Lake Tawakoni State Park: Farkleberry Trail et. al. (Blog Hike #1117)

Trails: Farkleberry, Blackjack, Osage Orange, and Red Oak Trails
Hike Location: Lake Tawakoni State Park
Geographic Location: north of Wills Point, TX (32.84583, -95.99397)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A lollipop double loop through oak/cedar woods.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-tawakoni
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 26, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Wills Point, take FM 47 north 5.2 miles to FM 2475 and turn left on FM 2475, which deadends at the park in 4.4 miles.  Pay the entrance fee, then park in the first parking lot on the left near the trailhead for the Farkleberry Trail.

The hike: Located 60 miles almost due east of Dallas, Lake Tawakoni State Park occupies 376 acres of reverting farmland adjacent to its namesake lake.  The 37,879 acre lake serves as the headwaters of the Sabine River, which flows first east to the Texas/Louisiana state line and then south into the Gulf of America.  The lake was built in 1960 to provide flood control and drinking water for surrounding communities, but the park took many years to build: it did not officially open until 2002.

            For a park so close to a major city, Lake Tawakoni State Park is light on amenities.  The park offers a 78-site developed campground, the usual aquatic recreation on Lake Tawakoni, some picnic shelters, and 8 trails totaling only 4.5 miles.  The hike described here forms a lollipop loop through the secluded western part of the park.  While this hike lacks unique scenery, I enjoyed being in this park's nice forest after doing several hot and sunny hikes on the Texas prairies to the west.

Trailhead for the Farkleberry Trail

            The Farkleberry Trail serves as the entrance trail for this part of the park's trail system; a large trail sign and brown carsonite post at the southwest corner of the parking lot mark the trailhead.  Farkleberry is another name for sparkleberry, a common native shrub in the forests of the southeastern United States.  Farkleberry is identified by its oval evergreen leaves, its bell-shaped white flowers, and its small, round, black berries that look somewhat like black blueberries.  While farkleberries are edible raw, their dry bitter flavor and tough texture make them better suited for use as a jam, jelly, or pie filling.

Hiking the Farkleberry Trail

            The wide single-track dirt Farkleberry Trail curves more right than left as it climbs gradually.  The difference between maximum and minimum elevation on this hike is only about 50 feet, so all grades are gentle.  At 0.5 miles, you reach the Farkleberry Trail's west end at a major trail intersection with a bench.  You will pass through this intersection a total of 3 times on this hike.  For now, turn left twice to begin heading clockwise around the Blackjack Trail's loop.

Starting the Blackjack Trail

            Marked by brown carsonite posts with black stickers, the Blackjack Trail is named for the blackjack oak tree, which combined with pines make up the majority of the trees in this forest.  This trail forms the western-most loop in this park's trail system, and it starts with some minor undulations as it skirts the upper reaches of a ravine to the right.  My wildlife sightings on this trail included some deer and some mourning doves.  Though it does not pass any fantastic scenery, the easy Blackjack Trail makes for pleasant hiking.

            After heading out a low finger ridge, the trail curves right to trace back around the edge of the shallow ravine.  Just past 2 miles, you close the Blackjack Trail's loop and return to the major intersection for a second time.  Turn left again to begin a clockwise journey around the Osage Orange Trail, which is marked by brown carsonite posts with orange stickers.

Starting the Osage Orange Trail

            Also known as hedge apple, osage orange trees typically grow along old property boundaries, so this trail is well-named: all of this land was previously divided into farms.  The trail winds and descends gradually before making a sharp right curve at 2.4 miles.  Next you pass an old farm pond on the right before climbing gradually to reach another trail intersection just shy of 2.7 miles.  The Osage Orange Trail turns right, and we will go that way eventually.  For now, continue straight to begin the Red Oak Trail.

Hiking the Red Oak Trail

            At only 0.4 miles long, the Red Oak Trail is the shortest trail on this hike, but it is the only trail on this hike that leads all the way to the shore of Lake Tawakoni.  This hike's sharpest descent and narrowest trail brings you to the short spur trail that leads right to the lake overlook at 2.9 miles.  The park's boat ramp sits across this arm of the lake, and I saw many mallards and egrets in the lake when I came here.  A bench encourages you to sit, have a snack, and admire the lake.

