Out of the Norm Hiking in Texas

Spring break is one of the busiest hiking and camping season in Texas. Camping sites, cabins and shelters in many state parks are booked in advance a year before. So, trying to visit state park for a day hike during spring break is not a good idea. Most of the parks are closed for visitors before noon due to maximum occupancy issue. However, it is good idea to visit parks which are little bit off the track and invite less people to avoid the overwhelming spring break crowds. This spring break, we tried out of the norm hiking in Texas. We selected Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Site, La Grange, Texas for a day hiking trip. It took us about two hours drive to reach La Grange from College Station. We stop at local BBQ restaurant for the lunch before heading for to the park.

We reached the park just around noon and very few people were present. Surprisingly, this park has much more things to explore than we initially expected. It is a natural laboratory for teaching field geography and field biology classes. Park has diverse wildlife including trees (ash, elm, juniper, mulberry, oak), understory vegetation (agarita, little blue stem, milkweed vine, wild rye), reptiles (lizards, snakes), birds (bluebird, dove, humming bird, waxwing wedge), insects, and mammals (white tail deer). Park is also good place for teaching basic geology to undergraduate students because of many exposed bed rocks and weathering zones. Students will also get chance to learn concept of soil erosion, canopy gap, watershed, meandering river and bars, and flood plain.

From the top of the hill, you can see diverse riverine vegetation and wide area of farmland expanding from bank of the Colorado river. At the bottom of the hill, you can see the remnant of Kreische Brewery, and a student of geography can ask what was the geographic reason behind putting the brewery there. Park is equally important for historical point of view due to memorial of the soldier who died in the Dawson Massacre and in the Black Bean Episode of Texas independent war.