Gators in Texas?!

Comments: Before going here, I didn't even really know there were alligators in Texas. This park, SW of Houston, is an extremely flat swampland type area. I'd say the total elevation change for the entire park is less than 50 feet. It's also a fact that because this is one of the closest state parks to Houston, parts of it are extremely well traveled. There are a lot of different trails to choose from though, so you can find some solitude if you go to trails farther back. Today I hiked three consecutive loops, starting with the Forty-Acre Lake Trail, then the Elm Lake Trail, and finally the Horseshoe Lakes Trail. The first two loops are joined by a half mile path, while the third begins and ends at the same point on the Elm Lake Trail. The Forty-Acre Lake and Elm Lake trails are both excellent spots to look for the park's many alligator denizens. The first one I came across was about four feet long, lying completely still in the grass just barely off the path. I didn't even notice him until I was standing just a few feet away and suddenly noticed him watching me. The alligators here have no fear of humans whatsoever, and seem to think nothing about sunning themselves all along the hiking paths. Fortunately only the younger gators seem to do this (the "Oh how cute, an alligator" size). I did spot a couple of much much larger alligators, approximately 10-12 feet long (the "Oh my god, an alligator. Run!" size) through the trees in the swamp sunning themselves on other pieces of land. The park claims to contain gators up to 16 feet in length, but the very biggest ones tend to stay well away from the human population. There is an observation tower on the Forty-Acre Lake trail where you can go up high and see just how close the alligators stay to the trail sometimes. After walking along these two main thoroughfare trails (I passed by a group of SIXTY people going in the other direction at one point), the Horseshoe Lakes Trail was a refreshing change. It was the first bit of solitude I'd had out there and was quite nice. I feel certain that I need to go back and explore some of the other trails in the back of the park, where you're less likely to spot either alligators or humans. A highly recommended trip for the wildlife (many varieties of birds in addition to the gators) and the refreshing change of terrain to Texas swampland.