Pine Haven Recreation Area

Where: Pine Haven Recreation Area, Sanford, Michigan
Trail: Pine Haven Loop, Mud Creek Loop, Riverside Ravine
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 1.5 miles, 1 mile, .2 miles
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Pine Haven has over 13 miles of trails in its 325 acres. The main trails are wide enough to hike side-by-side as a group.

Here is the route we took: [see map] Parking lot to marker A to B to C to H to I to J to K to L to M to N to O to P to the parking lot.

Bluffs of the North Fork San Gabriel River

Where: Bluffs of the North Fork San Gabriel River, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Trail: Goodwater Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: ?
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

We started at mile marker 11 of the Goodwater Hiking Trail and hiked out a couple miles (I'm not how far we went) and back. [The Goodwater Trail is a loop that goes all the way around Lake Georgetown and is 28 miles long.] Our hike started out along the San Gabriel River and then entered the surrounding forest. After a short distance, we came to a creek with a tree stretched across it. Judging by the boards attached to the tree, it was meant to be crossed.

A couple of the people in our hiking party were hesitant to cross [unlike me, who couldn't wait to cross it and wishes every hiking adventure had one of these]. They did make the crossing, but when it was time to turn around and hike back, they chose to cross the San Gabriel River, which was pretty cold.

Crockett Garden & Falls

Where: Crockett Garden & Falls, Lake Georgetown, Texas
Trail: Goodwater Hiking Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 5 miles, out and back
Adventure Rating: 3 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash









The Goodwater Trail is a loop that goes all the way around Lake Georgetown and is 28 miles long. We didn't have the time or the inclination to hike 28 miles. So, we did a short 5 mile section. We started in a parking lot and hiked through the woods toward the lake, which was a lovely greenish-blue color. We then hiked the rest of the trail to the Crockett Gardens and the spring-fed waterfall. [Note: the waterfall and spring are extremely delicate so don't enter the water or attempt to climb on the waterfall.] The trail is pet-friendly, though we did not bring our dogs for this adventure.

Sam Houston National Forest

Where: Sam Houston National Forest
Trail: Lone Star Trail
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: no idea
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Unfortunately, I have no idea how far we hiked because we didn't have a map, which is probably why we got lost on our way up to the forest. [Mapquest sent us to a road that didn't exist. We had to call a friend in another state to look up directions for us.] The weekend following this trip, I discovered a tick on Toby--this has been our only encounter with a tick.

Brazos Bend State Park

Where: Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Trail: Red Buckeye and White Oak Trails
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.5 mile loop and 1.8 mile loop
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Being that it was December, the park was brown and not very scenic. Still, it was a nice hike and beautiful weather to enjoy it.

Sheldon Lake State Park

Where: Sheldon Lake State Park, Texas 
Trail: Pond Loop, Bent Pine, Swamp Rabbit, Kinglet, Armadillo Trails
Difficulty: Easy
Distance:1.5 miles
Adventure Rating: 1 Star
Pets: Allowed on leash

Since there were few trails, we hiked them all. The Pond Loop trail allows you to observe each pond--which we did after seeing the beware of alligators sign. We finally saw an alligator at the second to last pond. It was laying in a tree, which I still find weird. Other than the alligator, the park wasn't all that exciting. Perhaps the canoe trails would've been more interesting.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park

Where: Lake Mineral Wells State Park, Texas
Trail: Primitive Campground Access Trail
Difficulty: Moderate (first 1/2 mile has steep grades)
Distance: 2.5 miles, one way
Adventure Rating: 2 Stars
Pets: Allowed on leash

Lake Mineral Wells is just west of Dallas/Ft Worth. The park has one interesting hiking trail. The other trails are multipurpose. It was on this trip that I learned a valuable hiking lesson. If a trail allows horses, it's probably not going to be that interesting. We hiked a bit on one of the multipurpose trails before switching over to the primitive trail.


 




















The second thing I learned was that it's a good idea to bring along a change of clothes so that you don't have to ride home (4.5 hours back to Houston) in hot, sweaty clothes. And they were hot and sweaty since the temperature reached into the 80s that day. In the sun, that was pretty hot. Which leads to the third thing I learned, and that is 80 degrees is a little too hot for hiking for Toby (my dog).