West end trail head. Lake Texoma Marina
User:
emeryk - 2/4/2017
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Distance: 13.00 Miles
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Well we finally found the trail head at Lake Texoma Marina. Frame work was there but not a map. Wasn't sure if that was the beginning or not. We tried it. ''This end of the trail need more hikers. After the first mile or so, trail becomes very evident. Lots of cedar and trail is fairly flat. Loved walking it. Lots of trash thrown off the side of trail from low life people that just don't care. We walk in about 9 miles to Eagles Roost and camped the night. On a cliff facing Oklahoma. Eagle Roost trail could use some traffic and cleaning up due to trees that have fallen over. But over all, amazing hike. Next day we hit the ups and downs to Cedar Boyou to get picked up and taken back to car. Over all about 13 miles of pure enjoyment. Light traveled weekend on the trail. Lots of primitive camp site that just isn't on the map.
Starting at Juniper point to Eagles Roost camp site and back.
User:
emeryk - 1/28/2017
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Distance: 11.00 Miles
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Great challenging trail with in the first 3 miles from Juniper Point. Lots of ups and downs. The first hill you go down is Monkey Butt Hill. We laughed at it going in. Coming out, there wasnt much laughing. Thought i was going to have to crawl. It was a little challenging to find the trail head at Cedar Buyou Marina. It is at the front gate before getting into the marina. Trail well marked except in this area. Trail was in great shape. Did see a few people on the trail, day and overnighters. The trail is covered well with trees in this first 6 mile section. I heard the Paw Paw trail head entrance is a little more open and more flat terrain. Planning on this trail entrance soon and try to get to Eagles Roost again. This would be a great weekend get away with an overnight stay. I believe there are about 6 camp sites on the trail between Juniper Point and Eagles Roost with fire rings set up. We enjoyed the trail and cant wait to get back in the woods.
Changes to Cross Timbers Trail
User:
Saihbreas - 11/26/2016
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Distance: 8.00 Miles
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The map on this site is out of date. Due to flooing and other factors, the first 3+ miles of the trail has change routes in two places. Updated tracks for this trail can be found on http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com
Updated info for Cross Timbers as of 3-7-2016
User:
Saihbreas - 3/7/2016
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Distance: 14.50 Miles
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With the rains and flooding in 2015, the first portion of the trail has been updated. Updated tracks can be found on trimbleoutdoors.com, using Cross Timbers as search parameters. As an FYI this trail is 14.5 miles in length from the Juniper Point trailhead to the Texoma Marina trailhead. That will be 29 miles out and back.There is also a Facebook group for the Cross Timbers hiker, not to be confused with the Cross Timbers runners group.
Updates for this trail
User:
Saihbreas - 8/30/2015
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Distance: 6.50 Miles
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8-30-15: Just to let people know not to give up on this trail. As of 8-30-15 there has been much improvement on the trail. I personally have re-blazed parts of the trail have fallen into disuse. New portions of the trail from Juniper point have been created to by-pass portions that have fallen into the lake. You won't have to worry about walking through underbrush to get to good portions of the trail. From Juniper point to Rock Creek Marina the trail is in very good shape now. Past Rock Creek Marina to the Paw Paw Point trail head (12 mile point) the trail is in need of debris and trash removal from the lake flooding during May/June of 2015. There are plans to remove the debris come late September/October time frame (volunteers appreciated).
The last 2 miles of the trail has been sorely underused, with many trail makers missing. As of 8-30-15 new blazes have been placed from the Paw Paw Creek trail head (my Lake Texoma Marina) for about one-half mile. More will be placed in the coming weeks so that the entire trail will be completed blazed and easier to follow. I personally would like to see more people begin their trek from the Paw Paw Creek trail head (end of the trail) to help make the trail more visible by constant wear. Also, the Paw Paw Creek trail head has a great grassy area for parking plenty of vehicles.
In the last month I've personally worked on portions of this trail, and have surveyed the entire trail, so I know the above statements to be true. On Facebook a group called the Cross Timbers & Lost Loop Trail Runs have people who are contributing to the maintenance of the trail. I walked the first almost 3 miles of the trail with them on 8-29-15 to survey the trail from Juniper Point. It is completely clear and easy to navigate. There is also a Facebook page for this trail where I make periodic posts keeping people updated on the trail improvements. By October of this year I plan to have updated tracks to upload to this and other trail sites so people will have the latest navigation tools and information.
Nice trail that is in disrepair
User:
Saihbreas - 5/1/2015
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Distance: 7.00 Miles
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Recently hike this trail with a meet up group. We like the trail for the most part, but this trail definitely has some problems that need to be addressed. In the first half mile, several portions of the trail have fallen into the lake. A new trail needs to be cleared on this por that need to be addressed. In the first half mile, several portions of the trail have fallen into the lake. A new trail needs to be cleared on this portion of the trail. Also, the lost loop is really overgrown, and needs to be cleared in several places.
