Paintsville Lake: Kiwanis Trail (Blog Hike #1121)

Trail: Kiwanis Trail
Hike Location: USACE Paintsville Lake Project
Geographic Location: northwest of Paintsville, KY (37.83838, -82.87383)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2026
Overview: A loop hike on gravel trail passing views of Paintsville Lake and a reconstructed pioneer farm.
Park Information: https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Display/Article/3632174/paintsville-lake/
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming July 9, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 23 and SR 40 on the west side of Paintsville, take SR 40 west 1.4 miles to SR 2275 and turn right on SR 2275.  Drive SR 2275 northwest 0.8 miles to Mountain Homeplace Road and turn left on Mountain Homeplace Rd.  Drive across the dam that forms Paintsville Lake, and park in the parking lot on the left for Mountain Homeplace.

The hike: Built in 1983 for flood control purposes, Paintsville Lake occupies 1139 acres in the heart of eastern Kentucky's coal-producing region.  The dam that creates the lake was built by the Army Corps of Engineers, and 2 parks adorn its shore: Paintsville Lake State Park operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and a park at Paintsville Dam operated by the Corps.  While the state park offers great lake access and a 32-site developed campground, it offers no hiking trails.  Thus, I focused my visit on the Corps' park near the dam.

            The Corps' park offers 2 hiking trails: the 1.6 mile gravel Kiwanis Trail and the 7 mile Adena Trail.  The dam area also features the Mountain Homeplace Historical Area, a re-created village that depicts life in this region during the late 1800s.  The Adena Trail is too long for me at my age and fitness level, but the hike described here combines the Kiwanis Trail with a visit to the Mountain Homeplace Historical Area.  I had a great time on the warm sunny afternoon that I came here, and this park became one of my favorite hiking destinations in eastern Kentucky.

Trailhead for Kiwanis Trail

            From the Mountain Homeplace parking lot, walk northwest across the main park road to find the start of the Kiwanis Trail, which is marked by a small brown Corps sign and a large brown wooden trailhead sign.  The gravel Kiwanis Trail soon enters the woods, which is a mix of pines and broadleaf trees.  Small interpretive signs identify common plants in the forest, and numerous benches offer opportunities to rest.

Interpretive sign

            The trail descends gradually as you pass through a lightly wooded area with the Corps Visitor Center uphill to the left.  Just shy of 0.4 miles, you pass a bench that offers this trail's best view across Paintsville Lake.  The state park's marina is across the lake and through the trees to the right, and the view is surprisingly natural and undeveloped for such a small state park lake.

View across Paintsville Lake

            The gravel trail drops more steeply to reach this hike's lowest elevation before beginning a moderate climb.  Just past 0.5 miles, you pass a small picnic shelter and reach a trail fork in the middle of Paintsville Dam's spillway; a couple of oddly-placed port-o-lets sit here.  The option going left directly down the sunny spillway is the shorter option, and you could go that way if you wanted to shorten this hike.  To hike the full Kiwanis Trail, turn right to quickly head into deeper woods and begin a moderate climb.  The Adena Trail soon exits right; stay left to remain on the Kiwanis Trail.

Entering the spillway

            The next segment of trail gradually curves left as it circles a small hill on the left.  This area is great for spotting wildlife, and I had a rabbit run across the trail in front of me.  At 1.05 miles, you reach the other end of the spillway where the short option comes in from the left.  Go straight to continue around the loop.  The Mountain Homeplace re-created village can be seen through the fence ahead, but a locked gate prevents you from getting there through its rear entrance.

Sidehill trail through forest

            The rest of the Kiwanis Trail uses wide dirt sidehill trail to pass through beautiful mature forest with a steep ravine to the right.  This section would be great for leaf-peeping in the fall.  A gradual climb returns you to the parking lot to close the Kiwanis Trail's loop.

Fishtrap United Baptist Church

Old homestead

Goats in front of barn

            To also explore the Mountain Homeplace, pay the small admission fee at the Visitor Center, then walk west and follow the asphalt trail, which forms a loop through the re-created village.  I enjoyed the old homestead, the live chickens and goats around the barn, and the blacksmith shop, but my favorite building is the old Fish Trap United Baptist Church, which dates to 1843.  Think of the preachers who stood in that pulpit and the people who sat in those back-less pews!  Finishing the asphalt loop returns you to the Visitor Center to complete the hike.