Lake Tawakoni

            The Red Oak Trail's lakeside section is brief, and soon the trail curves left to head gradually uphill away from the lake.  At 3.1 miles, you close the Red Oak Trail's loop.  Continue straight to begin the final segment of the Osage Orange Trail.  A flat and easy 700 feet later, you return to the major trail intersection for the third time.  Turn left and retrace your steps out the Farkleberry Trail to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Cooper State Park, Doctors Creek Unit (Blog Hike #1116)

Trails: Cedar Creek South, West, East, and North Loops
Hike Location: Cooper State Park, Doctors Creek Unit
Geographic Location: south of Cooper, TX (33.34136, -95.66988)
Length: 2.1 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop hike through young shrubby forest on the north side of Jim Chapman Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cooper-lake
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 2, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Cooper, take SR 154 east 1.4 miles to FM 1529 and turn right on FM 1529.  Drive FM 1529 south 1.6 miles to the park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road 0.7 miles to the Pelican Point Day Use Area on the left.  Park in the right (west) side of this parking lot.

The hike: Formerly known as Cooper Lake State Park, Cooper State Park occupies 3026 acres on the shores of Jim Chapman Lake, which had a somewhat tortured beginning.  Area residents first proposed building the lake in the late 1930s, and a favorable feasibility study was published by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1950.  Due to planning snafus and administrative delays, construction on the dam that would form Jim Chapman Lake did not start until 1986.  The lake was finally completed in 1991, and the park, consisting of land leased from the Corps, opened in 1996.

            Cooper State Park consists of 2 separate units on opposite sides of the lake: the 466-acre Doctors Creek Unit in Delta County and the 2560-acre South Sulphur Unit in adjacent Hopkins County.  Both units have camping and recreation on Jim Chapman Lake, and both units offer several miles of trails.  Yet most of the trails at the larger South Sulphur Unit are designed for horses or mountain bikers.  Thus, I went to the Doctors Creek Unit and hiked the Cedar Creek Trail, which is open only to hikers.  The Cedar Creek Trail is organized as 4 loops, one named after each cardinal direction.  This hike uses parts of all 4 loops to form a grand tour of the Doctors Creek Unit's trail system.

Trailhead at Pelican Point Day Use Area

            From the Pelican Point Day Use Area parking lot, pick up the Cedar Creek Trail's south loop as it heads west; a simple wooden sign marks this trailhead.  The trail heads through a wetland area, and I saw several frogs and turtles in these wetlands.  Where the trail splits to form the south loop, stay left to head clockwise around our loop.

Jim Chapman Lake

            At 0.2 miles, a spur trail that leads a short distance to the shore of Jim Chapman Lake exits left.  This spur is your only opportunity to get a view of the lake on this hike, so I recommend hiking the short spur to the sandy lakeside area.  Back on the main trail, continue northwest through young forest that is a mixture of cedars and oaks.

Hiking through young forest

            0.5 miles into the hike, you cross the main park road.  3 trails continue on the north side of the road, and you want to take the left-most trail, which is the Cedar Creek Trail's west loop.  The trail soon crosses an old dirt road that used to be CR 1007, and then the park's main campground comes into view through the trees on the left.  Ignore spur trails that head into the campground, and ignore a short-cut trail that exits right.

Starting the east loop

            At 1.1 miles and just before you close the west loop, turn left to begin the Cedar Creek Trail's east loop; another simple wooden sign marks this intersection.  Soon the trail breaks out of the young forest and enters a prairie area with a thick grassy understory.  I saw a large number of vultures in this area.  Also, the persistently flat terrain ensures that rainfall has nowhere to drain.  Thus, heavy rains the previous night left parts of this trail submerged when I came here on a sunny afternoon in mid-February.

Hiking wet trail

            An old farm pond comes into view on the left while the trail curves right as you round the east end of the trail system.  At 1.9 miles, you reach a trail intersection where the east and north loops cross.  Turn left to leave the east loop and begin the north loop.  Very quickly you cross the park road and return to the south loop.  A left turn and short walk past the wetlands returns you to the Pelican Point Day Use Area and completes the hike.

Bonham State Park: Bois d'Arc Trail (Blog Hike #1115)

Trail: Bois d'Arc Trail
Hike Location: Bonham State Park
Geographic Location: southeast of Bonham, TX (33.54641, -96.14575)
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop hike through cedar forest passing many CCC-built structures.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bonham
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming December 18, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From Bonham, take SR 78 south 1.4 miles to FM 271 and turn left on FM 271.  Drive FM 271 east 1.9 miles to the signed park entrance on the left and turn softly left to enter the park.  Drive the one-way main park road to the park headquarters on the north side of the park's lake.  Park in front of the headquarters.

