The Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) is a 96 mile long

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

with an additional 32 miles of loop and crossover trails of footpath-only trails. Connecting public lands of the

Sam Houston National Forest The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four National Forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in ...

and private lands it is the longest continuous hiking trail in the

State of Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. The trail starts just South of

Richards, Texas Richards is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in eastern Grimes County, Texas, United States. The community is located on Farm roads 1486 and 149. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line passes the east sid ...

and ends North-West of

Cleveland, Texas Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area and Liberty County. The population was 7,471 at the 2020 census. History In 1854, a church and convent were built by Father Pet ...

. The LSHT was conceived by the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club in 1966. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) approved construction of the trail and flagging began in 1967, with the first 30 miles constructed in 1968. The Sierra Club,

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...

, and many others were responsible for flagging and construction of the LSHT. The entire LSHT was completed and turned over to the USFS in 1972. An extension to the LSHT was approved later and completed in 1978. The trail is marked with two-inch by four-inch aluminum markers to guide hikers. The Lone Star Hiking Trail may be hiked year round, but winter and spring are the most popular seasons due to the mild southeast Texas climate. During deer hunting season in November and December, hikers should wear highly visible clothing. Primitive camping is allowed off the trail except during deer hunting season when camping is restricted to designated camps. Usually the trail is not crowded, and hikers may observe a multiple-use managed forest with many ages and kinds of trees, plants and wildlife. Trail visitors may also view rivers, creeks, lakes and streams that meander through and around the Sam Houston National Forest. Off-road vehicles are prohibited. Potable water is available at Double Lake and Stubblefield recreation areas. Lone Star Hiking Trail consists of three major sections (listed from west to east): *The 40-mile (64 km) Lake Conroe section begins near the intersection of FS 219 and FM 149 east of Richards, TX to the Stubblefield Recreation area at the north end of

Lake Conroe Lake Conroe is a lake in Montgomery County, Texas, United States. Even though it is named Lake Conroe, only a small portion of the lake is in Conroe, Texas. Most of the lake is in unincorporated Montgomery County. The lake lies on the West For ...

. Four connecting loops in this area are all designated as part of the trail. This part of trail passes through the Little Lake Creek Wilderness. *The 60-mile (97 km) Central Area of the trail runs northeast from the Stubblefield Recreation Area, to just north of Huntsville State Park. It runs east through the Four Notch area and then turns south east to the town of Evergreen, TX. An on-road section follows FM 945 south to a trailhead parking lot at S Butch Arthur Road. The Four Notch Loop, a 9.2-mile (14.8 km) section, is in the middle of this 60-mile (97 km) area of trail. *The Winters Bayou/Tarkington Creek Area of the trail runs from FM 945/S Butch Arthur Road trailhead east to Double Lake Recreation Area, then south through Big Creek Scenic Area and then southwest through the Winters Bayou Scenic area northwest of Cleveland, TX. This 27-mile (43 km) section of the trail has National Recreation Trail status.

References

External links

Lone Star Hiking Trail Club
Volunteer trail maintenance group. Also hosts trail maps and maintains a "thru-hiker's guide" on their website.
Sam Houston National Forest - USDA Forest Service
{{TrailSystem Hiking trails in Texas Protected areas of Montgomery County, Texas Protected areas of San Jacinto County, Texas Protected areas of Walker County, Texas Long-distance trails in the United States