Anyone have any suggestions for some good hiking/backpacking trails with 1-1.5 hrs of hwy 290 & 99 in NW Houston?

Son's troop had a Philmont prep trip at Camp Strake this weekend but current forecast is calling for rain on Sat with Sun morning low of 21*. None of the leaders are interested in dealing with that.

Looking for 5+ mile options other than Kleb Woods and Lone Star Trail that we could do Sat morning. Anything close to BCS? Any chance of finding something with some variation (small hills, etc...)?

Ideas near BCS would be a huge plus. Trying to see if I can get tickets to the BB game for the boys as well.

I always thought Lake Bryan was beautiful in early spring. Great trail system.

Sam Houston National Forest.

Lake Raven

Motot said:

---

I always thought Lake Bryan was beautiful in early spring. Great trail system.

---

YES! The Lake Bryan trails are great. The Brazos Valley Mountain Bike Association has constructed and maintains over 24 miles of trails there.

There's a lot of winding around, but the trails are very well marked and easy to bail out should you run into bad weather or run out of daylight.

The BVMBA has complete trail maps and Trailforks links at https://bvmba.net/

Brazos Bend SP
Huntsville SP
Buescher SP
Bastrop SP

We hiked Bastrop State Park last spring and really enjoyed it. Parked near Post Oak Spur and then hit the Lost Pines Loop which is about 8 miles.

If 8 miles is too long, you could take Park Road 1C towards Gotier Trace / Buescher State Park and park near the powerlines to hit more of the remote trails.

We haven't been in a while, but McKinney Roughs was also a hike we enjoyed.

Bastrop State Park Map

McKinney Roughs - LCRA Parks

If you're coming to Aggieland, go to the tower by the Stella hotel. Up, down, over and over, with your pack. That's what a whole lot of Philmont feels like.

Find football stadiums or anywhere you can climb with your pack. Stairs are hugely important when prepping for Philmont. You can get distance any time in your neighborhood and I bet you can walk level ground any day of the week. It's the up and down, at elevation, that kicks your butt and you don't have a good chance to prep for that in Houston.

Been to Philmont three times and was asking others when I was prepping and all agree, do stairs

From Houston, Huntsville SP has good trails and a little up and down.

Colorado Bend SP is one of my favorites for some good up and down trails to prep for Philmont, but that would be a plan ahead for later in the spring maybe.

Wish I was prepping to go with y'all, IWGBTP!

I live about 15 mins from Buescher state park and it has a nice 5-6 mile loop that goes through some of the lost pines, has lots of turns and hills and such, much of it is gravel as sand so it doesn't become too much of a muddy mess. It's got plenty of nature to see. And the park is right there with a lake and day use facilities.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4507_0026n.pdf

We are headed there in Feb

Lone Star hiking trail off 149 near Richards; nice parking area at the trailhead. Obviously not a lot of elevation change, but you can get some miles in and you're under an hour from Reed arena

Brazosbend.

No need to travel.

Lunges up and down the hills along Allen Parkway including the hill at Sabine Street Bridge, Spotts Park, the hill south of Memorial Drive from the HPD Memorial and the rock water fall just west of Adoth Yeshurun Cemetary. The loop from Sabine Street Bridge to Shepherd is about 5 miles.

Sunday morning's weather will be perfect to get in some discomfort work. Put on your headlamps and get an early start.