News Release
NPS Photo / Soren George-Nichol
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Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700
KOUNTZE, Texas – Are you looking for something to do during the summer when family comes to visit or when the kids need to get out of the house? Experience Big Thicket National Preserve with a variety of free summer programs, including canoe trips, nature walks, free fishing days, and more.
Ranger-led Programs
Explore Big Thicket with a ranger! We’re excited to host free ranger-led activities every weekend this summer. Take a nature walk and learn about carnivorous plants, life on the bayou, and other topics. Our popular canoe trips on certain Saturdays and Thursdays provide a relaxing way to see the Big Thicket’s scenic waters. And see the park after dark on a night hike! Check the calendar of events for more information.
Kids to Parks Day
Kids to Parks Day is a national day of outdoor play on Saturday, May 21. This annual celebration connects kids and families with Big Thicket while promoting discovery and exploration in the great outdoors. Check out the three activities for this year’s event: learn more about paddling from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Baby Galvez boat launch in Silsbee, test your map skills while hiking the Sundew Trail, and try a scavenger hunt for Big Thicket’s animals at the visitor center. During the event, pick up a free activity book—kids and families who visit all three spots will receive a special patch to take home. For more details, call us at 409-951-6700.
Free Fishing Days & “Pop-Up” Fishing Events
Get hooked on fishing this summer at our free fishing events on Saturday, June 4, and Saturday, August 6! From 10 am to 1 pm, join rangers at the Texas Highway 327 boat launch on Village Creek in Silsbee for free fishing and activities. Kids and families can learn about different knots, fishing limits, and fish with a ranger on the banks. Kids who finish all activities will earn a Junior Angler badge. No fishing license is required for free fishing events.
Also, meet a ranger at “pop-up” fishing events at different Village Creek boat launches on certain weekends. Kids can fish with a ranger, get a free activity book, and earn a Junior Angler badge. A Texas fishing license is required for anyone 17 and older.
Accessible Thicket Thursdays
Have you ever avoided a ranger-led hike or skipped exploring the visitor center because of a disability? This opportunity is for you! Accessible Thicket Thursdays are specialized opportunities for those who would feel more comfortable in a smaller, tailored group. Email us or call 409-951-6700 to choose a Thursday and let’s design a program that’s right for you. And learn more about accessibility at Big Thicket.
For more information on all of our programs, check out our calendar of events.
Big Thicket National Preserve is in southeast Texas, near the city of 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 these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.
-NPS-
Last updated: May 16, 2022