Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Start at the trailhead located through a meadow, about 500 feet south of the Equestrian Trail parking
area. Turn right (east) and immediately enter heavy woods. This loop includes portions of the Nature
and Equestrian Trails, so at times you may be sharing the trail with horses. The trail has little to no sig-
nage, so keep track of your location.
Bear right and then follow the trail straight. Heavy woods, including large oaks, maples, and cedar
elms, line the trail. Some of the trees are hung with long strands of Spanish moss.
Many trees in the woods were downed by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. They will be left to de-
cay naturally and furnish nutrients to the forest. One of the uprooted trees along the trail's edge is a
water oak. Ironically, the trail-edge sign identifying the fallen tree is still standing. There are no
benches along the trail, but it's easy to find a log to rest on.
The trail makes a number of turns to the right and left. Just ahead of a Y, pass a sign on the right
stating NATURE TRAIL . Take the left branch, heading east.
Pass through a swampy area where deer tracks are numerous. Try to guess the size of the deer by the
size of the track. There are clumps of maidenhair ferns, some 6 feet tall. The trail through the woods
gives a constantly changing picture as the seasons change. Any season is a good time to hear birds
singing in the woods. Cardinals are easy to spot due to their red feathers.
The trail meanders left and right and sometimes makes a semicircle. While in the swampy area,
watch and listen for toads and frogs. Large, empty snail shells are scattered about. Continue following
the loop back to the trailhead.
Bear Creek Pioneers Park is located on the Addicks Reservoir, created in the 1940s by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers to help prevent a recurrence of the catastrophic flooding that happened in
Houston in 1935. Bear Creek flows through the park and is one of the major tributaries of Buffalo
Bayou. This area is a fertile hiking region, with George Bush Park, Edith Moore Sanctuary, Terry Her-
shey Park, Westside Hike and Bike Trail, and Boone Road Park all close by.
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