Some of the trails are not very well marked ESPECIALLY on the Big Sandy Creek trail which is basically huge partially covered trail but the Turkey creek trail was very well covered and very well marked. Kind of wish the parking was a bit bigger but it's doable. Definitely need plenty of water especially in September it was 90° in the shade. Park opens at 9 AM and I would definitely recommend doing the Turkey Creek Trail which actually begins past the picnic area (the sign is a bit confusing). There are bathrooms and a decent parking area around the Turkey Creek Trail.

I usually like to give high reviews, but I am going to be hypercritical as there are serious concerns to safety in this national preserve. Note, there are many different units, all allow for hiking and my wife and I are avid hikers. We went with the Woodlands trail as it was a good distance for what we wanted to put in during the morning. The trails have decent marking. There is hunting allowed in the different units and we were prepared and had neon orange on. The trails are primitive which requires a decent boot, but they are also heavily damaged from feral hog activity. I would not bring our dogs back generally due to the issue of ticks, but we are on proper medications already so no big worry. The primary issue is feral hogs. I have hiked different areas of this state and around other states, I have never been too concerned about wildlife, including mountain lions, coyotes, bear, wolves... but within about 1.25 miles we had too close for comfort experiences with 6 very large feral hogs, during the later morning. If you are not aware, these beasts can maim or kill with little effort. We were on the trail and the hogs were paralleling us. We were not aggressively attacked, but we decided to not stay and find out. What we learned is hogs are not just nocturnal. There was plenty of opportunity to break/twist your ankle if you wore common shoes(we were in sturdy boots) and if you have a dog they at least alert you to the presence of the wildlife.. There are trails in the main section along 287 which will likely be better maintained, but there are other areas that you can visit for a hike and these are not going to be family/dog friendly without a good rifle.

Love love love the creek! Hidden gem. Locals know the spot but if your are new here ask around on how to get to it. I’ve been several times since moving here and very few rare issues arise when down there and when they do it’s usually a older drunk person or teens. Great for families, just catching some rays and dipping in to cool off. Not to mention Free! Make a day of it pack a picnic meet people and have fun!

The visitors center is very helpful with rangers who are informative and welcoming. The Turkey Creek Unit is beautiful and easy trekking. Have fun and keep to the trail if you arent camping, it is easy to become disoriented in the brush.

We barely got a chance to explore this giant national preserve just about 5 miles but it was beautiful. It was quiet and super well maintained with outhouses and wide trails. We will definitely be coming back to backcountry camp!

Beautiful scenery. Calm and tranquil. Nice hikes with fresh air. Pitcher plants are so interesting! Trails were well marked, parts were paved, bridges were in nice condition. Highly recommend taking the time to enjoy the views.

If you're looking for 🏕️ this in NOT the place, it's humid and hard to find an spot, we visit in early may, anyway if you do you just need a special permission when you arrive in the visitor center. But, the hiking trails,,🥾 are in supper good condition, easy to do and the chance to see local🌱🌼 in my opinion, worth it if you live 1 hr maximum close by.

Beautiful river bottom that is only able to be traveled when the water is super low. It's an amazing site to see the little villages and people cut out of the trunks in the ground growing into will be huge cypress trees!!!

A great place to hike and enjoy the woods and sounds of nature.

A really special place run by a lot of great volunteers. We walked many of the trails and the volunteer guides pointed out so many plants and flowers we might have missed. There is no charge but donations are welcome and necessary to keep this preserve in operation and making necessary improvements to trails and wooded areas.

It's a an amazing place to visit. The walking trails are easy to traverse and there a boardwalk to the pitcher Plants.

We have done this trail in multiple different sections and the one we did this weekend was our favorite. There is a lot of trail by the creek, which the kids love.

Brought our toy's & had a blast out there. We do every time we go. Very clean & safe for the whole family.

We did not plan it this way. But, we happen to be here on Saturday, October 14th, the day of the annular eclipse. They had a big event here for the eclipse.

I love it here! Nice trails, and beautiful scenery!

I will preface this review by saying we live only about an hour and a half from the Big Thicket. Our home area looks pretty much like this area. Also, the weather was unusually cool for this area, for April. We went on a Sunday. If you like walking in the woods, this is a great place. No 'high vista views' as the area is heavily wooded and not much elevation change. The Kirby Nature Trail is nice, but don't expect ANY nature interpretation information--- no trees or plants labeled. The Pitcher Plant Trail and Sundew Trail are difficult to get to, down long, bumpy dirt roads (separate trails). And we didn't see any Sundews at all and there was no signage saying "look in this area for Sundew." I have been on this trail many years ago and saw lots of Sundew. Wrong time of year? Who knows, because there was no information about them. The Pitcher Plant Trail had plenty of plants to see. Animal life? None to see. Heard a few birds, woodpeckers, but that was it. We "did" stop at the Visitor Center, but it's not much. We did not watch the video, so perhaps THAT was where some of the plant and wildlife info was.