Date: January 13, 2018
Location: Tyler State Park - Tyler, TX
Distance: 8.41 miles
Trails: B, C, and D Loops
This morning was not agreeing with me, and I'm a morning person, but I finally hit the road about 8AM and made it to the park about 10AM. I parked in the lot where the mountain bikers park, loaded up, and headed out. To get to Loop B, you start on Loop A which is the designated mountain bike track. I started down the trails on the east side, which weaves through the woods and takes you back towards the north end of the park.
Loop B felt like the longest trail, it probably was, with Loop C being the shortest. Loop D was the most interesting as far as terrain, and was somewhere around 2.1 miles. Loop C had a few issues with trail marking, so I did a little backtracking but eventually made it to the right path. All paths went through the woods which consisted of mostly pine and oak and weaved through ravines. There were several creek crossings, all with footbridges or something man-made to assist.
Tyler State Park Tidbits:
- There are a lot of trails to take on and they're all pretty well marked with Loop C being the only area I had a little difficulty finding any marking or beaten down path
- The trails I did are for hiking and biking and offer plenty of space to get out of the way of one another.
- I went on a Saturday morning and I was surprised it wasn't very busy - could have been the colder weather?
- The pines are gorgeous and regal blanketing the trails helping you stay quieter to take it all in even more.
Walking through the pines made me feel like I was in Michigan. I found myself stopping, looking up while listening to the wind through the needles the way I would near Lake Huron or Lake Michigan. The woods was very quiet, with few people and outside noises, making it an ideal hike for pondering things. If it weren't for the yucca (or whatever it is) that grows in the sunlight, I would have never known I was still in Texas. Enjoy a few photos from the hike and happy hiking to you!
