Big Thicket National Preserve · Texas

Beechwoods Trail

1.1 mi of trail, end to end · 20 ft of descent · 171 ft–194 ft · hiking

Picnic areas

179 ft 178 ft · 0.6 mi high 186 ft

Along the way Beech Woods Day Use Area

Trailhead Beech Woods Trailhead 194 ft Drive there

Hike the Beech Woods Trail the Park Service's write-up

1-2 Hours · dogs allowed · season <p>See bright green foliage in spring; fall colors in late November and early December.</p>

Start Beech Creek Unit | Spurger, TX

Colorful beech trees displaying red-orange-yellow colors along a trail leading through the forest.
Beech Woods Trail is great in late fall, when the beeches display fall colors. Photo: NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

Big Thicket is at the extreme southwest limit of the American beech's native range. Hike through a shaded forest of beeches on this easy trail.

Distance: 1½ miles roundtrip

Type: Out-and-back and loop combination

Location: Beech Creek Unit

Trailhead: Parking lot on FM 2992

Lat/Long: 30.719469, -94.227299

Overview

The Beech Woods Trail begins at the parking lot on Farm to Market Road (FM) 2992. Walk past the metal gate and follow an old dirt road down a forested corridor until you reach a junction marked with a wooden trail sign. Turn right at the trail sign and follow the meandering trail through the woods. The next junction marks the beginning of the loop section; go left or right to continue.

After completing the loop, return the way you came.

More Information

Download a trail map

Explore the Beech Creek Unit

Accessibility The trail is mostly flat, on a leaf-covered dirt path and flat wooden bridges, and wide enough for a wheelchair. There are a few sections with exposed tree roots.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 26 trails in Big Thicket National PreserveFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.