News Release

Tropical Storm Harvey Update Trail Rehabilitation Milestone Reached

Date: August 22, 2019
Contact: Jason Ginder, 409-951-6721

Just two years ago, Tropical Storm Harvey changed our community. Many of the people who were impacted by this storm’s unprecedented rains and record flooding have just started putting those experiences in the past. Fortunately, damage to the facilities at Big Thicket National Preserve was minimal. The natural environment of Southeast Texas adapts well to these extreme weather events, but the human infrastructure we build is less flexible.

The primary damage to the national preserve resulted from flooding along Turkey Creek and Village Creek in Hardin County. Many of the trail surfaces, boardwalks, and pedestrian bridges in the Turkey Creek Unit were damaged by this storm. Since the storm large sections on the Turkey Creek Trail have not been easily traversed. Many boardwalks and bridges needed to be reengineered and rebuilt.

In mid-2018, the preserve received an infusion of special project funding from the federal government in the amount of $150,000, dedicated to repairing damage caused by Harvey.  During the summers of 2018 and 2019, seasonal trail crews made up of local community members have worked to removed damaged infrastructure and rebuild boardwalks and bridges constructed to the park’s new engineering standards along these trails.  At the end of this summer the majority of the trails in the Turkey Creek Unit will again be equipped with safe and sturdy bridges and boardwalks. 

Over the next few years recovery efforts will continue.  In partnership with the Federal Highways Administration and the U.S. Transportation Department, two large metal pedestrian bridges over Turkey Creek and Village Creek in the southern part of the Turkey Creek Unit will need substantial support and foundation work.  Until this final phase of the project is completed, the metal pedestrian bridge over Turkey Creek, just south of the Sandhill Loop, will remain closed. 

Starting this week and continuing through September, 2019, work to resurface the Woodlands Trail, located in the Big Sandy Unit in Polk County, will begin. Repairing trail surfaces and drainage issues along this trail caused by flooding during Tropical Storm Harvey will be the primary focus of this work. By October, 2019, this work should be completed, returning the 5.5 mile Woodlands Trail to ideal hiking conditions. 

 As fall approaches and the weather cools, we encourage everyone to get out and rediscover the beauty and peace of the national preserve.  To truly see the preserve, you must venture away from the modern conveniences of automobile travel and take a close look at the small things that live here. The preserve offers over 40 miles of developed hiking trails, suitable for all skill levels. Numerous creeks and rivers offer visitors the opportunity to kayak and canoe on over 100 miles of accessible waterways.

Big Thicket National Preserve is located 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 of these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest. 

For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigThicketNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/BigThicketNPS, and Instagram www.instagram.com/BigThicketNPS.