40 Acre And Elm Lake Trails

I visited Brazos Bend State Park late in the afternoon because hiking the trails was only part of my agenda for the day.  The other part was going to the George Observatory to look through their telescopes at night.

I parked in the vicinity of the Ranger Station HQ at the entrance of the park and walked along 40-Acre Lake.  I did not see any alligators in this area.  The trail conditions were fairly good, although still a little muddy in spots from some rain showers days before. 

From 40-Acre Lake, I took the connecting trail which leads past the Observation Tower to Elm Lake.  Along this enchanting trail I observed a lot of various birds in their natural habitats.

At Elm Lake, I saw 2 alligators, both of which were about 50 feet or so from the waterline.  They were not moving, however, just basking in the mud.  Seeing them added a little to the excitement to the hike.

There were a number of people walking along both lakes as well as bird photographers and bikers.  It was not overly crowded, however.

The Pilant Slough Trail was closed off due to muddy conditions.

All in all, it was a nice, late afternoon hike that would be a nice walk for families as well as hikers.

P.S.  I never got to look through the telescopes at the George Observatory due to cloudy conditions, so I'll have to return and do that another time.  However, nearby this area, I saw a family of deer at sunset.  They were grazing right along the roadside and were not afraid so I was able to pass slowly within 25 feet of them.