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Oxbow Loop by markthurman53
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 East side of the park. 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. Hale lake Loop Hale Lake Trail is a 2.5-mile loop within a loop trail. This trail goes around the outer perimeter of an oxbow of Big Creek then another loop goes along the inner perimeter of the oxbow. This oxbow has been bypassed by Big Creek but the water remains, not sure how that works but probably during high water or flooding. Houston does get a lot of rain. In 2019 the roads to the park and the park itself were underwater. Trees in this area of the park have water stains 6 to8 feet up. Back to the trail; this is one of the trails on the east side of the park to take if you want to see large oak and pecan trees. When I hiked it in the late afternoon the large trees had vultures, lots of them. One tree alone had about 30, some kind of convention I guess. Reminded me of a Gary Larson Cartoon, I was looking for the one carrying a grand piano. There are nice views of the lake all along the Trail. Like all the trails in the park, it is easy walking with no elevation gain. The nearest access point is along the Park road to the east of the lake where there is parking, restrooms, and camping. Check out the Official Route and Triplog. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
One-Way Notice This hike is listed as One-Way. When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
