Miller Springs Nature Center

Getting there: From Temple, head west on FM 2305 (a.k.a. West Adams Avenue). Turn left onto FM 2271 and head south. Look for the entrance to the parking area on the left, right before approaching the northern edge of the Belton Lake Dam.

The Hike: What do you do when the world gives you lemons? Make lemonade. When the dam that created Belton Lake was created in the 1950's the land downstream from the construction site was a mess. The ground had been torn up by construction equipment and a large scar was left on the land. The lunar-like terrain attracted off road vehicle enthusiasts, but local citizens wanted to find a more tranquil use for the area.

The Miller Springs Nature Preserve was organized in 1989 and in 1993 it signed a 25 year lease for the land with the Corps of Engineers, the agency responsible for the dam and owner of the property. A master plan for the parcel was developed with an emphasis on conservation management and providing educational opportunities for "children" of all ages. For most of the public, the center's extensive trail system is the most commonly used benefit, and the one we took advantage of our our trip.

Starting at the parking area marked by the waypoint "Trailhead" we took the leftmost trail option and headed to the east. This route will follow the edge of Bee Suck Hollow, the walls of which are composed of large talus slopes.

The trail will descend to the bottom of Bee Suck Hollow and turn to the north following the creek upstream. At the waypoint "Bridge" the trail will cross the creek and head downstream on the opposite side of the bank.

Up to this point the trails have been clear, wide and well maintained. We take a left turn at the waypoint "4-L" onto more overgrown terrain. The trail, though overgrown, is flat here and easy to follow since it mirrors the contours of the steep rock slope to our left. In the Summer hikers may want to wear bug repellant to ward off chiggers and the like.

At the waypoint "Pavilion" a map can be used to help reorient one's self. The hiker is presented with a choice of venturing to the right towards the southern open grassy area or continuing east along the edge of the hills to the left. We choice to follow the ridge.

The end of the main trail marks the eastern edge of the preserve. A road grade bridge traverses Coxs Hollow and seems to provide vehicular access to the back of the park. A small, very overgrown, parking area right next to the bridge may be used by local rock climbers who visit the park.

Not wanting to turn back and call it a day just yet, we decide to follow Cox's Hollow as far upstream as possible. This section of our hike was by far the hardest. We suggest you turn back at this point if you are averse to steep rock slopes or pushing through some vegetation now and then.

The Cox's Hollow spur trail starts at the back of the small parking area just to the west of the bridge. The trail changes from well marked to almost invisible and from hard pack to rocky to solid rock slopes. At times the trail will no longer be visible, but following the bare rock slope for a short distance will provide the vantage point to pick up the trail once again.

A couple of spots along Cox's Hollow are very steep. While the drop offs of the trail are not huge, the steepness of the rock along the trail increases the possibilities of falls, resulting in twisted ankles, or worse. If you venture into the Hollow please be very careful and take your time.

For the extra effort of working through Cox's Hollow the hiker is rewarded with spectacular solitude and vertical rock walls on either side of the canyon. Small springs trickle water from the side of the canyon at several places.

At the waypoint "Turnaround" huge rock boulders have broken off of the wall above creating a large rock overhang, and a barrier to further exploration. This spot also resides at or near the boundary to the preserve, so we decide to turn back here.

We retrace our path back to the 4 way trail intersection at the waypoint 4-L. Instead of merely doubling back all of the way to the trailhead we descend to the creek bed and cross over to the other bank. Here we run into what Miller Springs calls the Green Pool Trail. From this point we follow the trail to the west as it ascends to the top of the eastern plateau overlooking the park.

For some additional distance on the hike and a view overlooking the park's lowlands, we turn to the left at the top of the ridge and follow Miller Springs' Armadillo Trail. A wooden platform at the waypoint "Overlook" provides some of the best views in the park. The trail loops back on itself and we then head back to the trailhead over the flat and rocky plateau that also serves as an occassional spillway for the dam. Wooden planks are in place here, though no water was to be found on our trip.

In total our trip covered almost 4 miles and included about 500 feet of elevation gain. Most of that elevation gain came from Cox's Hollow and the ascent back onto the plateau at the end of the hike. The land beneath the dam is recovering nicely from the abuse it took during and after the construction. Though the creation of man looms overhead at times there's a little bit of the wild back along the Leon River.

According to reports, the ADA (wheelchair) accessible parts of the trails are those by parking lot, across flood plain, and board walk to viewing areas.