The hike: Tucked in a corner of northeast Texas that time seems to have forgotten but hasn't, Bonham State Park consists of 261 rolling acres northeast of Dallas.  The park was established in 1933 when the State of Texas purchased the land from the City of Bonham.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to develop the park between 1933 and 1936.  The CCC built many of the park's structures that still exist today, including the dam that forms the park's small 65-acre lake.

            True to a small park, Bonham State Park is light on amenities.  The park offers a cozy 20-site campground, swimming, paddling, and fishing on its lake, and 4 hiking trails totaling 6.8 miles.  Part of the trail that goes around the lake was closed when I came here, so I chose to hike the Bois d'Arc Trail, which explores the eastern side of the park.  Pronounced by locals like "bo dark," the Bois d'Arc Trail features the CCC history this park has to offer, and it also shows how much this land has changed since 1933.

            The Bois d'Arc Trail does not form a loop, so your hike will either start or finish with a road walk; I chose to do my road walk at the start.  Head east to begin walking clockwise and against traffic around the park's main loop road with the campground and lake on the right.  At 0.25 miles, turn left to leave the road at the trailhead for the Bois d'Arc Trail; a large information board and a round blue aluminum trail marker mark this trailhead.  The park ranks the difficulty of the Bois d'Arc Trail as challenging, but for the most part it is pretty easy.

Loop road trailhead for Bois d'Arc Trail

            Head gradually uphill and angle right to quickly reach the first of several CCC-built stone fireplaces and seatings.  You may wonder why the CCC or anyone would build a construction like this in the middle of the woods, but these constructions are older than any of the surrounding cedar trees.  Thus, when these constructions were built, they would have had a clear ridgetop view of the park's lake.  Time has not forgotten this land as much as you may think, and some interpretive signs describe this area's history.

CCC-built fireplace and seating

            The Bois d'Arc Trail continues its gradual climb through dense cedar forest, and just shy of 0.5 miles you reach a trail intersection, where you need to turn left.  You can kind of follow the Bois d'Arc Trail's blue markers on this hike, but the Bois d'Arc Trail has several arms, all of which are marked with the same blue aluminum circles.  Thus, a trail map comes in handy, and you have to carefully keep track of your location to avoid missing this turn.  After you make this turn, there are fewer trail intersections, and the navigation becomes easier.

Hiking the Bois d'Arc Trail

            For the next mile the Bois d'Arc Trail embarks on a winding course with gradual ups and downs.  The cedar forest remains dense, and some rows of hedgeapple trees mark old property boundaries.  Just past 1.4 miles, you come out at the fire road that traces the perimeter of the property.  While it might be easier to walk on the fire road, astute hikers will stay with the fire road for only a short distance while continuing to follow the blue trail markers for the Bois d'Arc Trail.

CCC-built water pump house

Old water tank (on its side)

            At 1.7 miles, you reach the old CCC barracks and group hall.  The picnic shelter makes a nice place to sit and rest, but perhaps the most interesting structure in this historic area is the old CCC-built water tank and pump house, which dates to 1936.  The old metal water tank no longer stands on its stone supports, and a chain-link fence prohibits a close inspection of the stone structure.  Continuing west for another 0.3 miles returns you to the park headquarters area and completes the hike.

McGee Creek State Park: South Rim/Little Bugaboo Loop (Blog Hike #1114)

Trails: South Rim and Little Bugaboo Trails
Hike Location: McGee Creek State Park
Geographic Location: east of Atoka, OK (34.38897, -95.82541)
Length: 3.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A remote lollipop loop through semi-wilderness pine woods.
Park Information: https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/mcgee-creek-state-park
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 12, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Atoka, take SR 3 east 20.8 miles to Centerpoint Road; a sign for the state park marks this intersection.  Turn left on Centerpoint Road, which alternates between an asphalt and gravel road surface before dead ending at the park in 10 miles.  Park near the ranger station, where you must fill out a free user permit before hitting the trail.

The hike: Consisting of 2600 acres in rural south-central Oklahoma, McGee Creek State Park is kind of 2 parks wrapped into 1.  The park's west side is a typical developed park by a lake with an 87-site developed campground, the usual aquatic recreation, and some picnic areas.  The park's east side, which is officially called McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area, has no amenities and is managed as a semi-wilderness area.  The 2 sides are separated by McGee Creek Reservoir, a 3810-acre lake built in 1987 for flood control.

