Huntsville State Park

It's a bit farther from me, but worth it. I like to go in the mornings when almost no one is there. I take teddy and we usually go along the Chinquapin trail. There's lots of photo ops for those of you with DSLRs. It's not a hard hike, but lots of mileage if you wish. 

The last time I hiked Huntsville State Park was in 2008 when my dad was still alive.  He came along with me and sat in the car while I hiked.  It's been over 5 years since I've hiked Huntsville, so coming back was like spending time with an old friend.  It also brought back many fond memories of my father.

Huntsville is a good place to get some distance hiking in.  The views are not spectacular, but it's still nice to be in these woods.  Nice trees.  There are some scenic parts down near Lake Raven and this park is also inhabited by the endangered and elusive pileated woodpecker.

The trails are color-coded and well-marked.  The trail map they provide you at the park HQ is very good.  One problem with the way this park is laid out, though, is that there aren't many cut-off trails.  So, once you get on a trail, you're committed to it.  This comment is especially pertinent to new hikers or hikers that are accustomed to shorter hikes.  If you hike 3.5 miles down one of these trails and get tired, it's another 3.5 miles back.

This park has some small hills so you periodically get some elevation training, but it is nothing major.  If you decide to stay for a few days, this park has some great camping spots, too.

I do not have any photos to upload this time since I forgot to take my camera.

We had fun on this trail. First go left and walk down by the lake. We saw three (2-3ft) allagators on the shore line. lots of other wild life too. Lots of differnt birds, (sorry not a bird person cant tell you what kind, but pretty) beaver, snakes, (grass, king, rat, and big big copperhead about 5.5 feet or more) kids enjoyed it so much we went back 3 times. camp sites are good with clean bathrooms. easy but fun hike.

Maps were easy to read and trails well marked.  The scenery was a little redundunt.  The terrain however was great. Although it is Texas there was plenty of elevation change which made for a great workout.

Although the day started cool, it soon warmed up, and people flocked to the park. As we hiked the Chinquapin Trail around the park, we probably encountered no fewer than 75 people, including 3 groups of at least 10 people each.

Despite the traffic on the trails, we did enjoy this hike. The trails are well-marked and maintained, and we encountered no problems. Numerous roots on the trail are probably the worst thing about this trail, and they are not bad at all.

This is a typical hike through the woods. The only unique features would be the numerous boardwalks (2 in the northern part of the hike, and another across Big Chinquapin Creek) and the lake, including the dam and spillway.

If anyone else hikes this trail, I would like to get their impression of the area just north of where the Chinquapin Trail intersects the Triple C Cutoff just north of the dam. There seemed to be a depression there where the trail dipped down for perhaps 100 yards or more. The trees and underbrush were more dense there, it seemed; very little sunlight filtered down there.

For others who might be considering this trail, pack a lunch and plan to eat at the spillway. On the south side of the spillway is a picnic table with a good view of the lake; it's a good spot for lunch.