Return to Dana Peak Park

Dog Friendly with great views and some challenges
User: Kat Person - 1/5/2013  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3point5stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 2point5stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

There are dogs all over this park but most people appear to have cleaned up.  The main trail is just a gravel road down to the lake.  You can detour up a hill and find yourself on Dana Peak,very rapidly.  Hang left on the way up to get the best vistas while walking.  The hike off the peak is a bit steep in places and you may need to look down a bit to keep your footing.  Back on the mail path, go up the hill and hang a left for a detour that will feel like you are trespassing on someone's private farm  No real views there but the light through the overhanding trees and a few moments of open grass area make this hike special and very quiet. 

Lake. Hills. Subsidiary trails. Geocache Box.
User: crazyk85 - 12/21/2010  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3point5stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

Jarvis and I started out on the main trail. We took the first trail to the left. This took us through a tunnel of shrub trees. We crested a hill, then hooked back to the main trail. We then took the trail up a peak overlooking the lake. Climbed a crop of rocks with cactus overhang. View was awesome. Totally worth it. Followed the trail down the other side, to another hill. Went to the peak, got tangled in shrub trees. No view. Totally not worth it. Followed lakeside trail back to Start Point. Found a Geocache box on this trail. Overall good trail.

Park now open again and a great fall hike
User: merindab - 10/7/2010  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 1point5stars
Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: 2 hours

This park opened again this past summer. There's free parking near the firebreak trail. If you go a little further down the road there's a place for boaters to pay, but  you can just ask for a trail map and turn around and park where it's free.

I went this morning as there is little to no shade. Saw a bunch of deer and a monarch butterfly. There's also a little creek sort of place that crosses Fire lane with just a board to get across the mud, but it's not bad. As a bonus as of right now the very shallow pool is teeming with tadpoles.

I was alone pretty much the entire time I was out. I was passed by one biker and as I was heading to my car a lady was just coming in with her dog.

Edited to say free maps are availble on http://www.centraltexastrails.org/index.html

Nice day hike- lots of options
User: Buddahbabym - 9/5/2009  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A

My husband and I live near this park and hike here occasionally, when we want a nice morning hike.  We have ever had a map of the trails- and we have tried new paths each time we come.  It is a nice, easy hike and there are only a few people.  Most often we would run into other people biking the trails.  On the main trail we did not find much shade, and turned around- as we always take our toddler (in a toddler backpack) and she was getting fussy.  As soon as it cools down we will be going back to hike more of the main trail.   If you cross the street at the trail head there is another trail that meanders along the trail and eventually down to the lake.  We hiked this and then followed the beach back to the parks enterence.  We let the dogs off the leash and it was truly enjoyable.

PARK CLOSED!
User: BrownMJ127 - 11/18/2008  [View Log Page]
Rating: 1star Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 1star
Distance: N/A Duration: N/A

The park was damaged by a flood in 2007.  I learned from a Ranger that the park will be closed until 2010 when the repairs are estimated to be complete.