            For hikers, the park's west side offers only 1 short nature trail.  Thus, although hikers might camp on the park's developed west side, at some point most hikers will make their way to the park's natural east side, which offers over 25 miles of trails.  The hike described here is in some sense the shortest and easiest meaningful loop in McGee Creek Natural Scenic Recreation Area.  This hike passes some nice scenery, but its real selling point is its solitude: as best I could tell, I was the only person in the entire natural area when I came here on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in late February.

South Rim Trail trailhead at ranger station

            After filling out the permit form at the ranger station, pick up the South Rim Trail as it heads north into the woods; several interpretive signs and a brown metal trail sign mark the trailhead.  True to its management status as a semi-wilderness, trails in the natural area are unmarked except at intersections.  I took a photo of the trail map at the ranger station, but I had no serious trouble following the trails on this hike.

Intersecting the Little Bugaboo Trail

            The wide dirt trail winds its way gradually downhill through thick forest dominated by pine trees.  At 0.4 miles, you reach the signed trail intersection that forms the loop portion of this hike.  This hike turns left to begin the Little Bugaboo Trail while using the South Rim Trail that continues straight as a return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.

Crossing Little Bugaboo Creek

            Ignore the West Branch Trail where it exits left; it leads to some primitive campsites in the western part of the natural area.  Just shy of 0.7 miles, you reach the first of 3 unbridged creek crossings, this one of Little Bugaboo Creek.  All 3 of these creek crossings could be rock-hopped when I came here, but they could require wading or even be impassible with more water.  Use good judgment about if and when to cross.

Cairn beside narrow trail

            Now on the west side of Little Bugaboo Creek, the trail winds its way uphill on a gradual to moderate grade with the crest of the hill uphill to the left.  This section of trail is the narrowest trail on this hike, and some piles of stones or cairns help you stay on track where the trail gets faint.  While I did not do great bird watching here, I did see several red-winged blackbirds on this part of the hike.

Hiking beside Little Bugaboo Creek

            After 0.5 miles of gradual climbing, the trail levels out and adopts a sidehill course to return alongside Little Bugaboo Creek on the right.  The pine forest is less dense here, and a thick layer of grass permeates the understory.  2 miles into the hike, you pass a primitive campsite just before reaching an intersection with the South Rim Trail.  More brown metal signs mark this intersection.  The trails going straight and left lead deeper into the natural area.  Turn right on the South Rim Trail to begin your journey back to the ranger station.

Returning on the South Rim Trail

            The South Rim Trail crosses Little Bugaboo Creek for your second unbridged creek crossing before climbing slightly to reach the highest elevation of this hike.  The difference between highest and lowest elevations is only 170 feet, so all elevation changes are relatively gradual.  Thus, the primitive unmarked nature of the trails is the main challenge on this hike.  The South Rim Trail is less challenging in that regard: it has the feel of a two-track old dirt road.

Hiking along the boundary

            At 2.5 miles, the Boundary Trail briefly joins from the left; it offers an alternate route back to the ranger station.  I chose to turn right and stay with the South Rim Trail, thus staying in the deeper more scenic forest further from the park's east boundary.  At 3.15 miles, the trail dips to cross Bog Spring Branch for the 3rd and final unbridged creek crossing.  A gradual climb closes the loop at 3.4 miles, and continuing the gradual climb returns you to the ranger station at 3.8 miles.

Cleburne State Park: Spillway Trail (Blog Hike #1113)

Trail: Spillway Trail 
Hike Location: Cleburne State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Cleburne, TX (32.25650, -97.55269)
Length: 1.8 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: An out-and-back past a hand-carved spillway to an overlook of Cedar Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cleburne
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming February 26, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Cleburne, take US 67 west 7.4 miles to Park Road 21 and turn left on Park Road 21.  Drive Park Road 21 southwest 6.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the small gravel parking area on the left just past the first restroom building.

The hike: Many things change over the course of a century.  For example, consider the case of Cleburne State Park and Cleburne, Texas.  When this park was formed in 1934, Cleburne was a small rural town of about 11,000 people, and its economy was mainly driven by local agriculture and some major railroad hubs.  The dust bowl and the Great Depression had taken their tolls on both aspects of Cleburne's economy, so area residents donated land to form a state park so that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) would bring jobs to the area while building the park.

