Recently hiked Enchanted Rock (near Fredricksburg) and now looking for closer hikes with the family. We take the kids on our backs, and it's a good time.

http://alltrails.com/us/texas/harker-heights
http://alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/miller-springs-nature-center-trail

Looks like this is our only option local...has anyone ran/hiked Dana Peak Park, Stillhouse Park Trail, or Belton's Miller Springs Nature??

Try Colorado Bend SP.

Good thread and I look forward to the responses.

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Looks like this is our only option local...has anyone ran/hiked Dana Peak Park, Stillhouse Park Trail, or Belton's Miller Springs Nature??

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Yes, and other than the occasional reports of ne'er-do-wells out at Miller and Chalk Ride, they're fine:

Here's my suggestions:

Local:
Miller Springs: below Belton Dam. Lots of trails, a little elevation change.

Chalk Ridge: nice trails, great spot for fishing, a very nice waterfall (when it's running). I recommend crossing that creek where it enters the Lampasas and walking along the base of the bluff on the south side of the river. Or, you can hike up that same creek and there are actually caves.

Dana Peak at Still house: just a hill, but a great view at the top.

BLORA: never been

Various Wildlife mgmt areas: never been but friends have been out there. Owl creek area is where they went. Check with fort hood and the corps of engineers. They may have info.

Mother Neff: oldest state Park in texas. Hurt by budget cuts and floods that took out many of the spectacular pecan trees on the banks of the Leon.

Within 2 hours:
Enchanted Rock

Colorado Bend - Gorman falls is MUST see. Need to book a wild cave tour as well. And there are many miles of hiking trails

Balcones Canyonlands - this is a new find for me, and I am VERY much looking forward to hiking it. It is an off-limits federal reserve but they have made a piece of it open to the public. From where you are, I would approach from the Liberty Hill side rather than the cedar park side.

Inks Lake

Pedernales Falls

Cameron Park in Waco

That should get you started, and I'm sure others will have some ideas





[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 2/18/2013 10:28a).]

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Miller Springs: below Belton Dam. Lots of trails, a little elevation change.

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A word of warning. Lots of extracurriculars go on out there as well. But it is a great place to hike, run, fish at.

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Miller Springs: below Belton Dam. Lots of trails, a little elevation change.

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A word of warning. Lots of extracurriculars go on out there as well. But it is a great place to hike, run, fish at.

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Guilty as charged... That was the place to go in HS, if u wanted to have a drink and try for 3rd base...

But now that I'm older, wiser and still immature, I like to fish and hike back there

Cameron Park is fun and challenging for hiking and mountain biking. It's fine during the day, but when dusk starts rolling around get back to the car.

We went to Meridian State Park once and it was pretty nice. Not very strenuous though.

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/texas/meridian-state-park-hiking-and-nature-trails

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Guilty as charged... That was the place to go in HS, if u wanted to have a drink and try for 3rd base...

But now that I'm older, wiser and still immature, I like to fish and hike back there

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It's also the place for gay hookups in the area. Spreadsheet update.

I was fishing down the creek a bit back (almost down to the 317 bridge) and 2 naked dudes popped out. I asked my friend who runs there a lot about and he said it's the hookup joint now. he carries when he runs as a result of it.


The things I can't unsee.

Here's a picture of the Chalk Ridge Waterfall



Cave pic

c-jags,

I had heard that as well, and they need to start arresting those idiots.

For that reason was reluctant to take my kids out there. The couple of times my kids and I hiked there we had no problems, though. Other than a bunch of litter on the trails..

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quote:

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Guilty as charged... That was the place to go in HS, if u wanted to have a drink and try for 3rd base...

But now that I'm older, wiser and still immature, I like to fish and hike back there

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It's also the place for gay hookups in the area. Spreadsheet update.

I was fishing down the creek a bit back (almost down to the 317 bridge) and 2 naked dudes popped out. I asked my friend who runs there a lot about and he said it's the hookup joint now. he carries when he runs as a result of it.

The things I can't unsee.

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Holy crap! I had not heard that! Wowza... We always just went there to chug a beer shoot some tequila and smoke cigarettes after school...

Mother Neff Park is nice as well. It is a small park but the history of it all is nice.

Lacy Point Wildlife Area on Lake Waco and watch the Bald Eagles.

Lacy Point Wildlife Area on Lake Waco and watch the Bald Eagles.

Lacy Point Wildlife Area on Lake Waco and watch the Bald Eagles.