State Park or sometimes in the Middle Concho Park/Spillway Hill area. In the state park, you’ll see many riders starting from the park’s south end at either the Playground or the Burkett trailhead.

Rides that originate in Middle Concho Park usually start near the middle gate and continue out onto the dirt road to the Spillway Hill trails. All of these mountain bike routes are also popular with trail runners.

 - State Park time trial loop (6 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/257762575): This loop starts at the playground area near the state park’s south entrance and is used for the monthly mountain bike time trial races. It can easily be extended by continuing north past the Burkett trailhead.

 - State Park end-to-end and back (approximately 35 miles, mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/san-angelo-state-park-south-to-north-loo-route-83619741): There are a number of variations on this mountain bike ride. A pure south-to-north and back is about 27 miles, but several additional miles can be added by doing small “side loops” in addition to the main trails.

 - Race loop (Spillway Hill area, 8 miles, mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/spillway-hill-ride-route-18828500): This ride starts and finishes in Middle Concho Park and follows trails and some 4WD roads in the Twin Buttes open space area. The route can easily be extended another 6-8 miles by starting at the front of the park or by following more of the motorcycle trails in that area.

Runners in San Angelo have a wide variety of both paved and off-road routes, but the most popular runs center around Gun Club Road (KOA loop), the Downtown River Trail, Spring Creek Park, Middle Concho Park, and the swim beach. Trail runners commonly use all or parts of the mountain bike rides described above. Here are several examples of good running routes:

 - Gun Club Road (2 miles per lap, nice hills, mapmyride.com/routes/view/257737833): Located just north of the Lake Nasworthy bridge on Knickerbocker Blvd, the KOA loop is a San Angelo favorite for runners and walkers. Be careful and stay to the edge of the road to avoid vehicles and bring your own water — there are no facilities at this location.

 - Downtown River Trail (3.5 miles, can be extended, mapmyride.com/routes/view/256776635): The river trail provides a scenic and partially-shaded route to run. A common starting point is at the Kids Kingdom playground where there are restrooms and water fountains.

 - Middle Concho Park dirt road (about 8 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/257740231): If you like soft dirt surfaces, very few people, and occasional wildlife sightings, this is the best place to run in San Angelo. Start near the front gate of Middle Concho Park, follow the shoreline to the back gate, and then continue out onto the dirt road behind the park.

Spring Creek Park from Swim Beach (5 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/257742967): This route is commonly used by triathletes during combined bike/run workouts. The route begins at the swim beach, follows Fisherman’s Road to the park, and then continues through the park to the back gate.

 - State Park (road run with hills, 7.3 miles, mapmyride.com/routes/view/257745697): If you like running on hills, this route will make you happy. Start at the playground area just inside the park’s south entry gate and then follow low-traffic park roads to the top of Wink Hill (now called the Scenic Overlook).

One final note — for “brick” workouts that combine biking or running with open-water swimming, the two best locations in San Angelo are the swim beach at Lake Nasworthy or the front (main) boat ramp in Middle Concho Park. Both of these locations have been used for local triathlons.


Upcoming Events

Oct. 2: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 9: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 12: ASU Homecoming Ram Run, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 14: ASU & SAISD Health Fair, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 16: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 23: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 26: Heart Walk, http://heartwalk.kintera.org
Oct. 26: MDA Ride for ALS, www2.mda.org/site/TR?fr_id=7703&pg=entry
Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Nov. 16: West Texas Masochist Run, roadlizards.org
Nov. 23: Turkey Trot 5k, angelo.edu/asufit