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If you read any of my hiking articles you know that I like to get out and explore new areas. One of those areas was southeast Texas near Lake Livingston. During that trip, we stayed in the 5th Wheel camper on a ranch that was converted into an AirBnB resort in June of 2021. I thought had lost the photos only to realize a few months ago that I took pictures only with my phone on that trip. Today I want to share our experience Hiking Beaver Slide Trail in the Big Thicket National Preserve.
Hiking Beaver Slide Trail in the Big Thicket National Preserve
We arrived mid-day and only had time for one or two short hikes. The weather was about 90 degrees with high humidity. Just a typical early summer day in southeast Texas. The problem was the mosquitos were horrible at the camp. 100s of them were swarming us and following us and the dogs where ever we went. But didn’t think much of it until we hit the trails and noticed it was even worse.
We decided that our first hike of the day would be the Beaver Slide trail. It’s a short easy trail and gives plenty of time to enjoy the trail and possibly get another hike before going to dinner.
About the Trail
Please note: The trail is listed as moderately hard. We found the trail to be easy and not sure why it was listed as harder than it was. We believe it may have been the large number of roots on the trail that could have caused a tripping hazard.
The hiking trail is a short hike and only a 1.5-mile roundtrip loop with a short out-and-back section at the start of the trail. The trail follows trail that will take you past several ponds with bald cypresses in and around the water. You will find magnolias, hornbeams, moss, and ferns lining the path as walk through the forest.
My Review
The information you find on the description on National Parks Service Page and AllTrails makes this trail out to be a tranquil walk through the woods with plenty to see along the way. In reality, it’s a swamp with some great views. During our visit the mosquitos were so bad they attack us and swarmed around us anytime we stopped. If you walked too slow they would follow you and bite you. You could actually seem to swarm someone else on the trail. This trail would have been a good one for a mosquito screen hat.
If you take away the biting bugs it’s a great trail with interesting points of interest. Would I hike it again? No, and that’s because several locals say the biting bugs really do not go away unless the temperatures drop low enough to kill them. In that part of the state, it doesn’t normally get that cold or stay that cold long enough to kill them.
Hazards to Watch Out For
The trail is mostly flat but does have a small downhill grade at the start. This could be an issue for some as you will have to walk back up at the end of the hike. The path is a mixture of dirt and leaves with small wooden bridges that may be slippery if they are wet. Some of the hazards on the trail are tree roots, mud puddles, large sections of sticky/stinky mud, and biting bugs. Make sure to get deep woods bug repellant and apply it before you start your hike.
There is very limited cell reception in that area. Make sure to download the trail map for this location and the others you plan to hike that day. If you are a pro member with AllTrails, then you can download their trails and use their off-trail notifications.
Location and How to Get There
The trail can be hard to find if you aren’t looking for the trailhead sign. So below are directions and GPS Coordinates taken directly from the National Parks Service Page for the Beaver Slide Trail
GPS Coordinates: 30.573146, -94.642435
“The trailhead is on FM 943, a half-mile west of its junction with FM 1276. It’s 3 miles east of Segno and 23 miles east of Livingston. Look for a wooden sign that indicates the trailhead; parking is available on the highway shoulder.”
Do I Recommend This Trail?
The answer is maybe. If you can get past all the bugs and looking for a short hike or something to warm you up before the big hike of the day, then this trail could work for that. The trail is interesting and I loved the cypress trees in the pond but other than that it was kind of boring.
About the Images
For this trip, I didn’t carry my camera with me. Too many bugs to stop and take photos. So everything was shot on the move with my Samsung Note 8. I then edited them with Adobe Lightroom CC, Topaz Labs Denoise AI and Topaz Labs Sharpen AI, and Aurora HDR.
About James
Neat looking place