Best paddling day yet! I took the Cooks Lake to Scatterman Paddling Trail, and the middle section is like a slalom through the trees. A local canoe guide told me about the old trees above, several of which are over a hundred and fifty years old. The loop is about 5 miles and goes up through some low current dead ends and back downstream via the Naches River, so it’s not a difficult paddle. The only trick is to explore the flat water, try to get a close up of the snapping turtles before they jump back in the water and try to quietly sneak up on the wood ducks before they take flight. Blue skies, green leaves and muddy water. Glorious.

After so much frustration trying to kayak the Rio Grande, this has been a slice of paradise in the Big Thicket, supported by another excellent Texas State Park (Village Creek) and an exceptional local restaurant (Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp). Remind me to winter here for the rest of my life. My main suggestion is to budget more time for this area. There are roughly eight different sections of Big Thicket to explore, miles of paddling trails and nearby state parks including beaches. My final Texas park unit is also my favorite.