all i can say is fannnnntastic
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jimmy peace - 1/30/2016
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Distance: 3.00 Miles
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Horseshoe lk,pilant slough,creekfld lk,redbuckeye
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charM - 8/11/2009
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Distance: 4.80 Miles
Duration: 10 hours, 20 minutes
the horseshoe lake trail was long and had some open areas where the sun was intense, but it was secluded and very pretty. we only saw one or two people on this trail. I suggest bringing bugspray b/c mosquitos were bad on this trail. The pilant slough was kinda crowded at times but still have very pretty views and neat bridges.Watch where you're going tthough b/c there are a few spiderwebs that loom over the trail, but not too bad. The Red buckeye was my favorite so far.(i plan on hiking the entire park) It was shady and the bugs werent bad(except a few spiders). You get great views of both Big Creek and the Brazos River, and it was very remote... One word of advice, BRING WATER and snacks...especially if you're hiking in July or August.
Rainy Hike
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KENNEDJT - 4/18/2009
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Distance: 1.00 Mile
Duration: 30 minutes
My second hike in Texas was at Brazos Bend State Park. This is definitely a nice area to bring kids and family but for the "lone hiker" it's your typical state park. There were lot's of birds, deer, and alligators on this rainy day but also lots of people in the area.
I plan to revisit when the weather is better!
40-ACRE TRAIL
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Joy Z - 6/23/2008
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Distance: 3.00 Miles
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Absolutely beautiful. We weren't able to get to the observation tower (on a Monday when no one else was around) because of sunning alligators in the middle of the trail. It was wonderful. Beautiful park. Kid friendly (areas set aside for children, family picnics even playgrounds). We're planning on bringing the grandkids next month.
We saw: alligators, 20+ deer (10 under a tree during a thunderstorm). Armadillo, cottonmouth snake, raccoon, 100's of birds (crane, duck, hawks, eagle, vultures, baby chicks everywhere), a bunch of spiders. Beautiful nature trails.
Red Buckeye, Whiteoak, Riverview & Sawmill Trails
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Blaze - 1/31/2008
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Distance: 11.50 Miles
Duration: 4 hours
I parked in the parking lot east of Hale Lake and went out on Red Buckeye Trail as it winds along Big Creek to where it joins the Brazos River. The trails were narrow, but very nice.
I then hiked North along the Brazos River via the Whiteoak Trail (I took the route that branches out along the River). I continued North along the Riverview trail and saw some magnificent oak trees. I saw some Wild Boars in this area.
Sawmill Trail was very muddy and conditions worsened when I got to Bayou Trail. My original plan had been to hike south back towards Hale Lake, but conditions were impassable, forcing me to turn around.
I did this hike during the week and I only saw 1 couple at the beginning of my hike. They were returning from the Brazos River. I did not see any other people on this hike, which really made it a nice, tranquil hike.
Be sure to check with the Ranger Station on trail conditions before you take your hike. This was a mistake I made and I paid the price by having to turn around and do a longer hike than planned.
40 Acre And Elm Lake Trails
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Blaze - 1/26/2008
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Distance: 3.50 Miles
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
I visited Brazos Bend State Park late in the afternoon because hiking the trails was only part of my agenda for the day. The other part was going to the George Observatory to look through their telescopes at night.
I parked in the vicinity of the Ranger Station HQ at the entrance of the park and walked along 40-Acre Lake. I did not see any alligators in this area. The trail conditions were fairly good, although still a little muddy in spots from some rain showers days before.
From 40-Acre Lake, I took the connecting trail which leads past the Observation Tower to Elm Lake. Along this enchanting trail I observed a lot of various birds in their natural habitats.
At Elm Lake, I saw 2 alligators, both of which were about 50 feet or so from the waterline. They were not moving, however, just basking in the mud. Seeing them added a little to the excitement to the hike.
There were a number of people walking along both lakes as well as bird photographers and bikers. It was not overly crowded, however.
The Pilant Slough Trail was closed off due to muddy conditions.
All in all, it was a nice, late afternoon hike that would be a nice walk for families as well as hikers.
P.S. I never got to look through the telescopes at the George Observatory due to cloudy conditions, so I'll have to return and do that another time. However, nearby this area, I saw a family of deer at sunset. They were grazing right along the roadside and were not afraid so I was able to pass slowly within 25 feet of them.
Nice park, lots of gators
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Kim - 10/1/2005
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Distance: 8.00 Miles
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Camp volunteers were firendly, waterstations for dogs on main trils. Once off of the main trails we had the place to ourselves. Clean restrooms and friendly visitors everywhere. Lots of wildlife to see. Nice experience.
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itchy - 5/20/2005
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Distance: 7.10 Miles
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Stayed on the east end of the State Park near the Brazos River. Very nice trails--lots of benches, great solitude. When I reached the Bluebonnet trail, I started heading east and I saw an amazing huge oak tree.
