Collier's Ferry Opens a Quiet Big Thicket Paddle

Collier's Ferry to Lake Bayou is a 7-mile out-and-back paddling trail. It starts at Collier's Ferry Park on Pine Street in Beaumont, then follows a short reach of the Neches River before turning into Lake Bayou.

The route slips into Big Thicket National Preserve. It is a slower side of the same river system that carries ships and industry farther downstream. TPWD says the trip can take about two to five hours, depending on wind, water, and time spent looking around.

The old ferry site has its own story too. TPWD ties it to the Old Jasper Road, the Opelousas Trail, and cattle crossings that used this river route.