Shield Ranch opens to mountain bikers for Wild Ride on Sept. 26

Shield Ranch Barton Creek is located 20 miles west of downtown Austin. Photo courtesy Shield Ranch Foundaiton

Dream of scampering up and down rolling ranch roads in the Hill Country on a mountain bike?

Registration is open for this fall’s Wild Ride at Shield Ranch Barton Creek, set for Sept. 26. The ranch, a 6,600-acre property west of Austin protected through land easements, allows rare cycling access to the property. The ranch makes up about 10 percent of the Barton Creek Watershed.

Here’s a story I wrote about Shield Ranch for The Nature Conservancy a few years ago.

Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Shield Ranch Foundation’s Wild for Good Circle, which supports programs including Camp El Ranchito, which brings fourth- through twelfth-graders from low-income households to the ranch for nature immersion camps.

Shield Ranch will open to mountain bikers for Wild Ride on Sept. 26. Photo courtesy Shield Ranch Foundation

Participants can choose from 8-mile and 16-mile routes.

Cost is $150 and includes a $100 tax deductible donation to the Shield Ranch Foundation. Lunch and post-ride refreshments are included. (Cost is $50 for non-riders.)

The ride starts at 8:30 a.m.