Sam Houston National Forest — Attraction in Point Blank

The forest was beautiful to drive through and the road signs were not too bad. We called the park in advance on Saturday (before leaving) to check the status of the trails since we have had so much rain - but got a recorded message stating they were on lunch break. We had arrived at the Rangers Station at the National forest looking forward to speaking with some of the park employees to obtain a map and get their opinion on the best trail, but upon arriving, the doors were locked and the office was closed. We looked at the signs and according to the sign, the office should have been open - we peered through the windows and did not see a soul.

We did not let this stop us, we headed to Double Lake Park after driving aimlessly, ran into a maintenance guy for the park. He gave us a few maps that were very unclear but we figured it was better than nothing. There were many trails to be traveled on and we wanted to take the trail that lead from Double Lake to the Big Creek Scenic Area (about a 5 mi trail). The main trail was the Lone Star Hiking Trail. None of the trails were color coded or marked so we just went with our best sense of direction to go to the right trail. The are so many trails and so many miles, we never ran into another person during our entire embarkment on the trail. During our hiking trip, we came across many sections were the trail went off several different directions, but there were no signs or markers indicating what trail was what. Knowing there were like 75 miles of trails, some trails that required an overnight camp - we were hesitant on taking just any old trail and hoping for the best, so after walking about 2 miles on the trail we thought might lead us, we turned around and headed back to our car - disappointed the way things turned out.

Knowing we were going into a national forest, I used Deep Forest OFF insect repellent before starting to hike - and even though it was 90+ degrees - I wore long pants, high socks, and tennis shoes, making sure I was covered head to foot to avoid insect bites or any other threat. After arriving back to our hotel, I changed to my swimsuit and went into the jacuzzi. My husband noticed something on my leg and tugged at it - it hurt! I couldn't see what it was either at first, since my body was submersed in water, but when pulling it off it looked like a brownish little spider that attached itself to my leg - IT WAS A TICK! So, what I am getting at is - even though, I took all the proper precautions, I still got a tick - so BE CAREFUL! Be sure to have someone look you over really good after you are done hiking!

Overall, it was a beautfiul forest that during our short visit, we saw a deer, some pretty butterflies, a lot of vultures, grasshoppers, and lizards - but was unhappy overall with our experience. Bring a compass if you want to avoid getting lost. Don't count on the office to be open when its supposed to! Print out maps in advance from their website! Come prepared & wear lots of...

This is a HUGE National Forest, and some of the trails put you in the middle of nowhere, and you don't see anyone for HOURS. I like that!!!

On top of that, National FORESTS are free for day use, you only have to pay if you are camping. So, this means you don't have to stop in at the ranger station unless you want trail maps - which are useless BTW. They don't list the distance of the trails, the only thing they are good for are finding the trail heads located along the roads that traverse through the forest. I suggest skipping the ranger station and use a phone app instead to find more details for the trails (the Alltrails app is a good one).

The trails are pretty easy, just look out for the tree roots across the trails so you don't trip. A few parts of the trails (but not much) can be swampy/marshy, so you might want to wear waterproof boots/shoes. I did several trails and the most elevation change I experienced was 70 feet over a mile. The trails I did were in total shade.

The trails are marked very well - look for the metal tags (blazers) nailed on the trees to make sure you are on the trail. It's hard to get lost in this forest, even though you will feel like you are in the middle of nowhere at times.

For an easy stroll, and a view of the lake, I recommend the FM1375 trailhead. It's about four miles to the Stubblefield trailhead/campgrounds (there are restrooms there) and then four miles back.

The most challenging trail I was able to find was part of the Lonestar Trail. I started at the intersection of FM149 and Forest Road 219. The Alltrails app lists it as challenging, but I would say it's more on the moderate side. You can get 14 miles or more from this trail. There are a few uphill parts, but nothing too strenuous. I LOVED it though! Tall pines, and I was all alone - I only saw two people over a period of 4 hours!

On most of the trails, there are fallen logs that you have to climb over, so this might be a problem for those with short legs.

In summary - if you plan on just doing day hikes here, download the Alltrails app and use it to find the trails you are interested in. The maps at the forest headquarters...

The Primitive dispersed camping along the lake via Rhodes 248 a b and c I think at least see are really wonderful. The lake water is fantastic swimming. Around the end of April the days are heating up so say shade structure is important. Along the lake there are mosquitoes as well. For motorcycling the roads are tree-lined and wonderful.

Motorcycle Camping: I used my Kawasaki kle 300 with a modified rear carrier. A single rectangle over the passenger seat and back of the motorcycle permitted me the rider and two very large duffle bags to securely make the trip.

Camping along the gravel road 248c was great with many free large campsites with no reservations or fee. The campsites feature cleared areas and other work such as gravel road access to the open dirt and grass sites. Nearby is Kelly pond camp site, a 3 minute ride to a cement constructed unisex outhouse. For cathole bury feces 200 feet or more from the lake and 6 inches deep. Same for toilet paper. I used the Stubblefield Campsite to ask for potable water and campers permitted me to enter and fill the five gallon water bladder o bunjy corded to the carrier platform in my bike. The also let me drop off a lawn trash bag into their dumpster. Stubblefield is also a few minutes away from road 248c Conroe lakeside camping. Per the forest service the Maprika app allows you to download the lone star hiking trail as a selection and presumably other...