Good time, Good park, Clean fun!
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eggman718 - 4/8/2005
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Distance: 10.00 Miles
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My wife and I had great time at this park. One of the first hikes since we decided to take to the outdoors. We arrived a little before noon and found that the park was hosting Earth-day. Lots of kids and families having a great time. We initially were going to stay at the campgrounds, however due to the demands of Earth-day all the locations were full. Be sure and reserve a spot if you are planning on staying. Even though we could not stay, park staff directed us to Lake Texana (approximately 1hr drive) where we found equal enjoyment. Brazos Bend was fun and we plan on doing it again.
Live to Hike,
Eggman
Nice for kids!
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texasgrape - 3/5/2005
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Distance: 2.00 Miles
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Parked at Elm Lake and headed westward onto the Elm Lake Loop Trail but turned west, once we got to the southwestern end of the lake, and headed to the observation tower. Went back the way we came. Saw numerous alligators up close and personal! Lot's of folks walking, biking, etc. Kids had a blast.
Good for kids!
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texasgrape - 2/19/2005
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Distance: 1.00 Mile
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If you have kids and want to introduce them to hiking, this is the one! Parked south of 40 Acre Lake and took the 40 Acre Lake Trail to the observatory and then walked back. Saw two alligators; kids had a blast. They can take their bikes too!
Very nice hike.
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surfpup - 2/5/2005
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Distance: 6.70 Miles
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Temperature was cool and we only saw one alligator and 4 deer. Highly recommended.
Slow and Scenic
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flackattak - 1/18/2004
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Distance: 8.00 Miles
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If you like tromping through the swamp...
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RossWright - 10/25/2003
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Distance: 5.50 Miles
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Seriously, this was an enjoyable afternoon hike. We went around Hale Lake, headed north across the road along big creek, then cottonwood bayou, along the bluestem trail, kept straight onto the whiteoak trail, followed the river all the way south, then came back up on the red buckeye to the parking lot by hale lake.
Well maintained trails, didn't see any aligators on this route like I've heard in reviews for the more western trails. Encountered many armadillos though! Only came across a couple other groups of people. The terrain is flat, but densely wooded for most of it.
Gators in Texas?!
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Riff Raff - 10/5/2003
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Before going here, I didn't even really know there were alligators in Texas. This park, SW of Houston, is an extremely flat swampland type area. I'd say the total elevation change for the entire park is less than 50 feet. It's also a fact that because this is one of the closest state parks to Houston, parts of it are extremely well traveled. There are a lot of different trails to choose from though, so you can find some solitude if you go to trails farther back. Today I hiked three consecutive loops, starting with the Forty-Acre Lake Trail, then the Elm Lake Trail, and finally the Horseshoe Lakes Trail. The first two loops are joined by a half mile path, while the third begins and ends at the same point on the Elm Lake Trail. The Forty-Acre Lake and Elm Lake trails are both excellent spots to look for the park's many alligator denizens. The first one I came across was about four feet long, lying completely still in the grass just barely off the path. I didn't even notice him until I was standing just a few feet away and suddenly noticed him watching me. The alligators here have no fear of humans whatsoever, and seem to think nothing about sunning themselves all along the hiking paths. Fortunately only the younger gators seem to do this (the "Oh how cute, an alligator" size). I did spot a couple of much much larger alligators, approximately 10-12 feet long (the "Oh my god, an alligator. Run!" size) through the trees in the swamp sunning themselves on other pieces of land. The park claims to contain gators up to 16 feet in length, but the very biggest ones tend to stay well away from the human population. There is an observation tower on the Forty-Acre Lake trail where you can go up high and see just how close the alligators stay to the trail sometimes. After walking along these two main thoroughfare trails (I passed by a group of SIXTY people going in the other direction at one point), the Horseshoe Lakes Trail was a refreshing change. It was the first bit of solitude I'd had out there and was quite nice. I feel certain that I need to go back and explore some of the other trails in the back of the park, where you're less likely to spot either alligators or humans. A highly recommended trip for the wildlife (many varieties of birds in addition to the gators) and the refreshing change of terrain to Texas swampland.
Red Buckeye/Whiteoak: Easy Wooded Hike
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texasgrape - 9/6/2003
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Distance: 2.00 Miles
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Parked in the parking lot and went straight to the Red Buckeye trail then combined it with some of the Whiteoak trail. A very easy hike through wooded land with an excellent view of the Brazos River at a sitting bench located at southeast portion of the Red Buckeye trail. You can take kids on this one. If they get tired, use the cut-through back to the parking lot.
Lots of gators
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Eveline - 5/20/2000
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Distance: 6.20 Miles
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We saw a total of 10 aligators. We also saw 3 deer. It had rained that morning and the trail was soggy and full of puddles.
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Eveline - 4/23/1995
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Distance: 6.20 Miles
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Nice park. Didn't see any alligators.