In 1840, Col. Stiff (Dyksterhuis 1948) who approached the Cross Timbers of Texas from the western prairies stated, "In turning to the northeast, something much resembling an irregular cloud is dimly seen. This is a skirt of woodland…called the Cross Timbers.
Cross Timbers may only be 90 minutes from Downtown Dallas, but the landscape will make you feel like you are in another state! In fact, you practically are. Cross Timbers is a natural area along the shores of Lake Texoma. As you probably guessed from the name, Lake Texoma straddles the Texas-Oklahoma border. It is an extremely easy drive from DFW (I took 75 almost the entire way), and has a 14 mile (single direction) main trail with several smaller hiking/biking/running side trails. The woodlands of the Cross Timbers area are so thick and unique that they were used by Comanche and Wichita Indians as a stealthy North-South passageway. Cross Timbers earned its English name from early pioneers attempting to pass through the region as the forest crowded with trees, hills, and rocky outcrops combined with the soft, sandy soil made passing through by wagon impossible.
Katie and I started our hike at the Juniper Point trailhead, although I have also heard good things about Cedar Bayou Marina at the other end of the trail. We decided to do a quick in and out hike with a goal of finishing before noon when the Texas fall heat really kicks in. We also wanted to keep this hike brief as it was Katie’s first hike post-surgery, and my first hike breaking in my new pack (the Kelty Coyote) and new shoes (Brooks Cascadia). Katie and I were the ONLY people hiking on this portion of the trail, as evident by Katie ‘Cobbknocking’ the main trail as we went. (Cobbknocking-encountering spiderwebs, hopefully with a stick in your hand, but frequently with your face). Speaking of spiderwebs, take a look at this massive work of art we encountered on the trail! Definitely big enough to fit a human. It gave me serious flashbacks to the Aragog and the giant spiders in Harry Potter.
The main hiking trail through Cross Timbers is very well marked, and maintained by a group of volunteers. Butters appreciated the groomed trail, making it easy for his small legs to keep up. You will find white trail markers along the trail for added insurance. There are several side trails, and Katie and I did wander off course a few times. By doing so, I discovered a new feature on my AllTrails Pro, where it sent a notification to my phone and my watch when it had detected I had gone off my intended path. This saved us from getting so far off the path that we might become disoriented.
As the name suggests, Cross Timbers provides plenty of shade for the sun-weary hiker. The trail is constantly engaging you with switches in scenery, as you will find yourself in what feels like a deep set of woods, and just as you become settled into that scenery, you will crest a hill or turn a corner and find yourself on rocky outcrops overlooking the beach. This hike was the closest I have felt so far in Texas to being back to living and hiking along the coast of Oregon. As you dive back into the forest, you are frequently greeted with hilarious signs, such as these two for “Gnome Crossing” and “Monkey Butt Hill”. We passed several options for backcountry campsites for those who believe that campgrounds are too “mainstream”. Cross Timbers is not a flat hike, and will challenge you with some inclines, including man-made stairs. I only thought to record about three miles of our hike, but within the three recorded miles we had a total elevation gain of 341 feet. It provided the perfect amount of challenge for Katie post-surgery, and for me to test out my carefully loaded Kelty Coyote. This hike would be ideal for summer months when most of Texas is too hot and lacking for shade due to the thick forest backdrop and easy access to Lake Texoma beach to cool off. Check out the gallery below for trail images!
To round out our dayhike, Katie and I stopped in Sherman at 903 Brewers / Downtown Grilled Cheese Co. to celebrate our hike and replace some of the calories we lost fighting the hills of Cross Timbers. This gooey brisket grilled cheese, paired with potato skins certainly did the trick! I also bought several craft beers to take home as a consolation prize to Cole, who had to work. My personal favorites thus far are the Pineapple Magic (tastes just like Dole Whip from Disney), the Shermanbock (a classic tasting brew), and the Pickle Gose (if you know, you know). Although COVID-19 has shut down most social activities, I would love to visit 903 Brewers again as I dig their funky warehouse vibes, and their food/beer offerings were the perfect end to a beautiful hike. Do you have a favorite day hike location near the DFW metroplex? Drop it in the comments or send me a message!
Hiker tips:
As you enter the Cross Timbers area, head towards Juniper point to start your hike You will pass through a small RV campground (with very well maintained vault toilets)...this is not actually the trailhead. Keep driving and just when it looks like you are going to loop back out to the mainroad, you will see an area with two more vault toilets with metal corrugated coverings. Turn on the small drive just to the left of those toilets and you will find a second campground/picnic area (tent only) with free parking for the trailhead. If you start your hike at Cedar Bay Bayou on the western terminal of the trail, parking will cost $5.)
At Cedar Bay Bayou, you can rent canoes or kayaks to take out on gorgeous Lake Texoma! This makes Cross Timbers a fantastic multi-use area as you can backpack or canoe to camping spots. https://cedarbayou.com/cross-timbers-trail/
If your dog has longer hair, I suggest grip socks or booties if your dog will wear them. I spent ~30 minutes after the hiking picking little burrs from Butters hair and paws. Guess who now has a grooming appointment for a shave?
Gear Reviews-
Brooks Cascadia-this was my first time wearing Brooks, period. I know this may come as a surprise as Brooks is constantly rated as “THE” shoe to have for daily wear by Physical Therapists. I’ve noticed that several of my PT counterparts wear Brooks during shifts at the Hospital. The Cascadia was ranked as one of the most common shoes used on the PCT last year per the annual survey. Pros: I noticed no break-in period with my Cascadias. Fresh from the box, I did not encounter any rub or develop any blisters on this hike. The shoe was fairly resistant to letting any rocks/pebbles/sand in. Cons: Lug grips and heel drop. I am used to shoes with a lower drop ratio. I normally hike in Keen boots as I like to feel the ground beneath me. Due to this, I did roll my ankle coming off of a rock. It was not a hike-ending injury, but I was sore the remainder of the hike. I will have to be more mindful of the terrain when I hike in these.
Kelty Coyote 60 L-This was the first outing of my pack that didn’t involve me only hiking up and down the stairwell in my midrise apartment. Even though I have a short stature (5’1), the load lifters and other adjusters aided this pack in providing a great fit. I loaded my pack with various odds and ends including my camping stove, my new (to me) tent (Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2) LINK, Sawyer, Go-Girl, warm weather sleeping back, Sea to Summit coolmaxx liner, 2 L of water, and a few other odds and ends. The pack was well-supported by my hips, and wide enough that the items in the pack weren’t pushing my head forward. I will have to rig up a solution to stabilize the brain of my pack, however, as it did come forward and hit the back of my head on a few declines. I know some people completely cut the brains off of their pack, but I’m not ready to perform brain surgery on my new pack yet!
Tigris Dog Backpack-Did not work for Butters AT ALL. It was incredibly adorable, but even with me trying to modify the side straps, it just wouldn’t fit on my little guy. The pack would slide sideways, which then would stop Butters in his tracks. I ended up carrying his pack inside of my own pack. That being said, it might work well for a larger dog. Butters weighs in at a whopping 8.5 pounds, so he doesn’t have a lot of back to support the pack and to keep it from sliding. I will be on the lookout for a saddle pack so that he can carry some of his own supplies. If your dog is <10 pounds, or has a skinny back like Butters, I cannot confidently recommend this pack. It is probably ideal for dogs in the 15-30 pounds range.
Resources/Links for more information on the history of Cross Timbers:
Anonymous, “Cross Timbers,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed October 15, 2020, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cross-timbers.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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