looking for a texas hike [Archive] - WhiteBlaze

eric_plano

10-02-2006, 19:45

I have the same problem Johnny, being in Dallas. I tend to go to Eagle Rock Loop alot. About 4 hrs from Dallas near DeQueen Arkansas. It is a loop trail a little under 30 miles and very pretty. Not a lot in North Tx :( Lake Texoma trails are short and bleh in my opinion and the next best option is Sam Houston State Park I believe down by La. border, which is not a loop and pretty marshy from what I have read.

rmtjr

10-02-2006, 21:37

The 4C National Recreation Trail is in E. TX. It leaves the Ratcliff Lake C of E park and goes 20 miles to the north to an overlook on the Neches River. Ratcliff is about halfway between Crockett and Lufkin on TX 7. Pluses: Easy trail, well marked. Shelter and campsites at Walnut Creek Camp, 10 miles north of the C of E campground TH. Secure parking at the TH for $3-4/night. Minuses: Not a loop, just out and back. Its hunting season so the guys that gotta kill something are out. Pond Camp is just a trashed hunter's camp with a dirt road running to it - no shelter or prepared campsites. I didn't like the looks of the water in the streams and ponds when I was there last Mar or April. That means no agua on the trail, unless you cache it somewhere, which would not be difficult. Bob

berninbush

10-03-2006, 10:44

I've done a little bit of the Lone Star Hiking Trail in the Sam Houston National Forest. http://www.lshtclub.com/

It's closer to Houston than to Dallas, so it's a bit of a drive, but easily accessible from I-45. I think it's about 96 miles long, and runs through East Texas woods and along Lake Conroe with some road walks. When I hiked overnight last April, I think I only encountered one other set of hikers while I was out, so it's not a terribly busy trail.

johnny quest

10-03-2006, 10:44

johnny quest

10-03-2006, 10:46

lone star hiking trail! when i did it it was mostly slogging thru calf deep water.

Shutterbug

10-03-2006, 11:42

i really need to get away this next weekend. anyone know a good overnight hike in north to central texas for me to go on???

I enjoy hiking in the Wichita Wildlife Refuge near Lawton, OK. There are lots of varieties of wild life including bison, long horn cattle, elk, deer, and prarie dogs.

Someone else mentioned Caprock Canyon. I enjoyed hiking there too.

Paloduro Canyon is part of the same canyon system as Caprock Canyon. It is crowded near the trail heads, but if you get a mile or so away from the trail heads, the crowds thin out.

Tha Wookie

10-03-2006, 12:12

ive done both the caprock canyon trailway (70 miles) and the one taht runs down around conroe (what the heck was it called???) i was really thinking about redoing the west part of caprock, its beautiful, or lake texoma. but...now my plans have changed. gotta haul the kids around. ohwelll, soon.

Caprock Canyon is really incredible. I suggest it. Great trails.

It's where the midwest meets the west, or more acurately, where the great plains meet the rolling plains at an inspiring escarpment.

Check it out!

Tha Wookie

10-03-2006, 12:14

Sorry Johnny, I didn't realize you started the post, as I was avoiding your annoying avatar.

Sounds like you probably know Caprock quite well.

Great place!

johnny quest

10-03-2006, 12:55

Sorry Johnny, I didn't realize you started the post, as I was avoiding your annoying avatar.

ahhh! then its working!

berninbush

10-03-2006, 13:18

lone star hiking trail! when i did it it was mostly slogging thru calf deep water.

:D I can imagine it being like that after rain, as the ground is low and flat. But if you go in a dry season, it's a nice little trail. When I did it, the park service had just been doing a controlled burn, so there was hardly any undergrowth and lots of ash. It made things a bit sooty, but at least I wasn't battling thorns and poison ivy.

johnny quest

10-03-2006, 13:27

i went in winter about 2002ish. wet wet wet. i ended up basecamping out of huntsville state park and doing it in dayhikes. some parts were unhikeable.

berninbush

10-03-2006, 13:47

Did you do the whole trail, Johnny? I've only done the part in Little Lake Creek Wilderness (just a few miles). I'd like to do some more of it when I get the time.

The LSHTC website has a nice trail guide with mile-by-mile notes; I noticed it comments on a lot of places where the trail tends to be muddy. I did the creek crossing it was talking about, around mile 8; it was just a trickle when I crossed, but I can only imagine what a mess it would be after a heavy rain.

johnny quest

10-03-2006, 13:50

no, i skipped the eastern end and some parts in the middle. it was raining some then and literally was up to my calfs in some places.
ther is some nice hiking in the area, i think i will go back after january and before it warms up.

Heater

10-05-2006, 06:28

i really need to get away this next weekend. anyone know a good overnight hike in north to central texas for me to go on???

Lost Maples?

I am going to try to get over there end of Oct or middle of Nov, or as soon as this broken toe heals up a little better.