Yatesville Lake State Park: Haunted Trail (Blog Hike #1120)

Trail: Haunted Trail
Hike Location: Yatesville Lake State Park
Geographic Location: west of Louisa, KY (38.09463, -82.68688)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: April 2026
Overview: A loop along Yatesville Lake and through the park's campground.
Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/explore/yatesville-lake-state-park-7828
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 16, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 23 and SR 32 on the west side of Louisa, take SR 32 west 4.4 miles to SR 3215 and turn right on SR 3215.  Drive SR 3215 2.3 miles to the park's boat ramp parking lot on the left.  Park in the smaller non-trailer spaces on the right/east side of this lot.

The hike: Tucked deep in the hills and hollows of eastern Kentucky, Yatesville Lake State Park is the eastern-most state park in Kentucky.  The park sits on a peninsula in its namesake lake, which is a 2300 acre man-made lake on Blaine Creek.  The dam that forms Yatesville Lake was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1988 for purposes of flood control.  The park opened in 1992, making it one of the newer state parks in Kentucky.

            Considering its remote location, Yatesville Lake State Park has a surprisingly long list of amenities.  This park's most famous amenity is its award-winning golf course, one of many excellent golf courses in the Kentucky state parks system.  The park also offers a 47-site developed campground, the usual aquatic recreation on Yatesville Lake, 2 playgrounds, and 1 picnic shelter.

            For hikers, the park offers 2 trail systems: the Blue Trail on the west side of the boat ramp and the campground trails on the east side of the boat ramp.  The Blue Trail is longer and offers better lake views, but it is also open to horses.  The heavy horse traffic makes trail conditions uninviting for hikers, especially during the wetter months when I came here.  Thus, I chose to do a loop through the campground trail system.  This loop explores both the lakeside and ridgetop areas of the campground trail system, and it gives a nice sample of the hiking this park has to offer.

Entering the campground trail system

            From the east end of the boat ramp parking lot, walk east on the park entrance road for a couple hundred feet.  The trails you see leaving the road to the right lead out of the state park and into an adjacent Lawrence County park, so you want to turn left to leave the pavement and begin a two-track gravel road.  Now heading north with the lake on your left, this gravel road is used mainly to access the lakeside primitive hike-in campsites, and a metal gate forbids entry to vehicles.  Quickly you pass a small wooden sign that marks where the Wildcat Ridge Trail exits right.  Starting what would become a theme for this hike, that trail was very overgrown on my visit.

Primitive campsite access trail

            The wide gravel road undulates gently as it heads north through a mixture of broadleaf and cedar trees.  Ignore for now other narrower trails that head uphill to the right.  Soon Yatesville Lake comes in sight through the trees downhill to your left.  Like most man-made lakes in this part of the state, Yatesville Lake is slender and deep with many winding "fingers."  This finger is a branch off of Greenbrier Creek.  I saw some common birds such as cardinals while hiking along the lake.

Partially obstructed view of Yatesville Lake

            The trail passes several primitive campsites.  While each campsite offers a partially obstructed view of Yatesville Lake, some campsites have better views than others.  All sites have a firepit, a pole to hang a lantern or a sack, and at least 1 picnic table.  Also, 2 vault toilets in cement block buildings serve the campsites.

Starting the Haunted Trail

            The wide gravel trail ends at the last campsite.  To continue this hike, backtrack to the last vault toilet where the signed Haunted Trail, the next leg of this hike, heads uphill.  The next section is the hardest part of this hike: the trail heads straight up the hill on a narrow and slightly overgrown track.  The hill is steep, but after gaining about 100 feet of elevation you reach the ridgetop, where the trail flattens out.

Hiking the Haunted Trail

            The trail system on top of the ridge is poorly marked and various degrees of overgrown.  I turned left at the first 2 intersections; other trails on the park's trail map were too overgrown to be findable when I came here.  Thus, after my first 2 turns I headed straight east on the main arm of the Haunted Trail to take the shortest route to the park's campground.  Some large beech trees live on this ridge, and some large clusters of mayapple live on the forest floor.

Coming out at the campground

            At 1.35 miles, I came out at the campground near campsite #16.  The park map shows other trails that form loops, but they were too overgrown to make for pleasant hiking on my visit.  Thus, I finished my hike by walking through the campground and back out the park entrance road to return to the boat ramp parking lot.  While such a choice makes for an uninspiring way to complete the hike, it beats wading through waist-high brush or falling down steep terrain.

