Are there any hiking trails near Fort Hood? This is one of the most frequent questions I get asked when people find out that we live here. The answer is a simple, YES! In fact, I would estimate to say that you could easily find over 500 miles of hiking trails near Fort Hood or within a 2-hour radius of Fort Hood.
Not interested in driving 2 hours? There are over 100 miles of hiking trails within 30 minutes of Fort Hood!
Most of these trails I have hiked, and if I have I will link it to the post that will typically include video of the trails as well as rules and tips (still working on getting them all posted).
Note: This list is still a work in progress, so check back often or subscribe to my blog using the form on the right-hand side.
Outside the Gate
Ok maybe not right outside the gate, but within 20-30 minutes
BLORA Sparta Mountain – Located inside BLORA there are over 10 miles of trails ranging from easy to difficult. It is an extensive singletrack trail system that goes over limestone bluffs down to the lake and back up. I am told that the trails are not well-marked, so use caution and know how to navigate via the map which is located at the office and trailhead. It is also mainly a mountain biking trail, so watch out for riders!
Chalk Ridge Falls – There are about 8 miles of trails in this park and it includes scenic views and of course a waterfall that you can take a dip in. It is within about a 20-minute drive of Fort Hood.
Dana Peak Park – Located just minutes from Fort Hood, it has over 20 miles of trails and this is the park that you will typically find me at during the week racking up miles.
FM 2305 Hike & Bike Trail – A 4-mile paved trail that travels east from St. Andrews Place to West Loop 363 on the western outskirts of Temple.
Miller Springs – The trails have been closed for a couple of years due to severe flooding, but have opened back up as of April 2017. Please be aware that trail maintenance is still going on and many trails are still flooded or not marked.
Mother Neff State Park – Located a short distance from North Fort Hood, this was the very first Texas State Park and offers 4 miles of trails.
Parrie Haynes Ranch – Located near Maxdale, it consists of two tracts of land offering over 60 miles of trails.
Pepper Creek Hike & Bike Trail – Located in Temple, this trail is about 3 miles long.
Stillhouse Park – Located between Harker Heights & Belton. While this park doesn’t host as many trails as Dana Peak. The trail here does connect to Dana Peak.
Within One Hour of Fort Hood
Barton Creek Greenbelt – Located in Austin, it is about an hour drive from Fort Hood
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge – About an hour’s drive with three different public sections to hike.
Bull Creek Preserve – Located about an hour drive from Fort Hood, it hosts 6 miles of hiking trails.
Cameron Park – Located in Waco, Cameron Park offers over 20 miles of hiking trails ranging from beginner to expert.
Canyon of the Eagles Lodge & Nature Park – Located about an hour drive from Fort Hood and on Buchanan Lake, this private resort that is open to the public for day use offers over 14 miles of groomed trails.
Colorado Bend State Park – Great for when you have an entire day as it is about an hour’s drive from Fort Hood. The park offers over 35 miles of trails with amazing views and a gorgeous waterfall!
Comanche Bluff Hiking Trail – Located about an hour away on Granger Lake the total length of the trail is about 6.5 miles (one way) so 13 miles if you plan to hike it all and then hike back to the car (this is not a loop trail). Trail Map.
Cooper Spring Nature Park –
Doeskin Ranch – Part of the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge and about an hour’s drive, it hosts 5 miles of hiking trails.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park – Located in Austin the park offers 12 miles of hiking/biking trails and is located on the Colorado River.
Granger Lake Trail – Located near Granger the trail is a 7.8 mile out and back trail near the San Gabriel River. It has a couple of really old bridges for photo ops.
Inks Lake State Park – Located about an hour from Fort Hood, the 1200 acre state park offers 3 miles of trails. While you are in the area visit Longhorn Caverns.
Lake Georgetown – Located about an hour from Fort Hood, the 30-mile trail loop travels around the entire lake.
McKinney Falls State Park – About an hour’s drive from Fort Hood, the park offers 9 miles of trails. The main trail, which is roughly 3.5 miles, is paved which makes it great for those with strollers.
Reveille Peak Ranch – Located an hour away from Fort Hood and just outside of Burnet, this 1,300-acre ranch has over 15 miles of hiking trails open to the public.
River Place Trails – Located in Austin. Only 3.5 miles (one-way), but a 1800ft elevation gain. It is a serious workout and not suitable for beginners. The trail has emergency exits (if that tells you anything)!
Shaffer Bend Recreation Area – Located near Marble Falls about an hour drive from Fort Hood, this recreation area offers about 8 miles of trails.
St. Edwards Park – Located in Austin about an hour from Fort Hood, this park features 3 miles of trails with scenic views of the Hill Country.
Violet Crown Trail – Located in Austin, this trail will be 30 miles long once complete. Currently, 6 miles of the trail have been completed and are open to the public. The remaining is set to be complete sometime in 2018.
Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park – Located at 12138 N Lamar Blvd in Austin, it hosts 15 miles of hiking trails along with an off-leash dog area, swimming pool, playground, and recreational facilities.
