Return to Meridian State Park

nice short hike
User: jimmy peace - 7/10/2016  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2point5stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 2.70 Miles Duration: N/A

definely no one uses this trail much, but then again it was the middle of the summer

Shinnery Trail
User: dis466 - 5/25/2015  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Lots of rainwater and mud...but much better than sitting at home...fish, not biting

great day
User: dis466 - 2/12/2015  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 3point5stars
Distance: 4.10 Miles Duration: N/A

Great staff and trails are blazed!! Trail was in great shape and clear.

Hike Around The Lake
User: Blaze - 4/14/2013  [View Log Page]
Rating: 1point5stars Difficulty: 1point5stars Solitude: 1point5stars
Distance: 5.50 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 54 minutes

I hiked the trails at Meridian State Park solo on a Sunday afternoon and then camped overnight.  The park was fairly empty as the weekend campers and people with day passes were leaving, so I was able to get a scenic camping spot (#30) right on the lake shore.

The trails run throughout the park, but most of the trails go along and around the lake.  There is a separate, looping nature trail, however, above the lake that takes you on a short trip through some scenic woods.

Some parts of the trail are not very well-maintained and overgrown with vegetation, but nothing too bad.

Nice lake and trails
User: BANDA - 6/12/2012  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Nice lake and trails, but the campsites are small and close together. Great views from most of the screened shelters however!

User: jaewonne - 2/11/2012  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3point5stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours, 40 minutes
User: lawhit - 1/8/2011  [View Log Page]
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 2point5stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Love Love this place Like a oasis a gem that nobody knows about it had diffucutly in places but nothing to bad or to long the groung was smooth not to rocky I'll go back again again The trail went right around the lake so you always had a veiw of it

Great Hike at the Top of Hill Country
User: NUCLEUS.ONE - 11/28/2009  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Hiked Bosque, Shinnery Ridge, Little Forest Junior, and Little Sptings trails for a great morning of hiking. Cutting through sites 25 and 26 was weird, but everyone was friendly. Park was maybe half full and the weather was great!!!

Nice "little" State Park.
User: gabegober - 10/9/2009  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Man Weekend.  Just us guys.  We had fun even with the cold, wet, windy conditions.  I will go back.  The hiking was great.  A step up from my other hikes.  I love the size of the lake.  Just big enough.

Great trails but...
User: Branden - 5/16/2009  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: 5 hours

My son and I camped and hiked the trails that the park had to offer. The camping was not as good as I would have hoped for, the sites are way close together. The trails were in need some maintenance. On two of the trails we got to almost the end of them and then the trail stoped or was blocked by downed tress. Overall though this park is very nice.

Nice outing
User: dis466 - 12/14/2008  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 2.50 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Last chance to go before a big cold spell, it was the most perfect day. Seventy five degrees and no wind, blue skies and a few leaves still orange on the sumacs.

nice park, little crowded but trails were pretty quite
User: no_3of4 - 10/18/2008  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 3point5stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Not a bad family hike, some spots around cliffs were difficult but you didnt have to hike them.  the bridge needs some work, it was a little scary

Bosgue Hiking Trail
User: CedrHillr - 5/4/2008  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 2.50 Miles Duration: 2 hours

Scenic views of lake at beginning by Bee Ledge.  Trail drops into swampy forest area at creeks on upper side of lake. Trails overgrown with weeds too.  Easy to get lost.  I was looking for the waterfall on back of park but couldn't find it.  I have seen it before but maybe it got washed out, too bad.  I took advantage that day of Bee Ledge's little waterfall on way back and cooled off.  Nice park and not too crowded on weekend.  I didn't see any other hikers.

Fun park
User: txpathfinder - 10/4/2007  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: 1 hour
We took the Shinnery Ridge Trail in the back corner of the park. It was a fall weekday (date is approximate). We didn't see any other hikers or vehicles at the trailhead. The hike wanders gently through medium sized trees and several clearings. the back end of the trail nears the park border. The last segment of the trail is paved and handicap accessible. A leisurely stroll should still take an hour at most. Meridian is a small park, but quite fun. There are few campsites and they fill up quick on the weekends. The fishing isn't too bad either.
Nice hike around the lake.
User: Eveline - 9/15/2007  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2point5stars Solitude: 1point5stars
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A

We had great weather.  Nice trail through the woods.

