Completely alone... Except the Chiggers
Steck Valley Greenbelt
- 6/11/2023
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Distance: 1.50 Miles
Duration: N/A
Pros: about 95% shaded, no one else on the trail the entire time. There were a bunch of deer running around, and (in early June) everything was very green and lush.
Cons: Near the Steck/Adirondack trailhead, the inland sea oats almost completely obscured the trail. Tried to use hiking poles to keep the head off me, but hordes of chiggers found me anyway, as i discovered several hours later. Also, following the trail outbound wasn't hard, but couldn't my way back - there are lots of semi-trails wandering in various directions and then petering out. Had to take the Hyridge exit and walk the though the neighborhood, which is hilly, concretey, and very exposed at noon in June on a 93°F day.
Loved the shade, but won't be rushing back.
Revisited - still shady, now with butterflies
Bastrop County Nature Park
- 9/12/2021
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Distance: 2.00 Miles
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I revisited the BCNP, and this time, I parked at the Cottonwood Kings Trailhead. Still an enjoyable hike along the river, lots of shade, and not too many people. Plus, now that fall is here, there were a fair few butterflies.
Got a little confused, but enjoyed the proximity to the creek
Commons Ford - Waterfall Trail
- 9/6/2021
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Distance: 2.20 Miles
Duration: N/A
I never did find any trailhead at the park called "Waterfall Trail"--maybe they've changed the name? So I first tried "Creekside Trail," (trailhead and parking at the red star on the map I posted) thinking maybe the waterfall was on the creek? However, Creekside Trail goes downstream to its confluence with the Colorado--no waterfall here. It's a short (~1.2mi round trip) hike, no steep bits, and plenty of shade. There is also a meadow that's supposed to be good for birds.
Then I parked at the Prairie Trailhead, which is in the corner where the road makes an L (at the yellow star on my map). There's no sign to guide you to the Waterfall Trail, but it's on the opposite side of the road from the Prairie. Go up the lawn, past the empty house, and you'll see a trail going into the hilly scrub. That's the Waterfall Trail. By my count, there were 2 huff-inducing hills and some gently wavy bits in between. The waterfalls were both low, but nevertheless pretty, and as advertised, the second was more impressive. Again, this trail was mostly shady, which was very much welcome.
It was Labor Day morning, so there were more people than I would have liked, esp on the Creekside, but it wasn't mobbed or anything. The humidity was _vile_, but I don't think that's the park's fault.
Some nice shade and water features
Berry Springs Park
- 9/3/2021
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Distance: 2.50 Miles
Duration: 2 hours
Visited in late April, at which point it was starting to get uncomfortably warm. Some sections of the trail were nicely shaded, but the prairie area, unsurprisingly, was very exposed. The springs and pond were a cool feature.
Mostly Paved Surface, Partial Shade, Follows Creek
Brushy Creek East Trail
- 3/27/2021
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Distance: 6.60 Miles
Duration: N/A
I walked the Joe B Freeman Park to the Play For All Park and back, which was a little over 6 miles. The trail has several different moods--the Freeman Park area is a shady tunnel through the woods, then there is a stretch that goes through and behind a subdivision, then you follow a busy road over a big bridge and cross over to reach another more natural area that connects to the Play For All Park. The two woodsy sections were pleasant, but the subdivision and road are a bit more exposed than I would ideally like. The whole trail is paved, which isn't really my cup of tea (hard on the feet and joints), but is probably good for accessibility purposes. There were a fair few cyclists on the trail as well. The creek is a pleasant touch.