This is a very nice trail that I hate to see ignored by the Corps.
User:
BoxOfRain - 5/24/2014
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Distance: 28.00 Miles
Duration: 12 hours
Love Love Love this trail.....have made this trail many times.....finally got to "thru-hike" from end to end (and back). I will have to say that my favorite part is from Juniper point west to paw paw (I forgot the name of the resort/store they've changed it recently) after that the trail becomes relatively flat, and large stretches of open (uncovered) trail (not my favorite thing in Texas Summers). Also, we had several encounters with various snakes on that stretch, (not trying to scare anyone....just be on the lookout) and then once you round the final penninsula and come around the little inlet approaching the Rock Creek resort the trail marking becomes very vague at best.....the trail isn't really maintained well past the paw paw creek marina thingee, unless you want to just say you hiked the whole trail I would say you aren't missing much ......so overall I would give the first 11 miles a perfect 5 (for Texas) and then after that...not so much. My favorite part is definitely between cedar bayou marina and 5 mile camp (or even on to paw paw)....lots of nice established campsites, trails very well marked, and (in my experience) pretty quiet (even on holiday weekends)....anyway that's my two cents worth...I could be wrong....
I came back
User:
skigil - 11/18/2010
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Distance: 14.00 Miles
Duration: 20 hours
So I decided to come back and do an overnight trip. I wanted to be able to get to at least Eagle Roost. ....Which I did in a round about sort of way.
There is some good information about the trail on this site:
http://www.cedarbayou.com/cross_timbers.asp (and also a better map)
Last time I went I was able to reach the "5-mile" camp and turned around. This time I wanted to reach at least Eagle Roost before setting up camp. Since I was carrying 40 pounds on my back (I brought to much water and food) I got tired but was smart enough to take a few breaks here and there.
At around lunch time, I found myself just past "5-mile" camp and was certain Eagle Roost was just around the corner, so I decided to stop at this sudo-campsite directly on the lake. While I was eating my lunch I couldn't help but realize what beauty was around me. So I decided to pitch my tent. Long story short, I took a nap after lunch, then hiked about one more mile to Eagle Roost and back to my camp before the sun set.
Night time was intense. I got plenty of sleep, but I heard a loud symphony of coyotes, and many other animals in the area were making lots of noise. I think it got down to 34 degrees that night. It was chilly, but I was warm!
I'm giving this a 4.5 rating because I actually did see 3 people over the 2 days I was on the trail. The first day I saw a couple with their dog doing some day hiking. The second day I say a trail runner (I gotta give that guy props).
Oh one last thing. I noticed a few different mile markers on the trail this time. I personally do not believe them. They say one thing, but my iPhone says a different thing. Like, perhaps "5-mile" camp is really 6-mile camp? ...at least from Juniper Point West?
Anyways, I'd still like to do this entire trail one day, so hopefully you will all see me on here again.
Beautiful hike along the lake.
User:
skigil - 10/10/2010
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Distance: 10.00 Miles
Duration: 6 hours
I found this hike to be more than I thought it was. Not only was terrain harder, but there were less people than I had expected.
I took off from Juniper Point West. It appears most people do this(you can't beat the free parking!). I parked at the bathrooms and started heading towards the trail. The day-use area was roped off, but it looked very inviting. It was right along the lake and looked perfect for a large group's picnic.
I finally got onto the trail and knew my goal was getting to the "5-mile" campsite. I quickly realized that the first mile or so of the trail was along a cliff. I am rather scared of heights, but this cliff didn't seem to bother me. (I am hoping this means I am getting over my fear of heights!)
Once the trail flattened out, there were plenty of spots for people to setup campsites, if they didn't want to hike it all the way to the "5-mile" campsite.
As I passed the beautiful scenery, I learned that the trail was much more up-and-down than I originally planned for. There is quite a bit of rocks and tree roots that form into stairs. So in other words, this isn't a simple walk in the park, yet the trail was easily identifiable, but certainly not anything crazy.
Even though there were plenty of times I thought I was in the middle of nowhere, there is no denying that you're not. Not only were there plenty of people on the trail, there are always people on the lake. I can easily imagine the lake being a lot fuller around the three day weekends.
Reminders for people on the trail:
1) No running water along the trail. Either bring water, plan on filling up at some of the commercial campsites, or bring a filter.
2) Stay towards the lake on the trail at all times. I found myself in someone's backyard with their dogs because I took a wring turn. I think it was the only wrong turn you could possibly take.
3) I took along my iPhone so I could keep track of how far/fast I was traveling. This was one of my better decisions.
I hiked to the "5-mile" campsite and back. Now I want to do the entire trail. I could probably do it in 2 days, but I'd like to go slower and stretch it out over 3 days. I feel like I went to fast to enjoy all the nature that this trail brings.
Watch those lake levels!
