Big Thicket National Preserve is an American treasure. It is a beautifully serene area of the…read morecountry located in East Texas that fully deserves all the attention it's due. The many ecosystems that this park encompasses is a geological mystery that starts millions of years ago with the movement of glaciers. We only had a short 2 hour time window to enjoy the exhibits at the visitors center, the short film in the theatre, and a quick hike close to the visitors center. The film is the same one you can view on their website, so if you are short on time, skip it and watch it at home. The gift shop is stocked with amazing items, so definitely save 5 minutes to browse around. My kids enjoyed speaking to Ranger Scott about his favorite animal in the preserve, the American alligator, and completing the Junior Ranger booklet for the badges. This program is targeted for 14 and under but adults can participate as well.

Nice NPS site. Small but informative visitor center with friendly ranger. Infrastructure is…read moresimple and well maintained. Nice junior ranger program. Would not go out of my way to visit but worth a stop if in area.

Just got back from a camping trip here. We stayed in a screened shelter on the hen house side. We…read morewere there for 2.5 days and we managed to finish ALL of the (walkable) trails in the whole park. The park is small but gorgeous and has lots of things to do. Camping, swimming, fish, kayak/canoe... we did two evening swims, and one where it was completely secluded. Absolutely magical. Sadly didn't spot any gators during this trip, but we saw lots of deer and armadillos! The mosquitoes are wicked tho so be sure to pack loooots of bug spray. Our bug spray had DEET in it and although it detered them a bit, it didn't stop them fully. It also rained twice for a little bit over the span of two days so that was really nice considering we come from austin and we haven't seen rain in a few months. Our first shelter actually ended up flooding so staff allowed us to love our things into another available and dry shelter. So anyway - overall we had the most amazing camping trip here. Pros: everything Cons: mosquitos We definitely left here covered head to toe in bites! Haha.

Beautiful park. It's like having 3 different parks in one depending on where you camp. We love this…read moreplace and come often as possible. It's the first park we camped when we got our rig so it's rather special.

I love this place! It is so quiet and such a great place to have a picnic or just sit and watch the…read moreturtles. Wish that Harvey wouldn't have displaced most of them, but still a clean and well taken care of oasis.

The Big Creek Scenic Area, Latitude : 30.5027 Longitude : -95.0833,…read more is an USDA Forest Service designated area of special scenic quality. The Big Creek Scenic Area is named after the perennial Big Creek which runs through the area. The 98.6 mile long, Lone Star Hiking Trail, travels West and North through the Scenic Area and has three concentric trails that make easy and short loops for families, bird watchers, and outdoor enthusiast. The Lone Star Hiking Trail has a white rectangular marker on trees, the Pine Trail has a silver marker with yellow stripe, White Oak Trail has a silver marker with green stripe, and Big Creek Trail has a silver marker with orange stripe. There are benches along several of the trails to allow you to sit quietly to listen. Come out on a overcast day or have a night hike to hear Barred Owls hooting back and forth to each other. Evenings or nights you might see Beavers working on their dams on Big Creek. You can hike for 5 miles on the Lone Star Hiking Trail to the Double Lake Recreation Area (Campground) and back for a 10 mile hike. Find maps at lshtcsonservancy.org

