One of the hidden jewels of Texas, the Lone Star Hiking Trail is the only long-distance National Recreation Trail in the state. At 128 miles (including loop trails), it is also the state's longest continuously marked and maintained footpath. Located in the famed Big Thicket area in east Texas, the trail is well-suited for both short and long hikes (of up to 10 days), appealing to dayhikers, overnight backpackers and long-distance hikers. The LSHT lies between the major metro centers of Houston-Galveston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio--home to more than 8 million people just a 2-hour drive from the trail. The author, a Texas native, is an experienced long-distance hiker who has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and many other nationally recognized long-distance trails throughout the U.S. This is the first guidebook to the trail and is officially endorsed and promoted by the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club.

Take a Hike on a Long Texas Trail One of the hidden jewels of Texas, the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) is the only long-distance National Recreation Trail in the state. At 128 miles—including loop trails—it is the state’s longest continuously marked and maintained footpath. Located in East Texas’s famed Big Thicket area, the trail winds through the thick woodlands of Sam Houston National Forest, an ecologically diverse region within a few hours’ drive of Houston-Galveston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Let Texas native and experienced long-distance hiker Karen Borski Somers guide you along this incomparable footpath, well-suited for both short and long hikes of up to 10 days, appealing to day hikers, overnight backpackers, and thru-hikers. The author conveniently divides the trail into 11 sections, complete with an overview, section map, GPS waypoints, trail description, mileage chart, and more. It’s everything you need from the guidebook that’s officially endorsed and promoted by the Lone Star Hiking Trail Club.

From reviews of the first edition: "This deceptively slender volume is three things: a how-to book, an aesthetic feast and a moral tale.... To save a last remnant [of the forest] is a triumph, but it is a triumph to be savored in sadness. Our ancestors found East Texas a land of beauty; we leave it a land of beauty spots." --Dallas Morning News BIG SLOUGH. TURKEY HILL. INDIAN MOUNDS. UPLAND ISLAND. LITTLE LAKE CREEK. This guide provides all the information a visitor needs to understand, enjoy, and protect these unique wildernesses. Expanded from the 1986 edition, it includes three new chapters that offer a wealth of additional and updated detail about the diverse forest communities that hikers will encounter in the areas. Scenic Bend of the Neches, a recently proposed Research Natural Area, is also covered for the first time. Designed for a wide range of explorers, from casual walkers to primitive campers, the book guides you to the wildernesses' perimeters by road, suggests walking routes to choice spots inside, and even recommends places to camp. Redesigned and updated maps complement the text, which is illustrated with artistically framed nature photographs.