Trail Notes: Winter Hikes

Have you ever noticed how the Greenbelt Alliance blazes our trails through tunnels of shade and over swamps of despair? Many of our favorite parks outside of San Marcos lack this level of mitigation, resulting in trails we have to avoid from April through October, lest we burst into flames or get carried away by mosquitoes. However, now is exactly the time to explore all those trails we eschew for most of the year. Here are a few of my favorites: Guadalupe River State Park - Painted Bunting Trail: Many of us head to Guadalupe River State Park for its long riverfront and easy tent camping, but its Painted Bunting Trail reminds me of something out of the ‘Little House on the Prairie’. This exposed path through fields of little bluestem, prickly pear, and post oak would cause spontaneous human combustion in August, but in February or March, the winter sun warms the face and slows the roll, allowing us to notice natural treasures like the white lace barrel cactus or even the eponymous avian. Tack on the River Overlook and Live Oak trails to and from the Cedar Sage Camping Area, and you’ve got one of the most pleasant Saturday morning winter hikes in our area (approximately 4.5 miles).

Palmetto State Park Ottine Swamp Trail: Every time I step foot onto the crushed gravel of this trail, I think of shrimp and grits in Charleston, SC. What in summer would be a sweaty mess, in the winter feels like a stroll through the Low Country of the Palmetto State, full of boardwalks, sulfur springs, and enough swamp biodiversity to entertain a Victorian botanist. Couple this trail with the Mesquite Flats and San Marcos River Trails, and you’ve got yourself a three-mile buffet of ecotone delight.

Big Bend National Park - Mesa de Anguila: When it comes to solitude, nothing beats The Mesa. It’s hard to reach. It looks terribly boring on a map, and if you attempt it after March, the rangers will leave you to turn to jerky. But if you manage to find the unmarked parking lot and barely marked trails, dodge the golf balls of the Lajitas Golf Resort, scramble up the dodgy pass, and brave the completely barren opening four miles of the route, you’re in for a treat. Hidden within these plains of desolation reside slot canyons, tinajas, and pockets of life so complete, you’ll swear you’re in a terrarium. For an added bonus, hug the cliffs of the Mariposa formation all the way down to the Rio Grande and the western entrance of the Santa Elena canyon. Best done as an overnight trip, given it’s five miles one-way to Mariposa and another three to the Rio Grande.