The Cross Timbers Hiking Trail begins in the Juniper Point recreation area and winds west approximately 15 miles along the southern shoreline through Cedar Bayou, Rock Creek, and Paw Paw Creek Resorts.

The first half of the trail has several elevation changes and past Rock Creek it levels out with more sparse tree cover. The trail is well marked and miles posts have been erected for reference. Expect a moderate degree of difficulty from the trail, as it is suited for weekend adventures and conditioning for extended trips.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma, 15 miles north of Whitesboro on U.S. 377
DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD: Park at the F area lot at Juniper Point Park West, by the lake, just west of U.S. 377.
DISTANCE: 14 miles one way
FEE OR FREE: Free
CAUTION: Keep an eye out for copperheads and rattlers, and beware of ticks, chiggers, and other biting insects.

Water is not available along the trail except in developed parks. If you plan to camp in one of the primitive areas it would be advisable to carry enough for your needs. The area in which you will be hiking is inhabited by several forms of wildlife including copperheads and rattlesnakes. Exercise good caution to prevent any unwanted meetings. Ticks, mosquitoes, and chiggers are fairly common during summer months, and insect repellant is advisable.

Please remember to leave the trail as you found it. The trail was designed for hiking and motor vehicles are prohibited. Obey restrictions and report any violations to a Ranger.

From the starting point at Juniper Point to Cedar Bayou, high rocky ledges offer grand views of the lake and its surroundings. Once past Cedar Bayou, there’s only the occasional glimpse of blue as the path disappears into a tangle of shady limbs. This stocky blackjack oak woodland is part of two bands of thick forest—the Cross Timbers—that at one time reached deep into Oklahoma and were described in the nineteenth century as being “uninhabitable to man or beast.” The trail zigs and zags up and down steep brush-covered banks, and it’s easy to see why early attempts to hack a path through the woods were so frustrating. Beyond Rock Creek, the route flattens out.

From Juniper Point to Cedar Bayou and back is roughly 5 miles, and Cedar Bayou to Paw Paw Creek and back is 11 miles. A shorter option is to go from Cedar Bayou around Lost Loop and back, which is only 3 miles. On Lost Loop there are two or three places where you can get down to the water’s edge. For directions and information, go to cedarbayou.com.

by CHARLIE LLEWELLIN, Texas Monthly