Over 160,000 acres of gorgeous forested lands await you in your Sam Houston National Forest tenting journey!
So time to gear up and get out into that Texan wilderness for days full of climbing, boating, fishing, and different outside actions. And should you’re in search of a real problem, maybe you’ll even give the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail a shot!
What to Expect on Your Sam Houston National Forest Camping Trip
Hiking trails that plunge into an unlimited forest with hidden lakes and ponds scattered all through make Sam Houston National Forest an ideal place to understand the outside. Then, head again to your amenity-equipped campgrounds for an evening of peace earlier than heading out boating, swimming, biking, or horseback driving the subsequent day!
Fees
Fees fluctuate by recreation space in Sam Houston National Forest. See a breakdown by recreation space under:
- Cagle Recreation Area Campgrounds: day-use $5/day. All-utility tenting per website, $30/night time.
- Double Lake Recreation Area Campgrounds: $7/day per car. Overnight charges fluctuate tremendously by season and lodging kind, starting from $20/night time to $140/night time. Check charges and charges right here.
- Stubblefield Recreation Area Campgrounds: $15/night time for one website and one car.
History of Sam Houston National Forest
The Sam Houston National Forest space has been occupied by people for over 12,000 years. In more moderen instances, till the early 1800s, the realm is assumed to have been house to Atakapan-speaking teams together with the Bidai, Patiri, Deadose, and Akokisa.
There are quite a lot of archeological websites, each prehistoric and historic, in Sam Houston National Forest. While exploring the forest, it will be significant that you simply go away these websites undisturbed should you occur to come back throughout them.
11 Essential Tips for Your Sam Houston Camping Trip
The Sam Houston National Forest is an enormous place with lots so that you can get pleasure from! To enable you to plan the most effective journey potential, we’ve collected 11 important ideas in your Sam Houston National Forest tenting journey!
Where to Stay on Your Sam Houston National Forest Camping Trip
1. Explore All the Different Kinds of Camping at Sam Houston National Forest
Sam Houston has every part you want—RV tenting, household campgrounds, dispersed tenting, and tent grounds. It is an excellent place to discover a sort of tenting you may not be used to.
With three developed campgrounds so that you can select from, this tenting journey is perhaps a terrific alternative so that you can strive some tent tenting or to glamp-it-up with a full amenity RV website. Learn extra about every campground under:
Cagle Recreation Area Campground: a brand new campground with 48 full-service RV hookups.
Double Lake Recreation Area Campground: 65 websites with water, sewage, and electrical hookups.
Stubblefield Recreation Area Campground: accommodates RVs as much as 28 toes lengthy. Tent pads are additionally out there.
If you don’t have an RV – hire one! Learn extra about How Much Does it Cost to Rent an RV?
2. Go Camping With a Group
If you’re in search of a spot to go tenting in a gaggle, Sam Houston National Forest has you and your posse lined! In the forest, Double Lake Recreation Area is a good place to snag a campsite excellent in your massive group or household.
Each household/group website is supplied with its personal desk, fire, tent pad, and parking spur. Some of the models even have water, sewer, and electrical hook-ups should you’re seeking to elevate your tenting expertise!
Group actions are additionally tremendous shut, with canoe and paddleboard leases out there proper on the Double Lake Recreation Area concession stand. The concession stand additionally has groceries and different requirements on the market, to maintain you and your group comfy and well-fed throughout your keep!
3. Try Out Dispersed Camping at Sam Houston National Forest
Have you ever needed to strive tenting deep within the wilderness?
Dispersed tenting—generally referred to as primitive tenting—is once you camp off a delegated campground, sometimes within the wilderness. And Sam Houston National Forest is a perfect place to provide this a strive!
With facilities simply out there within the forest’s recreation areas, you’re capable of expertise dispersed tenting with consolation understanding that there’s fast entry to requirements close by if wanted.
Dispersed tenting is allowed in Sam Houston National Forest anytime outdoors of searching season.
Sam Houston National Forest Activities
4. Grab a Forest Map Before You Go
Our fourth important tip in your Sam Houston National Forest tenting journey is to obtain and print a forest map earlier than you go!
The forest map has all the key trails, areas, and roads indicated. It’s a terrific device for planning your journey or should you ever end up a little bit misplaced!
5. Hike the Day Away in Sam Houston National Forest
Sam Houston National Forest has an abundance of climbing trails, and also you higher wager exploring them made our record of 11 important ideas in your Sam Houston Camping Trip. Whether you’re heading to the forest to discover the whole lot of the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail or should you’re simply in search of some fast hikes, Sam Houston National Forest has a hike for you!
