Huntsville State Park

Huntsville State Park is a gorgeous park in the pineywoods region north of Houston. Lake Raven is the centerpiece with lush pine and hardwood forest surrounding the waterway. During my time on the Rice University track and cross country teams we often frequented this park on the weekends for our long runs. Furthermore, Huntsville State Park is the location of the Rocky Racoon Ultramarathons and other trail running events. There are several trails in the park, but the best overall tour is the 6.8 mile Chinquapin Trail loop which encircles Lake Raven in a twisty single track path beneath a thick forest canopy. The forest is very lush with Palmetto and American Beautyberry among other understory plants. There are numerous streams and some boardwalk sections over wetlands. This park is popular with hikers and mountain bikers and the trail system is  well maintained by the park with superb trail signs, maps, mileage markings, bridges, and boardwalks. Serena and I hiked this trail and the following short video summarizes the hike.