User: gzkemp2 - 7/13/2008  [View Log Page]
Rating: 2stars Difficulty: 1star Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Even thru it got damaged by the flood, you can still hike there. You can get pass the gate, on the left .Still lots of hikers and mountain biker's out there. It is just closed for car traffic. I did  hike there almost every Sunday till July to it just  got to hot and my dog refused to walk anymore. There is a one trail what has lots of shade but  just a  nice walking trail, just not very difficult, all flat.
Nice Peak
User: jsr59jsr - 4/21/2007  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: 3 hours
Kind of a small place right on the lake. Close to town nice when time is short.
Great views, nice early morning hike!
User: jmitchell - 8/7/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 6.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Great early morning hike. Many areas have little shade so come early and miss the heat (and it was over 100F).
Fast Ascent Up the Peak
User: onemoreguitarist - 6/29/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 3point5stars Solitude: 4point5stars
Distance: 2.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I parked at the foot of the peak and hiked up. The ascent happened rather fast but was an enjoyable challenge. Being my first time I was unaware the trail I was on was all downhill from there. Definitely worth going back to and exploring some more. Which I will do. OK, I returned today (a week later) and had a great time. I took a right instead of a left after the first peak and found my way to three other peaks. Trail T-2 gets really hairy though with weeds up to my head at certain points. I saw three deer and an interesting lizard about 8 inches in length. I got a little turned around with the criss-crossing trails but keeping an eye on the peaks kept me aware of my direction. All in all, if you are in the area, well worth the exploration.
Awesome views, fossils, rocks, and more!
User: jmitchell - 4/14/2006  [View Log Page]
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 5.60 Miles Duration: N/A
Did not see a sole while on this hike, great views, lots of shell fossils, many deer. You can make this a easy hike or a difficult one by your choice of trail. There are lots of optional/side trails. Main trails were very well maintained. No fee either. Not a lot of cover in areas so be prepared for the sun on hot days.
Fence Line/Twister Trails
User: seejanplay7 - 12/30/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 5.50 Miles Duration: N/A
A beautiful day for hiking! Apparently the cyclists and deer had the same idea ... I saw several while on the fenceline trail. The fence line trail begins as an old ranch road but quickly turns into a deeply rutted path. Some of the ruts are up to two feet deep! This trail winds through a dry creek bed before connecting with Twister Trail at "Mother's Vista", a granite plaque with a bench on private property placed by her children ... a sweet and touching memorial. Twister Trail forks to the left and is so far the best-marked trail I've found in the park. This was a fun trail to hike with alot of terrain variety. It also appeared to be one not often traveled. One cool feature was the mixture of "fossilized shells" & rocks ... a great "discovery" for the young archeologist!
Interesting Sign at Dana Peak Park
User: toobsox - 12/23/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 5stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 4.00 Miles Duration: N/A
Did anyone notice the mountain lion warning information posted near the boat ramp at Dana Peak Park? I asked the gate attendant if he knew anything about any mountain lion sightings in the area. He didn't really have an answer. If anyone has heard anything interesting on this, post it! I know there are mountain lions in West Texas, but I didn't think they had relocated back this far east.
Twin Peaks Trail
User: seejanplay7 - 12/10/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 5stars Difficulty: 3point5stars Solitude: 4point5stars
Distance: 5.00 Miles Duration: N/A
I hiked the Twin Peaks trail from the main trailhead, down the firebreak, and around the peaks. This trail is fairly level and does not venture up on to the peaks, however there are side trails available to do so. The hike was beautiful walking along the lake, around the peaks with changing foilage, and clear blue skies. Amazingly, there was no one else on the trail. Trails markers can be confusing, take your map.
My Hike At Dana Peak
User: Miles - 10/2/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 4stars Solitude: 5stars
Distance: 4.50 Miles Duration: N/A
I go geocaching at this park alot! one of the best Geocache finds can be found at this park, it's name, Best Dam View In Texas. Hiking on some of these trails can be quite hard due to bike rutting of the trail beds. And cows and horses also visit these trails!
FIfth time at the geocache!
User: jennyj - 7/22/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 3stars Solitude: 3stars
Distance: 1.00 Mile Duration: N/A
My son and I discovered this geocache purely by accident April 2004...we go back every couple of months/the hike is steep but brief really/you can always spot deer bucks and fawns sometimes/ Oh the last visit this one on the 22nd some horrid person had left a very rude photograph in the geocache...I adsconded with it and hope this person stops their idiotic vandalism/Peace
User: Eveline - 8/8/2004  [View Log Page]
Rating: 3point5stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A
Fun, easy hike
User: elarsen - 3/30/2003  [View Log Page]
Rating: N/A Difficulty: halfstar Solitude: 1star
Distance: 3.00 Miles Duration: N/A
There are a few trails to take off on and hike around. Breaking off on different trails can easily take most of a day and more than a few miles of fun. Although there are inclines and declines in elevation, it is not by much at all. A good portion of the trails are rain run-offs, but others are somewhat wide paths used by the horses/bikers/hikers alike. All in all a very fun area to hike.
User: Eveline - 3/23/1996  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A
TVA Reunion Event
User: Eveline - 3/5/1995  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 3point5stars Solitude: 1star
Distance: 12.40 Miles Duration: N/A
We had lots of company out on the trails.
User: Eveline - 10/23/1994  [View Log Page]
Rating: 4point5stars Difficulty: 2stars Solitude: 2stars
Distance: 6.20 Miles Duration: N/A
Our Volksmarching club (Trotting Texas Turtles) helped cut this trail