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The day we made it to Big Thicket National Preserve on our camper van trip started at the Beech Woods Trail.
This trail is in the Beech Creek Unit of the park (one of nine different units), and is a 1.5 mile loop.
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Like most things on this trip, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. We got there pretty early and were the only one there, both when we got there and left.
This is a lollipop trail with the “stick” portion following a dirt road, and the “pop” version branching off into the woods.
Big Thicket is at the southwestern limit of the native range of the American beech tree, and this trail is surrounded by them.
Since the first part of the trail is a road, it’s fairly wide. It starts out straight before curving to the right.
The trail is lined with dense woods of American beech, magnolia, loblolly pine, and American holly trees. There are others, but these are the most common.
There were a few mushrooms along the trail, one of which was like, black, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen before!
That mushroom was actually probably my favorite part of the Beech Woods trail.
There isn’t much to see along the trail, but it’s still a nice hike. There isn’t much to say about it either.
The loop part of the trail is short and easy to follow. There is a sign where it splits off of the road so you know where to go.
I think there were some mosquitos on here but it wasn’t bad (and I know bad, the Kirby Trail was BAD BAD).
While most of the trail is packed dirt, there is a boardwalk/wooden bridge spot or two along the way. But, the other hikes we did were much better if you want a boardwalk hike.
I don’t know if I would highly recommend this trail, especially over the others that we did.
But if you want to see something in each unit, are passing by and want a short trail, or live nearby and just want to hike here as much as possible, of course it’s worth it.
I wish this post was more exciting and that I had more to say, but it was just a fine trail and there wasn’t really anything notable about it, to me.
National Park Goodies
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- Get yourself a National Park journal for all of the NPS sites (400+!) to keep track of your travels!
- Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.
Where is the Beech Woods Trail in Big Thicket?
The Beech Woods Trail is in the Beech Creek Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas, near the Louisiana border.
It’s about an hour from Beaumont, two hours from Houston, 3.5 hours from Waco, and almost four hours from both Dallas and Austin.
How long is the Beech Woods Trail?
The Big Thicket Beech Woods Trail is a 1.5 mile loop, but you could continue hiking on the dirt road on the “stick” part of the trail if you wanted more.
Is the Beech Woods Trail hard?
Nope! This is a short, flat trail that is well marked and easy to follow.
Is the Beech Woods Trail worth it?
Eh, yes, but it’s not a MUST-DO hike in Big Thicket. It’s a nice short and easy trail that would be good to stretch your legs if you’re passing by.
But overall I think there are other trails in Big Thicket that are far more worth your time. This isn’t a bad trail but comparatively, it’s just fine.
Have you hike the Beech Woods Trail in Big Thicket? What did you think of it? What is your favorite Big Thicket hike?