            Today Cleburne sits on the southwest fringe of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and it is experiencing rapid growth due to the Metroplex's expansion.  Cleburne State Park has become a major center of recreation, and it offers boating, fishing, and swimming on Cedar Lake, a 58-site developed campground, a primitive group camp, several picnic areas, and 11 hiking trails, most of which are less than 1 mile long.  This hike features the Spillway Trail.  While not the longest trail in the park, the Spillway Trail features this park's famous CCC-built hand-carved spillway and leads to a nice overlook over Cedar Lake.

Carsonite post marking the trailhead

            A brown carsonite post at the north side of the parking lot marks the start of the Spillway Trail.  The single-track dirt trail heads north before angling right to cross the main park road and enter the dense juniper and oak forest.  Such forest is typical of the cross timbers region of north Texas and east-central Oklahoma.  West Fork of Camp Creek, the main outflow of Cedar Lake, soon comes into view on the right.  A couple of the creek's steep-banked tributaries are crossed as the trail continues north.

Hiking through the cross timbers

            At 0.25 miles, you enter the spillway area and reach a major trail intersection.  The option going left leads to a secondary parking area, while the option continuing straight leads to the park's mountain bike trails.  Thus, you want to turn right to cross the West Fork of Camp Creek on a wooden footbridge.  As you cross the creek, notice how steep and chiseled the sides of this water channel are, a testament to the power of eroding water.

Creek in the spillway

            Next the trail climbs away from the creek, and at the next intersection you need to turn left to stay on the Spillway Trail.  Look for tan arrows on brown carsonite posts to mark the way.  The grades on this trail are not particularly steep or long, but the eroded and rocky treadway will make the going slower and harder than you might like.  That treadway is the main reason I rank the difficulty of this hike as moderate; otherwise it would be easy.

Climbing out of the spillway

            At 0.5 miles, you reach the main overlook for Cedar Lake's dam and spillway.  The terraces cut in the rock are what make this spillway famous: they were hand-carved by the CCC.  The terraces look like the famous Serpentine Wall in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, but that wall is made out of concrete.  This overlook is about 50 feet above the spillway with no railing for safety, so be careful where you step as you try to get a good view and photograph of the spillway.

Cedar Lake dam and spillway

            After heading upstream past the dam, the trail dips and then rises as it curves right to head away from the lake.  There are several narrow unofficial trails in this area, but the official Spillway Trail is wide and easy to follow.  At 0.7 miles, the Limestone Ridge Trail, which is primarily a mountain bike trail, exits right.  Turn left to stay on the Spillway Trail.

Hiking the Spillway Trail

Cedar Lake overlook

            The Spillway Trail dips through a rocky ravine as it stays close to the park's east boundary on the right.  0.8 miles into the hike, you reach the north end of the Spillway Trail.  For a nice view of the lake, turn left and make a short moderate descent to reach a lakeside overlook at 0.9 miles.  The clear blue lake waters contrasted nicely with the green and brown cross timbers forest and matched the sky perfectly on my visit.  If you have more time, you can continue north on the Coyote Run Trail toward the campground, but I faced a long drive to Oklahoma City that afternoon.  Therefore, I turned around at the lake overlook and retraced my steps to the trailhead, thus completing the hike.

Mother Neff State Park (Blog Hike #1112)

Trails: Prairie Loop, Wash Pond, Cave, Tower, and Pond Trails
Hike Location: Mother Neff State Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Waco, TX (31.33186, -97.46769)
Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A round-the-park loop passing several CCC-built structures and Tonkawa Cave.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mother-neff
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming February 12, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: Between Temple and Waco, take I-35 to FM 107 (exit 315).  Exit and go west on FM 107.  Drive FM 107 west 13 miles to SR 236 and turn left on SR 236.  Drive SR 236 south 0.5 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and park in the first parking area to the right after the entrance station; this parking area is the signed parking lot for the Prairie Loop Trail.

The hike: Located between Temple and Waco in the fringe of Texas Hill Country, 259-acre Mother Neff State Park is one of the oldest state parks in Texas.  The park originated in 1916 with a 6 acre land donation from Isabella Neff, who was the mother of Texas Governor Pat Neff.  The Governor himself deeded a total of 250 acres in 1934, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to build the park from 1934 through 1938.  The park opened to the public in 1937.

