Serena and I ran the Lost Pines Trail in Bastrop State Park after a visit to Austin, TX. Bastrop is located 30 miles southeast of Houston and features an isolated stand of loblolly pines and hardwoods that is 100 miles removed from the main body of East Texas pine forest. It is thought that this stand of pines is a relic of a much larger pine forest. Since the climate here is drier than East Texas, the understory of the pine forest is noticeably less lush by comparison. Within this thick forest is an extensive campground and over 20 miles of great trails for running. On this day, we chose to do the 6.8 mile Lost Pines Trail, the longest trail in the park. We went in the evening hours so the sunlight was shining through the towering pines making for some nice photography. To make a complete loop, a small addition is necessary to link the ends of the trail. In addition, nearby Buescher State Park has a 7.7 mile loop in the Pine Forest that will be fun to check out next time I’m in the area. Here is a video I made of the Lost Pines Trail:
Some of my favorite photos after the jump!
Leor Pantilat's Adventures
Thanks for writing about your experiences at Bastrop State Park. Great pictures of the pines, by the way.