When there was no other campsites available on the website for TX State parks, I kinda grew…read moreskeptical that this one being so close to East Texas that I would have issues as I'm a minority. However, nonetheless, when I tell you this state park is a gem and an underrated one too you'll be surprised to know why. Let me tell you: With the Texas Parks pass, I booked a weekend stay from Saturday to Monday at campsite 36. The original cost was going to be $36, but with the pass it was only $15 total. The campsite wasn't a drive-in and it was only a short hike in. I was a bit worried about this since the person I went with normally camps at drive up sites and not so much primitive. Rest ensure, he was fine because the parking lot to our campsite was approximately 400 ft in and the pathway was sand. The only troubles we had was our lousy portable cart that had a lame leg. Our campsite was the most primitive since most of the others were close in proximity to the others and your neighbors were either across from you or adjacent from you. Thankfully, ours wasn't. All primitive campsites are off of many hiking trails and campsite 40+ are near the creek so that's a nice view. The campsite itself has a lantern post, fire ring, picnic table, and a base spot for the tent (away from the fire ring). It is prohibited to burn or ignite firewood collected inside the parks. So, please go to the ranger station to purchase firewood. My friend and I ended up going to Home Depot, they sell it for $6 and it burned very well and too quick. Oh and please don't go to the gas station to get theirs, we made that mistake and it was not only expensive, but the wood burned too quick. The mosquitoes are absolutely terrible, make sure you bring DEET bug spray, citronella candle, or something to keep them invasive buggers off your skin and ears! I must tell y'all, the restrooms are amazingly clean. Every morning they are cleaned with Pinesol and are spotless. Once you sleep throughout the night and your body starts to feel sticky, please hit the showers!! The water pressure is perfect flowing and the water can get hot. The floors can be cold. I wore my sandals. I can say those restrooms are by far the best I've occupied in a state park or any park owned by the state! There was no dead bugs lingering around or weird mildew odor. If you like to hike, check out those trails. I hiked early morning just before anyone else was up and had a thrill exploring nature. I seen some deer, birds, another watering hole, and wildflowers. The trails are well maintained. There was some obstructed paths due to water or creeks passing through, but that was the fun part trying to maneuver to the other side. I had to get creative with where I jumped off of to get on the main trail. The main creek water was murky due to the amount of tannins in it and the water line wasn't high, so I opt out of swimming in it. The ranger station is clean and well organized. They sell the state park scratch off maps for those of you who are into exploring all state parks like me!! A true nature nerd, eh? They even sell Village Creek SP merch like stickers. The rangers were pretty nice and didn't display any form of prejudice or discrimination. Definitely a smaller state park than the others. It is settled in a residential area like most SPs are, but it's kind of a good thing especially if you forget some food, there's a Wal-Mart less than 5 minutes away. I would recommend this state park to visit.

Knew I would be in the area and wanted to check out their amenities. I was accompanied by my…read moremother, brother, and future sister-in-law. We took a rather short hike on one of the loop trails (roughly 1.2 miles). Thought the property was well maintained; however, the area seemed ripe for a proscribed burn to help prevent forest fires. The staff at the front desk were extremely friendly and helpful. Would gladly camp here in the future. If you're ever in the area, come visit.

We pulled in for a 5 night stay and this park is absolutely beautiful and quiet and a terrific…read moreTexas State Park! The sites are spacious and we stayed at Yaupon Loop with full hookups! It's Christmas season so many of the Park Hosts had Christmas decorations setup. We put lights at our sites as well.

Lake Livingston was most certainly a gem !!! I would have never known about this place if my friend…read morewouldn't have told me about it! This was a camping trip with some friends of mine and my family. The spot was really nice and it came with a lake view of lake Livingston. They have trails around this park that lead to a cabin center in which you can rent. My friend had an RV and rented two spots which has running water and a fire pit! The views are dope. Weekends are pretty busy for people glamping and camping, so definitely book in advance ! This will most definitely be a go to spot!

Love that they have a toddler area and big kid play area. Although the big kid area is easy for…read moretoddlers to navigate. The playground looks new. Like they just replaced it. Definitely wear tennis shoes or closed toe shoes here. The trails are a good mixture of dirt and then some parts are cement. Nice fishing spot as well. Catch and release only. Be careful letting smaller kids near the pond. I have seen a kid slip and fall in. He was okay and got out, but after seeing that I keep an extra eye on my kids if we want to get close to the pond. They have a sand volleyball court. Lots of walking trails. Even behind the trees where a retention pond is. They have covered pavilions with picnic tables and bbq pits. Also love that the playground is covered and kids can play in the shade. That's a MUST for Texas parks!