I'll probably spend a day in S.A. too. Haven't been there in a while.

Heater

10-05-2006, 06:30

Lost Maples?

I am going to try to get over there end of Oct or middle of Nov, or as soon as this broken toe heals up a little better.

I'll probably spend a day in S.A. too. Haven't been there in a while.

http://www.americansouthwest.net/texas/lost_maples/state_natural_area.html

Heater

10-05-2006, 06:48

http://www.americansouthwest.net/texas/lost_maples/state_natural_area.html

Here is a better link if you decide to do this one.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lost_maples/

It has all the info and a trail map. :sun

johnny quest

10-05-2006, 10:23

thanks. i have never been there. i was hoping for more trail. i would like to do a couple tenmile days at least. i wonder if there is any water in the creekbeds? im so SICK of this dry ass state.

berninbush

10-05-2006, 11:08

i wonder if there is any water in the creekbeds? im so SICK of this dry ass state.

;) A bit ironic, since you were just complaining about "swimming" through the LSHT. It really depends on where in the state you go. The Houston area, right now, is in fairly good balance... not dried up, but not too marshy.

I've never been to Lost Maples, but I've heard good things about it. It's supposed to be gorgeous in peak foliage season (late October to early November). The catch is that you have to call ahead to find the "peak" since it varies from year to year, and when it is at peak the park is likely to be crowded.

johnny quest

10-05-2006, 11:13

that does seem to be at odds doesnt it?
the lonestar was literally impassable. the water kept me from doing the whole trail. i should have brough a kayak.
my angst over the current conditions here in north central texas is more emotional. i kayak and canoe and rivers that in the past have offered so much fun are just dry rock beds. i guess i could treat the rivers like hiking trails. there is an idea.

berninbush

10-05-2006, 14:55

I didn't realize the drought was so bad up there. Come down here and I think you'll find some nice kayakable rivers, as well as good hiking. We've had a pretty balanced year as far as rainfall goes... which is rare, as we seem to alternate between droughts and floods.

johnny quest

10-05-2006, 15:03

where are you? im up on the brazos, which is really down. the smaller rivers are dry. when i go to austin i look at the san gabriel. it is a rock garden.

rhjanes

10-05-2006, 15:43

We were in Uvalde the last 4 or 5 years. This year, the Frio was SAD!!!

Up here in Dallas, there are tree's, large, 100 year old one's, dying of thirst. I'm afraid I lost a Pine.... (YOU KILLED A PINE!!....name that movie!)

berninbush

10-05-2006, 15:46

*throws caution to the wind*

I live in the Houston city limits. I don't get to look at any of the "big rivers" on a daily basis, but I see the bayous a lot, and they're all at normal levels. We had a very wet summer. Low-lying areas still tend to be marshy, depending on conditions over the last few days. (It hasn't rained this week, so things are starting to dry out a bit.)

You could take a look at the Trinity and San Jacinto rivers....

Heater

10-05-2006, 16:01

rhjanes

10-05-2006, 17:55

Back to the future?

ding-ding! we have a Winner :banana

johnny quest

10-05-2006, 18:01

i was in the colorado river 100 in early sept. on the....colorado.(duh) everyone said the river was down but to me it looked great.

rhjanes

10-06-2006, 10:31

Lake Lewisville, here in the N Dallas area, is 14 FEET below level. Most of the lakes around N TX, are just as bad.

berninbush

11-14-2006, 12:13

Ok, I'm bumping this thread up, so Texans can talk about local hiking without hijacking other threads. :D :rolleyes:

Bloodroot

11-14-2006, 12:16

I didn't mind hijacking the other one.:D

berninbush

11-14-2006, 12:22

:D Me either, really, but it makes the info a little harder to find... and I really do want to hear about good Texas hiking!

Heater

11-14-2006, 12:31

I didn't mind hijacking the other one.:D

Me either. ;)

Looks like I'll be at Lost Maples a couple of days in the the last week of November. I am trying to time it right. Gotta see if I can get a campsite too. If not, I'll probably do a day hike and visit S.A. for another day. :banana

Heater

11-14-2006, 12:34

:D Me either, really, but it makes the info a little harder to find... and I really do want to hear about good Texas hiking!

Are you in the D/FW area?

Bloodroot

11-14-2006, 12:46

Reading bout the Lonestar Trail. Sounds great for a good week hike. How much of a concern is the water?

berninbush

11-14-2006, 12:57

Are you in the D/FW area?

Nope, Houston.

Reading bout the Lonestar Trail. Sounds great for a good week hike. How much of a concern is the water?

I'm still a novice hiker with a regrettable lack of free time, so I only do overnights and carry my water with me. But I did several miles of the western end of the Lone Star trail weekend before last, and there was a little water flowing in several creekbeds I crossed. I think I'd want to use some kind of a pre-filter to get out sand/grit/large debris, since it was fairly shallow. It's really going to depend on how recently it's rained, but we've had a LOT of rain in the last month.

