Knob Hills
Review: Knob Hills is a DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association) trail, located near Roanoke. This trail consists of a series of 6 loops that follow Denton Creek, just west of Lake Grapevine. This trail has it all, from gentle flats in a forest, to rock gardens and some hills. If you haven’t been yet, you need to!
Distance: 9.6 miles one way
Area of Town: Roanoke, west of Lake Grapevine
Facilities: We didn’t notice any, so plan accordingly
Suitable for: Hiking, Mountain Biking
Type of Trail: Natural Trails
Shade: Mixed, some parts are in a forest covered by canopy and other sections are exposed to the sun
Where to Park: There is a parking lot at the Knob Hill Trailhead, you could also part at the Cross Timbers trailhead which is ~2/3 of the distance to the end of the trail
Official Website: Official website
Nearby Trails: North Shore, Cross Timbers Equestrian Trail, Bob Jones Nature Center, Horseshoe Trail
Knob HIlls is one of many trails maintained by DORBA. While developed and maintained by the organization of mountain bike enthusiasts, hikers are welcome on the trail. Just make sure to keep an eye (or ear) out for approaching cyclists (especially if they are coming up behind you), and move out of the way for them to pass. This is another of those trails that I’ve known about for years, but never actually visited until just recently. And once again, I’m kicking myself for not getting out here earlier. This is a great trail with lots of varied terrain, a beautiful forested area, with views of Denton Creek for parts of it. Denton Creek is not your traditional small creek through a ravine, it’s large enough for boats and kayaks!
We started at the main trailhead off of Highway 377 in Roanoake, where the trail begins. There is a second trailhead at the Crosstimbers trail. We did not make it all the way to Crosstimbers. There is also an equestrian trail located here.
Starting at the official trailhead, your hike will start in a beautiful forested area. Starting out, the way is easy, and when we went, was beautiful and green. Knob Hills is easy to navigate meandering through the forest, offering many views of Denton Creek. The trail is a series of loops, similar to North Shore actually, so at various intervals you can choose to turn back without having to retrace your steps. The trail eventually emerges from the tree cover and winds through open patches of prairie in places. What we liked about this trail was that it did make you feel like you were ’out there’, without many modern day distractions aside from the sound of planes.
This is a mountain biking trail, so stay aware of bikers, especially if you are traveling in the same direction. Safer yet, go opposite the bikers so you can see them coming!
We did not make the entire 9.6 miles, one way, turning around after about 5 miles. The return trip was definitely more hilly in places than the way out (we went in the same direction as the bikers). While our way out was fairly easy, and it didn’t feel like a difficult trail at all to bike, our return trip had more noticeable elevation shifts, so keep that in mind if you go on bike vs foot!
One last thing to mention, the trail is marked with many signs to indicate where you on on the map, and whoever named those signs has a great sense of humor. From ”Me So Thorny” to Rabid Squirrel”, keep an eye out for the signs for a chuckle!
Overall, this is a great trail with pretty scenery and changes in difficulty. On foot we didn’t find it a challenge, but the changes in elevation certainly made it interesting. This definitely warrants a return trip, perhaps starting at the Crosstimbers trailhead, to see how the far side of the trail compares to the initial 5 miles!
The Signs of Knob Hills