User:
dshuck - 5/22/2009
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Distance: 9.00 Miles
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My 8 year old son and I did the trail from Juniper Point to the Lost Loop and back over the weekend. The lake is 10' over normal and *much* of the trail is under water. Between trail head and the loop we had to abandon the trail 16 times to go bushwhacking off through the woods. Sometimes we had to go _very_ far inland an once ended up walking through a neighborhood before trying to blindly head back down through the trees to find the trail. Once we got to the loop there were 7 more times around it that we had to abandon the trail.
The bushwhacking made this hike much harder than it would have been otherwise. My son took it on like a champ though!
Regarding the lack of solitude - it was Memorial Day weekend. You could hear music and shouting off the boats the entire way around Lost Loop. Other weekends might be a little more quiet.
All in all, we had a blast! However, the bushwhacking was so abusive and time consuming. We hiked at a moderate pace with a 30 minute pause at the marina coming back out from the loop, and it took us almost 5 hours to cover 4+ miles!
Here are the pictures from our trip.
Great hike close to home
User:
kclay - 1/7/2009
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Distance: 16.00 Miles
Duration: 8 hours
Been wanting to get out for an overnight backpacking trip for some time. Found this trail, gave it a shot. Very surprised by the beauty and the upkeep of the trail. Very proud, and lucky to have such a great trail within 1 hour of my house! Would highly recommend this trail to anyone from beginner to avid hiker/backpacker
great hike with beautiful views of the lake!
User:
Daly - 11/1/2008
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Distance: 9.00 Miles
Duration: 6 hours
We did an 'out and back' Four of us hiked the trail starting at the Juniper Point trailhead, continued past the Cedar Bayou marina area, then hiked back. I've hiked the trail before starting at Cedar Bayou then hiking toward PawPaw Creek, though we did not make it quite that far. There are definately some steep parts on the Juniper Point section! Hiking along a lake is great for beginners becasue it is hard to get lost! Just keep the lake to your right or left and you can't go wrong. I'd highly recommend this trail!
A nice hike and still relatively close to DFW.
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leemark45 - 12/30/2006
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Distance: 10.00 Miles
Duration: 5 minutes
A nice trail that is more rural and rugged than most DFW area trails. It is not totally natural, as the trail goes through some marinas and by other developed sites, but it is still a good hike. Some ups and downs so that you can get some more realistic training for hiking more wilderness trails elsewhere. I did have some problems at one section following the trail, as it appears that a biking trail and the hiking trail kept criss-crossing and confusing me. Still, a good place to warm-up for future hikes out west.
A nice hike withing 2 hours of DFW
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johnbenton - 12/28/2006
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Distance: 12.00 Miles
Duration: 6 hours
This is another good prepatory hike that is close the DFW, yet it can provide some good conditioning and experience. There are stretches of solitude, but many homes and marinas along the trail so one is never really in the country. Although there is no relative elevation gain, the trail has enough ups and downs to provide some workout. Plus the trail conditions are much more natural and excellent for getting one ready for my adventursome trails in more rugged spots. Well worth the effort for a conditioning hike in preparation for a bigger backpacking trip elsewhere.
I haven't tried the camping sites yet, but plan to do so later this year in preparation for my New Mexico trip.
Excellent, lengthy trail.
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lordvallsbyrd - 9/30/2006
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Distance: 8.00 Miles
Duration: 3 hours
Hiked a portion of this trail one morning and will be back to finish the whole thing. This is an excellent backpacking trail and it does get plenty of use.
Best trail in N. Texas
User:
big tex - 6/7/2006
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Distance: 12.00 Miles
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This trail is a pleasant surprise for the North Texas area. It's an hour and a half from Dallas and the terrain is both fun and challenging. It goes up and down, next to cliffs, by the lake, and into the middle of no where. I hikeed from Juniper point to the five-mile camp and then did the lost loop trail. It was very enjoyable, and the swim in the lake rejuvinates the legs. Make sure you go early in the morning in summer before the heat really comes out, I was caught still hiking around noon and was drenched with sweat. (It was 95 by then)I went during the week and never a single person on the trail, and only saw 2 or 3 boats on the lake.
great hike
User:
Bart - 4/6/2006
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Distance: 10.00 Miles
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hike it dry
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roger nicholas - 7/5/2004
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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hike it many times has alot of hills. there is a part called lost trail. our scouts lost the trail and had to find the main trail. they said that it was not a good trail to take. we generally camp at 5mi. camp site where there is alot room for everybody. the land is clay on this side of Texhoma Lake so if it rains then the trails turn to mud.
Nice hike for Liz, Sparky and I
User:
mstrunc - 6/28/2003
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Distance: 5.00 Miles
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Tough little hike! Early enough that it wasn't brutal but that last hill before the Juniper Point trailhead! Gag.
Day hike after canoeing to campsite
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Fishflinger - 5/3/2003
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Distance: 3.00 Miles
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From 5 mile came to Eagles roost and back.