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Explore • Learn • Protect Begin your Junior Ranger adventure at the Big Thicket Visitor Center , where you can get a free activity book and meet a park ranger. Bring your activity book with you as you explore the visitor center exhibits and hike a trail. When you're finished, show your book to a ranger at the visitor center to earn a Junior Ranger badge. All ages are welcome to participate! Take a…
2 parks and sites (NPS)
Big Thicket National Preserve
Explore • Learn • Protect Begin your Junior Ranger adventure at the Big Thicket Visitor Center , where you can get a free activity book and meet a park ranger. Bring your activity book with you as you explore the visitor center exhibits and hike a trail. When you're finished, show your book to a ranger at the visitor center to earn a Junior Ranger badge. All ages are welcome to participate!
Big Thicket National Preserve
Take a walk through a wetland pine savannah on the Sundew Trail to look for birds, longleaf pines, and carnivorous plants. The pavilion at the trailhead is a great place to have a picnic in the park! Distance: 0.3 to 1 mile roundtrip Type: Loop Location: Hickory Creek Savannah Unit Trailhead: Parking lot on County Road 1910 Lat/Long: 30.548225, -94.409754 Overview From the trailhead, follow the paved path clockwise to reach a boardwalk through a small bog. In spring and summer, look for carnivorous plants here: tall, funnel-shaped pitcher plants and coin-sized, red sundews. Continue along the boardwalk to an open pipeline right-of-way. Sundews grow abundantly among the mowed grasses on the right-of-way during winter and spring. At the right-of-way, go right to continue on the inner loop or cross the pipeline and go left to follow the outer loop through a longleaf pine forest. Both loop options return to the trailhead. Picnic Area Bring lunch! The trailhead has a shaded pavilion with 4 picnic tables, 2 metal grills, and a vault toilet. More Information Download a trail map Explore the Hickory Creek Savannah Unit
Big Thicket National Preserve
This is a great loop hike to see dense thicket, a bald cypress slough, and Village Creek. Connect with the Turkey Creek and Sandhill Loop trails for a longer hike. Distance: 1½ to 2½ miles roundtrip Type: Loop Location: Turkey Creek Unit Trailhead: Parking lot on FM 420 Lat/Long: 30.462122, -94.350825 Overview The Kirby Nature Trail has 3 loops: 1½-mile inner loop, 0.3-mile cypress loop, and 0.9-mile outer loop. Combine them all into one big loop for a 2½-mile loop hike. The trail begins on Farm to Market Road (FM) 420 next to historic Staley Cabin . Go past the kiosk and down the wooden ramp to reach the first junction at the start of the inner loop. Turn left to go clockwise and descend a gentle slope with a canopy of beech, magnolia, and loblolly pine overhead. After crossing a few wooden bridges, head left on the cypress loop to see a slough of large bald cypress trees and knees. If the water is high, take the high water bypass to skip the cypress loop. Continuing clockwise from the cypress loop, the inner loop follows Village Creek. At the next junction, the right fork takes the inner loop back south toward the trailhead. The left fork begins the outer loop and immediately enters a picnic area next to an iron bridge over Village Creek*. Continue past the bridge on the outer loop as it meanders clockwise and eventually meets up with the inner loop and trailhead. *Extend Your Hike! Add an extra 3 miles roundtrip: Combine the Turkey Creek and Sandhill Loop trails with Kirby to make a 4½- or 5½-mile loop and out-and-back combination. The Sandhill Loop features a forest of tall longleaf pines, scattered cacti, and solitude. Cross the iron bridge over Village Creek to begin the Turkey Creek Trail. After 0.8 miles, cross a second iron bridge, over Turkey Creek. The Sandhill Loop Trail begins on the opposite (east) side of the bridge. Go right or left to begin the 1.4-mile Sandhill Loop. On the north end of the loop, there is another junction with the northbound Turkey Creek Trail, marked with a bench—go past it to continue on the Sandhill Loop. When you return to the iron bridge over Turkey Creek, cross it and follow the Turkey Creek Trail south to return to the Kirby Nature Trail and the trailhead. More Information Download a trail map Get a Kirby Nature Trail Guide at the visitor center for a small fee. Explore the Turkey Creek Unit
Big Thicket National Preserve
Opened in 2024, the Longleaf Pine Trail begins at the visitor center and leads to a viewing platform in a young longleaf pine forest. Distance: 1 mile roundtrip Type: Out-and-back Location: Turkey Creek Unit Trailhead: Visitor center parking lot on FM 420 Lat/Long: 30.458335, -94.387404 Overview To begin, follow the boardwalk from the visitor center parking lot toward park headquarters. Trail signs point the way; head to the right along the service road, go past the maintenance yard, then go left to where the trail begins at the edge of the woods. From here, follow the winding path through shady forest, over small bridges, and eventually to a sunny, open longleaf pine forest. Eventually the trail meets an old road; turn right (south) along the road until you reach the newly-constructed observation platform. A little further past the platform, a 3-sided display provides information about the preserve's ongoing longleaf pine restoration project. Many of the young longleaf pines in this area were planted by volunteers. To return to the visitor center, retrace your steps. More Information Download a trail map The visitor center parking lot is open 9:00 am–5:00 pm daily. After hours, park along FM 420 (do not block gates). Explore the Turkey Creek Unit
Tuzigoot National Monument
