There’s nothing like exploring new trails when looking for something to do. These top Texas trails offer hiking routes, ranging from steady to arduous climbs and ones that feature biking and water sports as a bonus, as well as fantastic views of nature. There’s something for everyone so bring your family and friends out for a good time. Hiking is a fun active way to get your heart pumping and blood rushing.
Trinity River Trails, Dallas
Trinity River Trails, located in Fort Worth Texas, gets it’s name from the beautiful Trinity River. They offer a lot of different activities like hiking through 40-mile long trails and 17 different starting points for picnics, canoes and kayaks for the river itself and equestrian trails for horseback riding. The Trails also offer many spots for fishing as well. Going down the trails you’ll also see many scenic views of Lemmon Lake and many other parks. This is a great place to enjoy a fun day filled with activities with your family and friends.
Four C, National Hiking Trail, Kennard
The Four C National Hiking Trail is a 20-mile long trail that goes through the Davy Crockett National Forest. The trail begins at the Ratcliff Lake opening and is surrounded by forest on both sides. It is strictly a hiking-only trail so no bikes or horse riding is allowed down this trail. After a recent forest fire the trees have been dry for quite some time, but once you get deeper in the forest you’ll come across a pond area surrounded by beautiful pine trees. The last two miles of the trail offer an uphill climb, so if you’re a beginner hiker this can be a good experience.
South Rim, Big Bend National Park
The Big Bend trail offers amazing views – ranging from beautiful, grassy meadows to rocky, cliffy mountains. While this national park consists of many different trails, South Rim is particularly special given the breathtaking cliffside views, where you get to see the beautiful mountains of Mexico. The trail is about 13 miles long and is a moderately difficult trail.
River Place Nature Trail, Austin
This trail was recently renovated and now offers many more scenic places to view through Austin. The first section of this trail starts off at a boardwalk overlooking a beautiful pond. The trail is moderate in difficulty, considering it is only 3.5 miles long but consists of steep stairs making for a steep climb towards the end of the trail. The trail also runs through beautiful little waterfalls which make for great stopping points. This is definitely a great trail if you’re looking for a quick, tough workout all while enjoying the little beautiful scenes.
North Shore Trail, Grapevine
The North Shore trail is one of the most popular ones in North Texas. You can hike or ride your bike through this 10-mile trail. The trail also overlooks a gorgeous lake where you can take a quick refreshing swim in. The trail has three different paths so trail difficulty varies but can be rated as moderately difficult due to the tough terrain in certain parts of the trail next to the cliffs. The location next to the lake makes the weather bearable as well.
Guadalupe Peak Trail, Salt Flat
The end of this trail is known as the “Peak of Texas” located at 8,751 ft. above sea level and offers a breathtaking view. If you are a more advanced hiker, this trail is for you as it is a constant steep hike of 8 and half miles. The peak of the mountain had a monument installed in 1958 before it became a national park for hikers and tourists to explore. Whether you are new to Texas or a native Texan, this trail is definitely one to experience.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway, Mineral Wells
This trail is located in the middle of Lake Mineral State Park. This park includes every different type of activity ranging from rock climbing, horse riding, bike riding and many more. The trails consists of 31 miles of hiking trails of which about 25 miles are open to bike riding and horse riding. This trail is also a great campsite at the cliff areas.
San Antonio Mission Trail, San Antonio
This trail gets its name because of the four beautiful, Historic missions located within the trail; Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. These missions show the history of this city and how it came into being. The Mission trail connects all four of the churches which is a must-see when in San Antonio. If you are going just for a visit, they have plenty of tour guides that can guide you through all of the missions. As far as difficulty goes, this trail is a generally pretty flat compared to the others but is still one to behold.
Pedernales Falls Trail, Johnson City
This is a great trail if you’re looking for a quick and easy walk. You can hike or bike down this 7.4 mile-long trail which wraps around the Wolf Mountain and stops at the beautiful Pedernales Falls. If the hot weather is too much to handle then you can take a quick swim at the Pedernales River that runs along the trail. You can also go horseback riding, although it runs separate from the hiking trail. Be sure to be mindful of the road on this trail as it is steep and very rocky. It’s a great trail to relax and unwind from a busy day.
Palmetto State Park, Gonzales
This park gets its name from the lush, green Palmettos all around the park. The park has many activities including canoeing, camping and hiking. The hiking trails in particular goes through the forest and surrounds the San Marcos River and cover approximately five miles. You can also bike down this trail, so feel free to bring along your bike on this trip as well. The beautiful greenery makes it a relaxing and scenic adventure.
