Red Buckeye Trail, TX

Brazos Bend State Park
Brazos Bend State Park is just southwest of the Houston Metro region with over 5000 acres of Bottomland and Upland Coastal Prairie. The wetlands and forests are home to birds, deer, wild boar, and alligators. There are over 300 species of birds, 21 species of reptiles, and 23 species of mammals. The various species of oak and pecan trees make up some of the largest trees in the forested areas. This park has some impressive large oak trees. Brazos Bend Park has accommodations for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and camping. The main watercourse in the park is Big Creek, with its many side creeks and lakes that eventually drain into the Brazos River on the park's eastside. There are over a dozen trails, most of which are in the 1 to 2-mile range and easily connected to make longer day hikes. This is a great place to view the many species of birds and unexpected encounters with alligators. See park literature for more details.


Red Buckeye Trail
The Red Buckeye Trail is in the far southeast corner of the park. This trail is the one to take if you want to get away from the busier trails of the park. Views of the Brazos River can be seen along this trail and is also where Big Creek enters the Brazos River. The portion of the trail that is not along the Brazos River follows along Big Creek. This trail has a bit of elevation change, 20 feet where Big Creek enters the Brazos. I did this trail right at sunset and the woods at this time of day have kind of an eerie feel, different from the deserts or forest found in the southwest US. The solitude along this trail is probably the best in the park with close runner-ups being the Sawmill and Bayou Trails but they are not quite as scenic. Access to this trail is along the park road at the Hale Lake camping area using a portion of the White Oak Trail as a connector.

Check out the Official Route and Triplog.

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2020-12-06 markthurman53