Fiery Gizzard State Park: Grundy Forest Day Loop (Blog Hike #1119)

Trail: Grundy Forest Day Loop
Hike Location: Fiery Gizzard State Park
Geographic Location: Tracy City, TN (35.25186, -85.74755)
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: March 2026
Overview: A loop hike with many rocky areas passing 2 waterfalls.
Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/fiery-gizzard
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming January 22, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: At the top of the Monteagle grade, take I-24 to exit 135.  Exit, go north on Dixie Lee Avenue for 0.6 miles, then turn right to begin heading south on US 41.  Drive US 41 south 4.5 miles to 3rd Street in Tracy City and turn right on 3rd St.  Drive 3rd St. for 0.4 miles to Marion Street and turn right on Marion St.  Drive Marion St. 0.2 miles to Fiery Gizzard Road and take a sharp right on Fiery Gizzard Rd.  Fiery Gizzard Rd. deadends at the parking lot in less than 0.1 miles.

The hike: Located on the top of Monteagle northwest of Chattanooga, Fiery Gizzard State Park has a long and interesting history as parkland.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp here from 1935 to 1938.  The CCC dug several lakes, worked to prevent forest fires, and built the difficult 12 mile Fiery Gizzard Trail for which this park is named.  The park became known as Grundy Forest at that time, and the Fiery Gizzard Trail gained a reputation as one of Tennessee's best backpacking trails.

            In 1978, Grundy Forest was one of 8 distinct areas that became part of the vast 30,000 acre South Cumberland State Park; nearby Savage Gulf was another one.  By the early 21st century, park leaders began to realize that South Cumberland State Park was too large, varied, and geographically diverse to manage as a single park.  Thus, in the early 2020s South Cumberland State Park was split into 3 separate state parks: Savage Gulf State Park, Head of the Crow State Park, and of course Fiery Gizzard State Park featured here.  The park's name comes from the fiery, or turbulent, stream that travels through its midst and the plentiful American gizzard shad fish that inhabit that stream.

            Today the Fiery Gizzard Trail remains this park's main attraction, but the park also offers primitive camping, a swimming beach, and a playground.  The Fiery Gizzard Trail is a very rocky and difficult trail, and it should only be attempted by fit hikers with adequate preparation.  For people wanting a miniature version of the Fiery Gizzard Trail, the Grundy Forest Day Loop described here is a good option.  Parts of this trail offer the same rockiness and scenery as the full Fiery Gizzard Trail, but at less than 2 miles long it does not peg the length or difficulty meters: it can be hiked in only a little over an hour.

Grundy Forest Trailhead

            The trailhead is located beside the restroom building; a large sign with various mileages marks the trailhead.  The trail immediately enters the woods, and in only a couple hundred feet it forks to form its loop.  To do the most scenic and most difficult part first, I turned left and used the right trail as my return route, thus hiking the loop clockwise.  White aluminum diamonds mark the trail, as do distance markers at 0.25 mile increments.

Initial segment along gorge rim

            The first part of the loop stays in a narrow strip of forest between a gorge dropping to your right and the parking lot through the trees to your left.  The initial segment is pretty easy, but at 0.2 miles the trail curves sharply right to descend into Little Fiery Gizzard Creek's gorge.  While this trail is seldom steep, the section through the gorge is very rocky and rooty with very poor footing.  The gorge is also very scenic: a nice rock shelter welcomes you to the gorge at the base of the short initial descent.

Small rock shelter

            The trail heads downstream with cascading Little Fiery Gizzard Creek usually 10-20 feet below you to the left.  After passing a small unnamed waterfall, you reach Blue Hole Falls at 0.6 miles.  Blue Hole Falls is a ledge-type waterfall 9 feet in height; as its name suggests, it has a large and attractive plunge pool.  A CCC-built pump house used to stand near this waterfall's base.  Only the pump house's foundation remains today, but that foundation makes a great viewing platform for the waterfall.

Blue Hole Falls

            Continuing downstream, you reach a steel bridge and a trail intersection at 0.75 miles.  If you want to extend this hike, you can turn left, cross the bridge, and continue further down Fiery Gizzard Creek.  Such a choice leads to 2 more waterfalls within the next 0.75 miles.  Initially I had planned to do the extension, but my older knees and ankles were not taking this trail's rockiness well.  Thus, I skipped the extension and stayed right to continue around the Grundy Forest Day Loop.

