Wet Weather Can Close the Forest Trails

The rain that keeps San Jacinto County green can make the forest trails too soft to use. The Forest Service says Sam Houston National Forest has 85 miles of multiple-use trails for hiking, biking, horses, and registered off-highway vehicles. Those trails close when wet soil or similar conditions could lead to trail damage.

That is a practical thing to know before loading bikes, tack, or an OHV. The Forest Service posts alerts for Sam Houston National Forest, and its multiple-use trail page tells visitors to call the ranger office at 936-344-6205 or 888-361-6908, option 2, for trail status before visiting.

The main Sam Houston page gives the same kind of advice for heavy rain. It tells visitors to contact the district office for current trail and campground status. That is useful even for a casual day, because the forest can be open while a trail system is not ready for traffic.

This is not a reason to skip the forest. It is just East Texas working like East Texas: heavy rain at times, soft ground afterward, and trails that last longer when people wait for the green light.