            Today Mother Neff State Park remains small in terms of acreage, but it contains some nice amenities and scenery that make it quite popular.  The park offers a 35-site developed campground, plenty of CCC history, and 6 short hiking trails.  The hike described here uses all but 1 of those trails as it visits every point of interest in the park.  I was not expecting much from this park when I drove in on a seasonally warm Sunday afternoon in mid-February, but I had a very good hike.

Trailhead for Prairie Loop Trail

            From the signed trailhead for the Prairie Loop Trail, walk southwest to the picnic tables, then turn right to begin heading counterclockwise around the Prairie Loop.  The prairie consists of sunny grassland interspersed with thickets of juniper/cedar trees.  Just shy of 0.2 miles, you reach a picnic table at an overlook.  This narrow viewpoint looks south across the prairie toward the Leon River.

Overlook on Prairie Loop Trail

            Curving more left than right brings you to a trail intersection near a park road cul-de-sac at 0.4 miles.  The Prairie Loop continues to the left, but this hike turns softly right to follow the park road past the playground and into the campground to head deeper into the trail system.  At 0.7 miles, you reach a major trail intersection at the campground bathroom building.  We will pass through this intersection twice; for now, turn right to cross the campground road, then turn right again to begin the Wash Pond Trail.

Starting the Wash Pond Trail

            Marked with green trail markers, the narrow dirt Wash Pond Trail descends gradually as it winds its way southwest through dense oak and cedar forest.  Ignore the rough Bluff Trail as it exits left.  1 mile into the hike, you circle the wash pond, a natural pond that the CCC enlarged by building a dam.  The dense cedar thicket keeps this pond cool and shady, and this is a nice place to watch for birds and wildlife.

CCC Wash Pond

            Continuing south, a gradual descent brings you to the south end of the Wash Pond Trail and a major trail intersection at 1.25 miles.  We will eventually go up the Tower Trail via the stone stairs to the left, but first continue downstream, heading for Tonkawa Cave on the Cave Trail.  Soon you pass a stone table built by the CCC.  This table was built out of local materials to make it blend in with its natural surroundings.

CCC stone table

            The Cave Trail soon starts curving right to begin heading up another ravine.  An unmarked trail exits left, but that trail is now closed due to flood damage.  At 1.4 miles, you reach Tonkawa Cave.  More of a rock shelter than what you would normally think of as a cave, Tonkawa Cave has a large rock overhang, and its cool recess was a popular place on the warm afternoon that I came here.

Tonkawa Cave

            Backtrack past the stone table to the Tower Trail, then angle right to climb the Tower Trail's stone steps.  At 1.65 miles, you reach the stone tower for which this trail is named.  Climbing the curved stone stairway lifts you up to the viewing platform at the tower's top.  While the view is 360-degrees, the surrounding trees have grown considerably since the CCC built this tower, and trees block out much of the view today.

CCC stone tower

View west from top of tower

            Exit the tower area by going north on the Tower Trail, which climbs gradually through more dense cedar forest.  Just past 2.1 miles, you get back to the campground bathroom building.  Angle right and then left to hike through the campground and begin heading north on the Pond Trail, but before you head to the pond take a short detour to view the old CCC bell.  Interpretive signs tell you that this bell was used to call CCC workers to dinner and meetings, but today it occupies an isolated spot on the grassy prairie near the perimeter of the campground.

CCC bell

            The Pond Trail heads north on a fairly flat course with the park road close to the left.  At 2.65 miles, you reach the pond.  This pond appears man-dug, but it should be a nice spot to watch for birds and wildlife although all was quiet on my visit.  Backtrack a short distance and turn right to cross the park road.  Turning right twice more returns you to the Prairie Loop parking area and completes the hike.

Pedernales Falls State Park: Pedernales Falls and Hackenburg Loop Trails (Blog Hike #1111; Golden Staff Hike)

Trails: Pedernales Falls and Hackenburg Loop Trails
Hike Location: Pedernales Falls State Park
Geographic Location: west of Austin, TX (30.33408, -98.25211)
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A loop hike, mostly easy but with 1 rocky section, past Pedernales Falls.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/pedernales-falls
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 29, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Austin, take US 290 west 31.8 miles to Ranch Road 3232 and turn right on Ranch Road 3232.  After driving Ranch Road 3232 north for 6.4 miles, turn right on Pedernales Falls Road, then almost immediately turn left to enter the park.  Pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the falls parking area at its end.  Park in this large blacktop lot.