Woodway Park – Located just southeast of Waco (on the outskirts) is 4 miles of hiking trails (loop trails) right on the lake.
Zilker Botanical Garden & Park – The botanical garden itself has about 5 miles of trails. The garden is surrounded by Zilker Park which is a 350-acre park with running, jogging, biking, swimming, kayaking, and many other outdoor activities.
Within Two Hours of Fort Hood
Bastrop State Park – Located about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood and just east of Austin, the park offers over 7 miles of hiking trails and 2 paddling trails.
Buescher State Park – Located about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood and adjacent to Bastrop State Park, this park offers over 8 miles of hiking/biking trails.
Canyon Lake Gorge – Located in Canyon Lake (near San Marcos) the trails are by guided tour only and last 3 hours. While I am not a fan of “guided hikes” I have driven past this area and immediately knew I wanted to do a tour sometime (the area is beautiful)!
Cibolo Nature Center – Located in Boerne, TX about 2 hours from Fort Hood. There are 3 miles of trails that cover a huge variety of natural landscapes
Colorado River Refuge – It has only 3 miles of trails (one way, so 6-mile round trip) and is located in Bastrop, just east of Austin and about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood. However, there is a ton to do in the area, so it’s worth making it into a day trip.
Dinosaur Valley State Park – Located outside of Glen Rose, just under 2 hours away from Fort Hood, is a Texas hidden gem. Over 20 miles of trails as well as backpacking campsites.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – Located about 2 hours from Fort Hood, the park offers 11 miles of hiking trails.
Guadalupe River State Park – Located near Spring Branch, Texas and about a 2-hour drive from Fort Hood, this park offers over 13 miles of trails. Side note, this park is listed as one of the top 10 Best Swimming Holes in Texas.
JJ’s Rockin’ Retreat – Located in Menard, Texas about 2 hours from Fort Hood, this 6,000-acre ranch is open to the public for hiking, biking, and camping. The total miles of trails is unknown because you are allowed to roam the ENTIRE ranch at free will! They say if you were to bike the entire ranch, you would need an entire day, so imagine hiking it!
McKinney Roughs Nature Park – Located about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood, this park offers over 18 miles of trails and a great place to go swimming and Kayaking.
Milton Reimers Ranch Park – Located in Dripping Springs outside of Austin and about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood. It has over 18 miles of trails.
Mount Lakeway Trail – 4.1 miles out and back trail near Lakeway, Texas. It offers amazing views of the town and lake below.
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area – Located between Austin & Marble Falls and about a 1.5-hour drive from Fort Hood, this recreation area offers about 10 miles of trails.
Pace Bend Park – Located in Spicewood, TX just outside of Austin near Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge the park has over 15 miles of trails ranging from easy to intermediate. Located about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood.
Pedernales Falls State Park – Located near Johnson City and about 1.5 hours from Fort Hood, this park has over 30 miles of hiking trails!
Prospect Park & Purgatory Creek Greenspace – Located in San Marcos, TX the greenbelt offers over 9 miles of trails.
Westcave Preserve aka Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center – About 1.5 hours from Fort Hood. I am not sure about the length of trails, however, only a portion of the trails are self-guided.
Yes! I love this list – thank you so much for posting this
I’ve been using All Trails app … but I don’t think it’s accurate and up to date – because while I’ve been out exploring, I’ve stumbled across things that don’t even register.
My husband and I LOVED Dana Peak! I’m glad to hear they’re starting to take better care of it!
No problem, I get asked it all the time and I just usually personally reply. Figure I would make my paper list into a digital one lol. I will link up posts to individual trails as I write them. I am going to start making videos of the trails as well, so you can get a better view to decide if it is a trail you might like, so keep an eye out for those!
Lindsay Lund The app is a good starting point, but you are right about it not being up to date. It shows Dana Peak as only having 7 miles of trails, which makes me laugh. I did 15 miles out there one day and didn’t even go on all the trails! My goal is to hike every single trail out there and make an updated map for it. I also plan on doing that for Chalk Ridge Falls as well. I will say though that after years of Dana Peak being left to hikers to take care of, the COE is finally cleaning up the trails and installing trail makers.
The boy scouts were out there recently and built some little bridges, remarked the trails, and put out at least two updated maps (one at the trailhead and the other at the lost and found a couple miles in where the trails split off). They did a really good job!
Sarah Phillips I saw the maps and new trail markers, they did a great job! I thought it was the COE doing it, I should have known better lol. I hope by the end of this year to complete the updated trail map with all the trails. I already had to delete trails from some of my data due to the fires taking them out, but new ones have popped up and there are still a lot in the main area I need to chart that aren’t on any trail maps anywhere, but are blazed already from trail runners. I’ve been working on it for a couple of years now, I just need to get out there, and stop getting distracted wanting to go to other trails, and just get it done lol.
Wow! This is an impressive and extensive list! Have you ever thought of publishing to somewhere that more people will see and appreciate?! Thank you, thank you, thank you,for this list. I think I will print and try the ones I haven’t been to yet, since living in this area for over 18 years!