Big Thicket National Preserve
Life of all types abounds in the Big Thicket. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats meet in southeast Texas. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous. It is a place of discovery, a place to wander and explore, a place to marvel at the richness of nature.
About 1.5 hours from Houston by car.
Alerts
- CautionNPS ↗Hunting Season Underway: Oct 1 to Feb 28
All units except the Turkey Creek Unit allow hunting. In hunting areas, hunting is not allowed within 500 feet of trails. Wear orange if entering a hunting area.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx Jasper 9036
30 mi from the park's reference point · 254 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedRx Newton 9012
44 mi from the park's reference point · 170 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedRx Angelina 9039
46 mi from the park's reference point · 257 acres · 0% contained
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| All Park Hours | Daily · All Day |
When to go
August draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Big Thicket Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Start your trip here! Get free maps and information, meet a park ranger, and learn about the Big Thicket's plants, animals, and history. Staying awhile? Watch a short film in the theater and browse the bookstore. Outside, enjoy a shaded picnic and go for a short hike on the Longleaf Pine Trail.
Explore
Things to do
- Become a Big Thicket Junior Ranger20-60 Minutes
Get a free activity booklet from the visitor center and earn a Junior Ranger badge. All ages are welcome!
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Sundew Trail1-2 Hours
0.3 to 1 mile roundtrip | Search for tiny red carnivorous plants known as sundews on an easy loop hike through a lush wetland pine savannah.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to the Sandhill Loop Trail2-8 Hours
4½ to 9.4 miles roundtrip | Look for longleaf pines, cacti, and solitude on this out-and-back and loop hike that leads to an arid sandyland ecosystem.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Kirby Nature Trail1-2 Hours
1½ to 2½ miles roundtrip | Experience the Big Thicket on a gentle loop hike through different kinds of forest. See majestic bald cypress trees and knees and Village Creek.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Longleaf Pine Trail30-60 Minutes
1 mile roundtrip | Stroll through a longleaf pine forest near the visitor center on Big Thicket's newest trail.
Opens on the Park Service site - Backcountry Camp at Big Thicket National Preserve
You can camp for free in much of the Big Thicket backcountry! Pick up a permit at the visitor center.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Bike the Big Sandy Trail4-8 Hours
Take your mountain bike on a 14.7-mile roundtrip trail through the woods of the Big Sandy Creek Unit. See different kinds of forest habitats along the way.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Big Sandy Trail
14.7 miles roundtrip | The Big Sandy Trail follows old logging roads through the woods. This is the only trail in the preserve open to bicycles and horses.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Turkey Creek Trail
14 miles one-way | The Turkey Creek Trail leads into the backcountry of the Turkey Creek Unit. Several trailheads at road crossings provide options for shorter hikes.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Beaver Slide Trail30-60 Minutes
1 mile roundtrip | The Beaver Slide Trail is a hidden gem. This short hike leads hikers past several scenic ponds and sloughs. Keep an eye out for beaver dams along the way!
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Birdwatchers Trail30-60 Minutes
¾ mile roundtrip | This short hike leads to views of Menard Creek and the Trinity River, an important migration route for birds.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Rugged Lance Rosier Unit1-3 Hours
The Lance Rosier Unit is the largest, wildest area of the Big Thicket. Discover its secrets on this scenic, unpaved auto tour.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Canoe Trip10/1510:00 AM · free · registration requiredUS Hwy 96 Boat Launch on Village Creek | Lumberton, TX
- Stargazing Stroll10/1707:30 PM · freeBig Thicket Visitor Center, 6102 FM 420, Kountze, TX 77625
- Sundew Spooks10/2407:00 PM · freeSundew Trail, Hickory Creek Savannah Unit | Warren, TX
- Nature Walk: Beware Big Thicket!10/2510:00 AM · freePitcher Plant Trail, Turkey Creek Unit | Warren, TX
- Plant Native Plants with Us!12/0509:00 AM · free · registration requiredBig Sandy Creek Unit | Dallardsville, TX. More details to come!
News
- Big Thicket National Preserve Hunting Permit Registration Opens September 1, 2026 ↗2026-08-17
Hunters can get a free hunting permit at the visitor center beginning September 1, 2026. Permits will be available first-come, first-served throughout the hunting season.