Have you ever wondered what life in the desert would have looked like thousands of years ago? Visitors to Tuzigoot National Monument can look into the lives of the Sinagua , the people who lived here and built the pueblo the park is named for by hiking the Pueblo Trail. The trail is a 0.3 mile (0.5 km) loop that encircles the dwelling and allows an up close look at this incredible testament to community and ancient engineering. Visitors can also walk into and stand on the roof of one of the pueblo rooms. The tower or citadel provides the opportunity to view the inner structure of a pueblo room and some relief from the intense sun. A set of stairs leads to the roof of the citadel which offers 360-degree views of Tuzigoot. The pueblo was constructed and expanded in four phases from approximately 1050 CE to 1380. By the end of construction, Tuzigoot held about 110 rooms, 23 of them built on the second story. It's estimated about 225 people could have lived in the pueblo at its peak. It's very likely that women in the community constructed most of the structure while men gathered materials. Tuzigoot was just one of many Sinagua villages in the Verde Valley at the time; there were at least three other villages that were built within sight of Tuzigoot. This was home to a vibrant, thriving community until the Sinagua left the Verde Valley by about the early 1400s. It's not known exactly why the Sinagua left the area, but it may have been for multiple reasons such as climate change causing hotter, drier conditions in the southwest, competition for resources with other peoples, collapse of trade routes, or disease. Traditional knowledge from some descendants of the Sinagua say the pueblos in the Verde Valley like Tuzigoot were never meant to be permanent settlements and it was just time for their people to move on. However, Tuzigoot is not abandoned and forgotten; it remains a place where people come to connect with their culture and heritage. It is remembered and honored. Although most of Tuzigoot was reconstructed between 1933 and 1935, the reconstruction was built on the original foundation of the pueblo. Park staff continue to maintain the structure using natural materials and building techniques very similar to what the Sinagua would have used. If you're lucky, you may see cultural resources staff hard at work on this important project. Safety Bring water on you…
Backcountry Camp at Big Thicket National Preserve
Big Thicket National Preserve
Choose Your Own Adventure You can camp in the preserve’s backcountry with a free permit. Many miles of trails on land and water offer backpacking opportunities for hikers and paddlers. Backcountry camping is the only kind of camping available in Big Thicket National Preserve. There are no campgrounds in the preserve, though other public lands have campgrounds nearby . Get Your Permit Go to the visitor center to get a free camping permit. You’ll need to know where and when you’ll be camping. If you’re unsure, ask a ranger for their recommendations. Choose Where to Camp Camping areas vary by season. In spring and summer, you can camp in most of the preserve. In fall and winter, during hunting season (Oct 1–Feb 28), camping is limited to areas that do not allow hunting. Turkey Creek Unit – all year Neches River Corridor – all year on Neches River sandbars Neches Bottom & Jack Gore Baygall Unit – all year with restrictions: camping during hunting season limited to Neches River sandbars Beaumont Unit – spring–summer only Beech Creek Unit – spring–summer only Big Sandy Creek Unit – spring–summer only Canyonlands Unit – spring–summer only Lance Rosier Unit – spring–summer only Loblolly Unit – spring–summer only Village Creek Corridor – spring–summer only More Information Our backcountry camping page has all the information you need to plan your trip, including camping rules and regulations, FAQs, and more.
Upcoming programs and events at parks in this collection (from the NPS Events API).
Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
Experience the park after dark! Join a ranger to walk the Longleaf Pine Trail after sunset and observe the wonders of the night sky through a telescope as the sky gets dark. If conditions allow, we'll look at the Moon, Saturn, and distant objects in our galaxy. The hike is 1 mile roundtrip. Please bring a flashlight for the return hike in the darkness. Meet at the visitor center . All ages are welcome!
Are you afraid of the dark? Stroll the Sundew Trail after dark with a ranger and hear stories of Big Thicket legends, spooky animals, and more... if you dare! Please bring a flashlight or headlamp. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Stroll the Pitcher Plant Trail with a ranger for a closer look at the preserve's carnivorous plants and misunderstood creatures. This 60-minute, 1-mile, family-friendly walk is sure to make you think twice about the critters most of us try to avoid in nature! Meet at the Pitcher Plant Trail on County Road 4850 in Warren. No reservations. All ages welcome!
Paddle through a mysterious maze of bald cypress and tupelo on Halloween! Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
Stroll the Pitcher Plant Trail with a ranger for a closer look at the preserve's carnivorous plants and misunderstood creatures. This 60-minute, 1-mile, family-friendly walk is sure to make you think twice about the critters most of us try to avoid in nature! Meet at the Pitcher Plant Trail on County Road 4850 in Warren. No reservations. All ages welcome!
Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
Stroll the Pitcher Plant Trail with a ranger for a closer look at the preserve's carnivorous plants and misunderstood creatures. This 60-minute, 1-mile, family-friendly walk is sure to make you think twice about the critters most of us try to avoid in nature! Meet at the Pitcher Plant Trail on County Road 4850 in Warren. No reservations. All ages welcome!
Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
You can make a difference! By helping us plant native plants, you can help Big Thicket's native longleaf pine forest flourish. All ages are welcome! All planting supplies will be provided. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Location: Big Sandy Creek Unit. Specific meet-up location to be determined. Questions? Call us at 409-951-6700.
Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
Join park rangers for a guided canoe trip on the waters of the preserve. The program targets the casual and novice paddler. Canoes, life jackets, and paddles are provided. Visitors are asked to bring water, snacks, and water shoes. Canoe trips start in the morning (actual start time depends on the season) and take 3-4 hours. Please call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve your spot. We have 16 seats available per trip. Please limit one family per reservation. Reservations open 2 weeks prior to trip.
Life of all types abounds in the Big Thicket. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats meet in southeast Texas. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous. It is a place of discovery, a place to wander and explore, a place to marvel at the richness of nature.
Water flows under and through this landscape, feeding the growth of people and towns. The Verde Valley is watered by snowmelt, summer monsoons, and springs that well up from the ancient sedimentary rocks. In the heart of the valley, a thousand years ago, people began to build a little hilltop pueblo that would grow into one of the largest villages in the area.