Super impressed by this park!…read more They've done a really great job with adding beautiful manmade waterfalls and such. The walking trail is very pleasant. FYI: the trail is paved and stroller accessible. On the way back, we took another trail which was dirt and had no issue taking the stroller on that as well. Nice playground for kids. There are bathrooms just past the playground. I initially thought they were closed because the gate had the lock still on it (in a locked position) but luckily, someone advised me that they were actually open. So, don't go by appearances and actually tug on the door! There are two relatively small parking lots that fill up quickly but there is also street parking available.

So you want to get in shape. This is one place to do that…read more What can you find at the Folsom Hike & Bike Trail? * Paved trail? Yes. * Unpaved trail? Only one short spur. * Hills? Kinda sorta; a mesa that appears to be manmade, and the only hill in Jefferson County. * Trees? Nope. * Views? Nope. Unless you consider looking at Folsom Drive to be a view. * Appropriate for a road bike? Maybe; it's only 1.4 miles one-way to a dead end. * Appropriate for a mountain bike? Maybe; I didn't see any signs prohibiting mountain bikes on the mesa. It's quite boring, though. * Streams or lakes? Nope. * Dogs? Yes. * Dairy Queen? Dollar Tree? Waffle House? Nope on all three. * Parking? On the small side, but adequate for the amount of use it gets. The Folsom Hike & Bike Trail is convenient for people on the West Side. And it works for my attempts to rebuild my cardio. And that's about it. If you want scenic diversions, or a course longer than 2.8 miles, go to Tyrell Park.

1.4 mile one way, then 1.4 back. One long trail. Not a loop. Nice walking track. No trees. Bike…read morefriendly. Has a parking lot. Porta potty. Air pump. Long concrete trail. Has doggie waste bags. No outdoor equipment to play on. A few benches. There is a little dirt trail that takes you to a hill perfect for watching the sunset. Kroger, HEB, Walmart and other stores close by. Nice place to walk. No lighting so be aware. Has had thieves break into cars. Lock car doors!

We spent about an hour at Cattail Marsh on a recent Sunday. The marsh is at the end of a large park…read morethat also includes a botanical garden. One of the best features of the marsh is its long boardwalk, which has 2 shaded areas to sit or to escape the sun. There are also wide graveled pathways, which have no shade whatsoever. If you're a bird watcher or photographer, you'll likely enjoy the boardwalk. If you stand still for awhile, it's easier to see the ibis, egrets, gallinules, grebes, coots, and other birds. There's a purple martin house adjacent to the parking lot. We enjoyed our brief visit to the marsh, and would have taken advantage of the nearby botanical garden if it hadn't been closed on weekends.

Make at it best. There's various walking trails to accommodate all levels of athletes. The site…read moreincludes a lookout tower, a pier, seating, plants, marsh and more! Accessible parking.

What I love about This particular forest area is that is somehow feels so different than the Spring…read moreCreek area where I usually hike. These trails are wider and maybe a bit more maintained as I believe Texas A&M Forest Service manages it for research end education. There are a few nice ponds and picnic areas and it's a great place to hike with a group and/or ride horses (if you have them).

If you're looking for an easy hike right in town, this is the place for you…read more The trails are VERY flat here and consist of packed sand. It's so smooth and flat here, you could probably push a baby stroller through here. ;-) The paths average 6 to 8 feet in width. No tree roots crossing the trails, or stumps, or logs blocking the trails. I didn't see a single piece of trash or any dog poop on the trails. But they allow horses on these trails, so there is some manure - just a little bit though. It gets pretty quiet on the trails, even though it's in the middle of town. Most of the trails are laid out in a grid format, kind of like city streets are laid out. Signage is abundant and trails are clearly marked. I can't imagine how someone could possibly get lost out here. I was able to get a 7.4 mile hike, even though I didn't hit all the trails. I'd estimate there's a total of 10 miles of trails out here. The most elevation change I was able to get was 33 feet over a stretch of one mile, so as I said - very flat! There's also a nice little pond at the trailhead, and parking for about two dozen cars.