Hill Country State Natural Area

Happy New Year - More Trails To Hike! :-)
By Blaze on 1/1/2014
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 7.50 Miles Duration: 3 hours, 12 minutes

My friend and I hiked a couple of looping trails in the Hill Country State Natural Area.  We were both hungover pretty bad from an awesome New Year's Party that my hiking friends from San Antonio threw the night before, so we got a really late start.  In addition, my friend was still having stomach pains, so we took it easy.

The signage was pretty good, but there are a lot of informal trails and at some points I was unsure if I was on the official trail or not.  The trails we hiked were OK, but not spectacular.  It was just a place to walk around.

We camped at the primitive camping area along the creek in the evening.  The camping spots were very nice under a canopy of large oak trees.  It was brisk at night, so we lit a fire to stay warm.  After sunset, some curious coyotes circled our campsite and came within 30 feet of us.  Their eyes eerily reflected the light from our headlamps.  My friend got a little anxious, but I told him they were just looking for food so we stored our food in my bear can and didn't have any problems.

Our plan was to do some additional hiking the next couple of day and I was looking forward to getting some mileage in, but due to my friend's illness we decided to return to Houston the next morning.

P.S.  Be advised that they do not sell fire wood at the Hill Country SNA.  If you plan to light a camp fire, get your fire wood in town on the way there.

Awesome!
By Barney on 9/24/2009
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: N/A

Only a short drive from Hondo. This park is a hidden gem. The staff are really nice and helpful. I haven't been hiking in several years, so, wanting to get back in shape and do something I love, hiking was the natural choice. I chose hike # 5A, Saddleback, which is about a mile and a half. The moderately difficult climb rewarded me at the halfway point, with a grand view of our beautiful hill country! This park has lots to offer judging by the map provided at the headquarters. I also plan to do some camping there as well. Thank you Texas Parks and Wildlife.

We will return
By kcameron on 7/25/2006
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: N/A
We parked at the Equestrian Camping Area and combined a series of trails to get a bit longer loop. We began on Trail 1. After about a mile or so, we took Trail 6, then Trail 6A, and finally Trail 7 before reconnecting with Trail 1 at the west side of the park. These trails were scenic and presented no challenges. However, we then took trail 1B which circles to the west of Ice Cream Hill then climbs to a gap just north of the hill. The climb up was not out of the ordinary. However, the descent straight down was challenging because of all the loose rock. At our ages, my wife and I go slowly. The views were great, but the country is so very dry now. We did not see another sole during our entire hike.

Hikes for all fitness levels
By Enyawd on 10/18/2005
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 40.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Over the last 6 months I have taken clients out here 2 to 5 times a week and walked all the trails numerous times. All my people have enjoyed it, from the very deconditioned to the avid hiker, it has something to offer everyone.

Nice scenery with a lot of trail choices
By reson46 on 4/16/2005
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Dogs are allowed and the fee is now $5. There is a wide range of trails here, from very flat and easy two track roads to steep climbs through large rocks. We only hiked a small section but I'm sure we'll be back to do more.