The hike: Rising in the heart of Texas Hill Country west of Fredericksburg, the Pedernales River follows a general west to east course as it drains part of the Edwards Plateau.  The river flows along the south side of the famous LBJ ranch, which I featured in my hike at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site last year.  Over its 106 mile course, the river loses more than 1600 feet in elevation before it empties into the Colorado River and Lake Travis on the west side of Austin.  The word pedernales is the Spanish word for the flint rocks that are prevalent in the river's bed.

            About 20 miles upstream from its mouth, the Pedernales River drops over a series of low limestone ledges known as Pedernales Falls, which of course form the centerpiece of Pedernales Falls State Park.  One of the crown jewels in the Texas state park system, Pedernales Falls State Park consists of 5212 acres that were operated as the private Circle Bar Ranch before the State of Texas bought the ranch in 1970.  The park is one of the most visited state parks in Texas thanks to its fantastic scenery and its location just west of Austin.  The park offers many amenities including a 69-site developed campground, primitive camping, swimming in the Pedernales River, and several picnic areas.

            Pedernales Falls State Park is also a top-tier hiking destination: it offers 10 trails totaling over 40 miles, some of which are also open to horses and/or mountain bikers.  The park offers many fantastic hikes, but the falls remain the park's main attraction.  This hike takes you to Pedernales Falls, but it also takes you around the Hackenburg Loop, which has more of an old ranch feel, thus exploring both the touristy and more natural sides of this park.  Be advised that, like most rivers in Texas Hill Country, the water flow on the Pedernales River varies widely from nary a trickle to a raging torrent, and therefore the water volume in Pedernales Falls also varies widely.  When I came here on a rainy morning in mid-February, the river had some flow but was well below its peak.

Falls Trailhead

            This hike starts at the Falls Trailhead, which is marked by an information kiosk at the rear of the parking lot.  Clearly this is the touristy part of the park: the super wide gravel trail descends gradually through thick forest dominated by juniper and mesquite trees.  Almost everyone who visits this park walks down this trail at some point, and I shared this trail with several other people even on the wet, rainy, mid-February morning that I came here.

Hiking the Pedernales Falls Trail

            At 0.25 miles, you descend some stone steps to reach the main overlook for Pedernales Falls.  Unless the river level is very high, the view consists of the stone terraces that form the falls in front of cliffs on the other side of the river.  You may also be able to see people walking around on the stone terraces, and you will have a chance to join them in a few minutes.

Pedernales Falls, overlook view

Pedernales Falls, overlook view

            Exit the overlook to the right.  The next part of the hike heads downstream on a maze of trails, none of which are wide and easy and none of which are marked.  Therefore, what has thus far been been a very touristy hike takes on a more primitive feel.  All of the trails in the maze eventually converge into the lower arm of the Hackenburg Loop, so my best advice is to work your way downstream using whatever route seems most feasible.  If you stay close to the river, you will have a chance to climb up onto the stone terraces and explore the seasonal riverbed.  You also get a nice base view of the falls and the large plunge pool, which is called Cypress Pool.

Cypress Pool at base of falls

            As you continue downstream from the falls, the trail becomes very rocky as you pass a couple of smaller cascades in the river on the left.  At 0.7 miles, the lower and upper arms of the Hackenburg Loop converge, and the combined trail continues downstream on a wider and easier course.  Wooded walls rise on either side of the river, and this part of the hike has more of a canyon feel with lots of grasses, yuccas, and prickly pear cactuses.

Pedernales River below the falls

            Near 1 mile into the hike, the trail assumes a sidehill course as it starts following what appears to be an old dirt road and starts climbing out of the canyon.  Soon you pass atop a vertical dirt bank on the left.  Although this area is at least 20 feet above the river's normal level, that bank was formed by river erosion, a testimony to how high and raging the Pedernales River can get after a good rain.

Eroded area along Hackenburg Loop

Hiking atop the canyon rim

            Next the trail curves to the right, and a brief steep climb lifts you up to the rim of the Pedernales River canyon at 1.15 miles.  The rest of the hike follows a mostly flat course through grassy prairie with a light smattering of mesquite and juniper trees.  At 1.6 miles, you come out at a park road.  Turning left and then right on park roads returns you to the falls parking area to close the loop and finish the hike.