Check out a fast breakdown of a few of our favourite trails under:
Beginner-Friendly Trails
- Little Pond Trail (0.8-mile loop): a brief path round a tranquil pond. Great for newbie hikers.
- Lone Star Trailhead #11 (3.5-mile loop): a really well-maintained portion of the Lone Star Trail that results in a loop across the serene Double Lake.
Moderately Challenging Trails
- Four Notch Loop Trail (9.25-mile loop): usually a better hike, however difficult for its distance. Meander by way of tall pines as you discover this well-marked path.
- Lone Star Trailhead #6 (out-and-back): connects to the Lone Star Trail. An out-and-back hike the place you establish how far you’d prefer to journey. Hike north to achieve stunning views of Lake Conroe.
6. Take Advantage of Unique Trails in Sam Houston National Forest
Looking for adventures past climbing? Don’t miss out on 85 miles of multi-use trails that Sam Houston National Forest has to supply!
Whether you’re horseback driving, mountain biking, or eager to take your off-highway car out for a spin, this forest has one thing for you! For $5/day buy your Sam Houston multi-use path cross earlier than you go, and be sure you verify in with the district workplace for circumstances earlier than you head out.
7. Try Out the Long-Distance Lone Star Hiking Trail
The Lone Star Hiking Trail is the longest path within the State of Texas. With a number of trailheads all through the Sam Houston National Forest, you possibly can simply strive your hand at doing both a smaller portion of the path or the entire thing!
Being well-marked and solely moderate-difficult, the Lone Star Hiking Trail is a good introduction to long-distance climbing for these in search of a brand new problem.
The path is a 96-mile lengthy thru-hike, with an extra 32 miles of loops you possibly can add on alongside the best way. Most hikers take a median of seven days to finish the thru-hike.
A tip should you’re trying to do that wonderful path: plan your water properly! Stash water alongside the best way or strategically go to campsites with potable water to refill.
8. Boat and Swim at Sam Houston National Forest
Swimming is on the market in two areas of Sam Houston National Forest, so should you’re seeking to splash round in your tenting journey, positively go to the Double Lake Recreation Area or Scott’s Ridge Swim Site.
Both motorized and non-motorized boating are additionally allowed in Sam Houston National Forest. If you’re planning on boating, be sure you achieve this in a delegated space.
Motorized Boating
Boat launch ramps are concrete in each designated motorized boating areas.
Non-Motorized Boating
9. Remember to Always Wear Safety Orange
A listing of important ideas wouldn’t be full with out speaking about security, so let’s get to it!
Hunting in Sam Houston National Forest is a serious pastime, so be sure you put on your fluorescent orange whereas out having fun with the wilderness! Read extra about Keeping Kids Safe While Camping.
Safety orange is in excessive distinction with its environment and units you other than the character you’re having fun with. It ensures you’re extremely seen so any hunters within the space don’t mistake your motion for the motion of an animal.
Though solely essential to have throughout searching seasons, locals within the space additionally advocate sporting security orange in the course of the offseason as properly, simply as an additional security precaution.
Wildlife in Sam Houston National Forest
10. Trek to These Amazing Areas for Spotting Wildlife
Wildlife viewing and chicken watching are each in style actions in Sam Houston National Forest. Deer are plentiful within the forest and may ceaselessly be noticed across the forest’s waterbodies.
The space surrounding Lake Conroe, specifically, gives important habitats to many species. The lake gives a key wintering habitat for endangered bald eagles, who’re generally sighted flying above the lake within the winter months.
The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker can be noticed all all through the forest.
11. Fish and Hunt in Sam Houston National Forest
If you’re planning to hunt in your Sam Houston National Forest tenting journey, you’ll want a couple of issues: a sound searching license, all the suitable tags and permits, and an Annual Public Hunting Permit.
Fees paid by hunters are collected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and are used to pay for a wide range of habitat enchancment and restoration packages within the forest.
Fishing can be permitted with the acceptable licenses. Sam Houston National Forest is thought for its black bass and year-round fishing. So seize your license, your tacklebox, and get out on Lake Conroe!
Tackle the Texas Wilderness on Your Sam Houston National Forest Camping Trip
Whether you’re climbing, searching, fishing, horseback driving, or embarking on the well-known Lone Star path, it’s time so that you can sort out the Texas wilderness in your Sam Houston National Forest journey!
We’ve given you all you want, so now get on the market and luxuriate in! And should you’re in search of extra issues to do within the Lone Star State, positively learn our final record of climbing trails in Texas!