Enjoyable morning hike.
User: lordvallsbyrd - 11/19/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Hiked this small trail on a cool November morning. The lake is beautiful and there where tons of turkey buzzards out flying over us. The overlook at the bluff was very nice.
Nice day hike. Area at west end of lake is damp.
User: rmtjr - 2/16/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 2stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 3point5stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I overnighted at campsite #25. Primitive campsites can be reached by hard surfaced road. There is little road traffic, because the perimeter road does not go all the way around the lake. The staff has done a good job of marking a trail to an alternate stream crossing above where a bridge washed out. You might get your feet wet at the alternate crossing, but there is a convenient log upstream. Be wary of the buzzards roosting in the trees on the southwest side of the lake. The trail goes right under the roosting trees. Phew! Poop all over the ground. The road walk up to Shinnery Ridge is the toughest part of that trail. The ridge trail is flat. The trail connecting the two side of the ridge trail that shows on the park map does not exist any longer. The steepest climb on either the Bosque Hiking Trail or the Shinnery Ridge Trail is the road walk between pavilion #6 and the pavilions #12-18. Water was going over the spillway both times I've been at the park and the ranger recommended I use the road starting at the south end of the dam to campsite 23. I accessed the creek near campsite 22 and walked upstream until the informal path was blocked by trees. The climb out of the stream bed was challenging! I did not try any other trails in the park. The ranger said that they did not get much use and were yet to be cleared for this season. Nice, nice restrooms and showers on the lake near pavilion #1. Soda machines there too.
Two nice day hikes
User: Peter Maurer - 7/9/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 4stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
There are two nice hikes here. The shinnery ridge trail is only about 1.5 miles through the woods. The other, the Bosque trail, is from 2.5 miles to 4 miles depending on the route. I started at the scenic overlook, which is the first stop on the one-way road, and hiked counterclockwise around the lake. The first part of the trail leads down the bluff to the edge of the lake and is fairly steep. Much of the trail is at lake-level and not too strenuous. Apparently at one time there was a bridge across the creek at the top edge of the map, but it was gone when I got there. I had to walk upstream aways to find a suitable crossing. There is a second lookout point just before you get to the primitive camping area. The end of the hike leads across the earthen dam that created the lake. Although the map shows the trail ending at the campgrounds, this area is impassible. It is necessary to turn the other way and descend into the creek area. You will want to do this anyway, because the creekbed is stunning, and invisible from anywhere else. It is easy to pick up the trail at on the other side of the creek. The extras are the Little Springs Trail and the Little Forest Junior Trail. I tried to hike the Little Springs Trail, but the trail is not well marked. I enjoyed wandering around in the area, but I was definitely not on the trail. The Little Forest Junior Trail was easier to follow. It has a short prairie section before crossing the road. Except for the dam, the rest of this hike is through forest. I made it to the first parking area OK, but I had a hard time picking up the portion of the trail that leads between the two parking areas. All-in-all, an enjoyable hike.
Better than expected, despite the wetness!
User: Bentzin - 6/12/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: 1point5stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
This hike meanders throughout the park, but is generally secluded from the many campsites in the park. The day we did this hike followed several days of heavy rain fall, Bee Creek was flooded and impassable, but we were able do the rest. The trails are easy to follow, but use the map provided by the park as the trails cross and it is easy to get sidetracked.
User: Eveline - 5/6/2000  [View Log Page]
Rating: 2point5stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 1star
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A
User: Eveline - 9/12/1998  [View Log Page]
Rating: 2stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 1star
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A
It had been raining so the park trails were closed. We walked on the paved roads.
User: Eveline - 3/8/1997  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 1star
Distance: 12.40 Miles Duration: N/A
Got lost, poorly marked trail.