- Big Thicket to Host Free Fishing Day for National Park Week ↗2026-08-14
Go fish! Join rangers for a morning of free, family-friendly activities at Collier's Ferry Park in Beaumont on August 29. Kids can fish for free and enjoy a free boat ride on the Ivory Bill.
- Summer 2026 Programs at Big Thicket ↗2026-05-27
This summer, Big Thicket is offering night hikes, canoe trips, free fishing days, nature walks, and free movies. Check our calendar for more information on dates and times.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Kirby–Hill HouseBuilding · Kountze · 7.4 mi
- Warren SchoolBuilding · Warren · 10.9 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Texas's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthGray Fox 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 282 birds, 57 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · American Swallow-tailed Kite · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Black-shouldered Kite · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Crested Caracara · Eastern Screech-owl · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black-bellied Whistling-duck · Black-crowned Night Heron · Black-necked Grebe · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Teal · Double-crested Cormorant · Fulvous Whistling Duck · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater Scaup · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · King Rail · Least Bittern · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Mangrove Rail · Mottled Duck · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Reddish Egret · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · Virginia Rail · White Ibis · White-faced Ibis · Yellow-crowned Night-Heron · wood duck · wood stork
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · American Golden Plover · American Woodcock · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Skimmer · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · Buff-breasted Sandpiper · Caspian Tern · Common Snipe · Common Tern · Dunlin · Eskimo Curlew · European Herring Gull · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · Hudsonian Godwit · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Magnificent Frigatebird · Marbled Godwit · Pectoral Sandpiper · Ring-billed Gull · Ruddy Turnstone · Sanderling · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · White-rumped Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Ground Dove · Common Pigeon · Inca Dove · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-cockaded Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · Ae'o · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstarat · American Robin · Anhinga · Bachman's Sparrow · Baltimore Oriole · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-winged Warbler · Boat-tailed Grackle · Bobolink · Brewer's Blackbird · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Brown-headed Nuthatch · Canvasback · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Grackle · Common Moorhen · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood-pewee · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Roadrunner · Groove-billed Ani · Harris' Sparrow · Henslow's Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Lapland Longspur · Lark Sparrow · Le Conte's Sparrow · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Painted Bunting · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Gallinule · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rufous-sided Towhee · Rusty Blackbird · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Flycatcher · Scarlet Tanager · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Sedge Wren · Solitary Vireo · Song Sparrow · Sora · Sprague's Pipit · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · Water Pipit · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler · wilson's warbler · winter wren · wood thrush
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Baird's Pocket Gopher · Black Rat · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Brown Rat · Cotton Deermouse · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Fox Squirrel · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Harvest Mouse · Eastern Mole · Eastern Woodrat · Fulvous Harvest Mouse · Golden Mouse · Hispid Cotton Rat · House Mouse · Northern Pygmy Mouse · Pine Vole · Plains Harvest Mouse · Southern Flying Squirrel · Southern Short-tailed Shrew · bee shrew · hispid pocket mouse
PredatorsAlleghanian Spotted Skunk · American Badger · American Black Bear · American Mink · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Cross Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Louisiana black bear · Ringtail · River Otter · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Black Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · Eastern Big-eared Bat · Eastern Red Bat · Evening Bat · Hoary Bat · Northern Yellow Bat · Seminole Bat · Southeastern Myotis · Tricolored Bat
Also on the checklistCane Cutter · Coypu · Domestic Cat · Eurasian Wild Pig · Marsh Oryzomys · Virginia Opossum · domestic dog · long-nosed armadillo
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
SPRING: Expect comfortable weather in Mar/Apr, with heat & humidity increasing in May. SUMMER: High heat, high humidity, and thunderstorms are common. Hurricane & tropical storm activity peaks in late summer. FALL: Early fall can be hot, while Oct/Nov bring pleasant temperatures. WINTER: Mild, chilly weather with occasional cold spells. Snow is rare. Some Dec/Jan/Feb nights may dip below freezing.
Questions people ask
Does Big Thicket charge an entrance fee?
No. Big Thicket is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Big Thicket open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Big Thicket right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Hunting Season Underway: Oct 1 to Feb 28.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Big Thicket?
228,310 recreation visits in 2025, number 165 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Big Thicket?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Big Thicket?
SPRING: Expect comfortable weather in Mar/Apr, with heat & humidity increasing in May. SUMMER: High heat, high humidity, and thunderstorms are common.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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