News Release

New Fall and Winter 2021 Programs

Join a park ranger on a nature walk through the Big Thicket.

NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

News Release Date: August 28, 2021

Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700

KOUNTZE, Texas – As the temperature finally starts to cool off, it is the perfect time to come explore the Big Thicket! During the next 4 months there are many opportunities to take a guided walk, canoe trip, or to volunteer some of your time to make the Big Thicket a better place for all visitors. “Fall is a beautiful time of the year and we are looking forward to seeing people out on the trails, exploring the waterways, and recreating responsibly in the preserve,” stated Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz.

Park rangers will offer a variety of free programs, from canoe trips on Village Creek to full moon hikes and guided walks of various lengths on our trails. To keep everyone safe, reservations will be required for all programs and the group size will be limited to 10 people. Be sure to consult the 2021 Fall and Winter Ranger-led Program Schedule for details.

Big Thicket National Preserve is located in southeast Texas, near the city Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all of these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received national interest.

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