If you haven't already seen the hiking club's website, it's at http://www.lshtclub.com. There's a guide to the whole trail there, though it's several years old.

berninbush

11-14-2006, 13:02

I should add... I got the USFS map of the Little Lake Creek Wilderness, and I downloaded a map from the hiking club's website too, and found both to be poorly marked and very confusing. The USFS map has a complete loop trail (the one I ended up hiking) marked as the Lone Star Hiking Trail, but on the ground, the southern half is marked as the LSHT and the northern half is marked as the North Wilderness Trail. The hiking club's map looks like someone played with an Etch a Sketch to draw little lines all over the place, without labelling what they were, so roads, trails, and creeks all look the same. But I did some detective work, comparing the two maps and using the hiking guide, and got it figured out.

Bloodroot

11-14-2006, 13:07

Thanks Bernin. I can so relate on the free time factor :)I've always enjoyed those 100 miles or so week long hikes that no one really knows much about. Is there any other semi-long trails native to Texas?

berninbush

11-14-2006, 13:12

That's what I'd like to know! :)

I've really only gotten into backpacking in the last year, so there's plenty I don't know about my own state. I've actually done more (day) hiking in the East, but I can't get over there too often, so I'd love to know what's closer to home. Texas has some great scenery. It seems like we should have some good hiking trails.

Has anyone on here done Big Bend? How was it?

Bloodroot

11-14-2006, 13:17

That's what I'd like to know! :)

Has anyone on here done Big Bend? How was it?

No but I have been told that is the place to go for a weekender. Matter of fact, I read in Backpacker (although not reliable at times) that they list it in top ten day hikes in US.

berninbush

11-14-2006, 15:09

Alas, it's a big state, and that's a long way for me to go just for a weekend. :(

One of these days, though, I'll make it out there. Preferably sometime when it's neither freezing nor sizzling, so I don't die in the desert....

Shutterbug

11-14-2006, 22:59

Has anyone on here done Big Bend? How was it?

I visited Big Bend 10 days ago. I climbed Emory Peak (the tallest peak in the park). I enjoyed the hike, but probably won't go back, because I didn't find it much of a challenge.

The park is desert with a small group of mountains in the middle. In the center of the group of mountains is the "basin." That is where the park headquarters, camp grounds, resturant, etc. are located. From the Basin there is a trail system that offers a variety of trails. They are all well maintained.

The RioGrande River runs along the southern edge of the park. There are some interesting hikes along the river.

Camping in the park looks good. The only camps I visited were on the trail to Emory Peak. They looked like great camping sites.

There is an abundance of wildlife in the park. There are frequent sightings of bear and mountain lions, but I didn't see any of them. I saw a lot of deer, a couple of coyotes, a javelina, and one of the biggest tarantulas I have ever seen. It is the kind of place one would expect rattle snakes, but I didn't see any.

I did have a "wildlife" encounter. One evening after I had dinner at the lodge, I walked back to my suv. It was just dark. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some movement under one of the cars parked near mine. I leaned down to see what it was and found myself eye to eye with a large skunk. I must be living right, because he didn't spray. I backed away and said a prayer of thanks.

If anyone expresses an interested, I will post some of my pictures of Big Bend.

halftime

11-14-2006, 23:34

i really need to get away this next weekend. anyone know a good overnight hike in north to central texas for me to go on???

Have you tried Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway? Follows an old railroad line from Wetherford to Mineral Wells. May not be what you are looking for but is in the area.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_mineral_wells/

halftime

11-14-2006, 23:41

If anyone expresses an interested, I will post some of my pictures of Big Bend.

Would love to see your pictures. Did you do an overnight or day hike? Also did you have to pack water?

Bloodroot

11-14-2006, 23:46

If anyone expresses an interested, I will post some of my pictures of Big Bend.

Ditto I would love to see em'.

berninbush

11-15-2006, 11:19

Double ditto, pictures would be welcome!

Eeeek, I find tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions a bit intimidating. But it sounds like beautiful country, in a deserty way. Perhaps sometime I'll find both time and gumption to do it.

Shutterbug

11-15-2006, 21:40

Would love to see your pictures. Did you do an overnight or day hike? Also did you have to pack water?

I will post the photos later this evening and will post a link here. The Emory Peak hike was a day hike. I stayed at the Big Bend Lodge. The first day, I explored the southern part of the park -- several short hikes along the Rio Grande River. The second day, I did the Emory Peak hike as a day hike. I packed all of the water I needed. About a mile from the peak there are two bear proof containers. A sign invites hikers to leave their packs in the container while they complete the hike. I left everything except one liter of water in the container.