Steel bridge to hike extension

Rocky trail in Fiery Gizzard Gorge

            The trail continues clinging to the north wall of the gorge as a gradual climb begins.  Soon Little Fiery Gizzard Creek is replaced by Big Fiery Gizzard Creek just above their confluence, and you begin heading upstream with Big Fiery Gizzard Creek downhill to your left.  1.1 miles into the hike, you reach Hanes Hole Falls.  Hanes Hole Falls has a more angular look than Blue Hole Falls, but it is also 1 foot taller, has more water volume, and has an equally large plunge pool.  The trail stays well above the waterfall, but gaps in the trees provide excellent views.

Hanes Hole Falls

            Just past Hanes Hole Falls, the trail curves sharply right and climbs a couple of short switchbacks to exit the gorge.  The balance of the hike follows a rim-top course through forest that is a mixture of pines and broadleaf trees with lots of holly.  While this section is not as scenic as the outbound section through the gorge, the dirt trail is mostly flat, rock-free, and easy.

Old CCC camp area

            At 1.45 miles, you reach the site of the old CCC camp; a short loop trail tours what remains of the campsite.  Interpretive signs tell about the CCC's history, and markers indicate where various structures stood.  Another 0.5 miles of hiking along the rim closes the loop, and a left turn quickly brings you back to the trailhead to complete the hike.

Purtis Creek State Park: Beaver Slide Nature Path (Blog Hike #1118)

Trail: Beaver Slide Nature Path
Hike Location: Purtis Creek State Park
Geographic Location: northwest of Athens, TX (32.36358, -96.00283)
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: February 2026
Overview: A short and mostly flat lollipop loop with nice views of Purtis Creek State Park Lake.
Park Information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/purtis-creek
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming March 16, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: From Athens, take US 175 northwest 10 miles to the town of Eustace and FM 316.  Turn right on FM 316.  Drive FM 316 north 3.6 miles to the state park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive the main park road into the park's campground.  The signed parking area for the Beaver Slide Nature Path is on the north side of the campground, on the left as you drive in.

The hike: Located an hour southeast of Dallas, Purtis Creek State Park consists of 1582 acres of reverting farmland.  The United States Soil Conservation Service built the park's 355 acre lake in 1980 to control floods and to provide for local fishing.  The park opened in 1988, and fishing remains a popular activity here today.

            Like many Texas state parks near the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Purtis Creek State Park has a rural and rustic flavor with only the usual amenities.  The park offers a 56-site developed campground, the usual aquatic recreation on its lake, and 5 trails totaling 5.8 miles.  All but 2 of the park's trails are designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, and I had already done several hikes on that kind of trail on my February 2026 Texas hiking trip.  Thus, I decided to hike the park's longest hiker-only trail, the Beaver Slide Nature Path described here.  The Beaver Slide Nature Path is primarily an access trail for the park's lakeside primitive campsites, and it was a nice but very popular trail when I came here on a warm Saturday morning in late February.

Campground trailhead

            From the signed trailhead campground parking lot, the wide dirt Beaver Slide Nature Path heads gradually downhill on a wide double switchback.  The forest is a mixture of oak/hickory deciduous forest and pines.  This trail's best view of Purtis Creek State Park Lake emerges just after you hike around the first inlet.  I saw several cormorants perched on stumps in the lake, and this is one of the best places in the park for wildlife viewing,

Cormorant on a stump

            At 0.4 miles, the trail splits to form its loop; a bench and vault toilet stand at this intersection.  The shortest route to the primitive campsites is to the right, so I angled left to avoid the primitive campground traffic.  The trail climbs almost imperceptibly before beginning a mild descent.  The difference between maximum and minimum elevations on this hike is less than 40 feet, so all grades are gradual.

Hiking the Beaver Slide Nature Path

            0.7 miles into the hike, you reach the first (or last, if you were going the way most campers hike in to their campsites) of 13 spur trails that exit left, one for each primitive campsite.  The campsites are lettered A through M, and going this direction you will pass all 13 spur trails in reverse alphabetical order.  A board at the trailhead tells you which campsites are available and which campsites are reserved.  While you never want to walk into an occupied campsite, it is worth hiking one of the short spurs down to an unoccupied campsite: all of the sites have nice lakeside locations, with site E being my favorite view across the lake.

Primitive campsite M

            After passing all 13 spur trails, you return to the bench and vault toilet to close the loop.  Turn left to retrace your steps out the "stick" of the lollipop to complete the hike.  If you want to do more hiking, the park's mountain bike trails are also open to hikers.  The Red and Blue Trails offer nice loops through upland forest similar to what you see on this hike, while the Green Trail partially follows the lakeshore and leads to the lake's dam.

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.