Cooper Lake State Park Trails – South Sulphur Unit
Trails: Buggy Whip Trail System (10.5 miles) – Little Bluestem Loop (blue), Lonesome Dove Loop (red)
Last hiked October 16, 2021
Loop (red)
Trail Type: Hiking and Equestrian
Distance We Hiked: 6.2 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 2 hr. 27 m.
Our Elevation Gain: 462 ft.
Park Rating: moderate/challenging
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: easy/moderate
Our Notes:
This trail begins at the Buggy Whip Equestrian Camping Area. There is a parking area not too far from the trailhead, along with a nice restroom. We entered the marked trailhead and took the Little Bluestem Loop to the left and followed that to the Lonesome Dove Loop, so we did not complete the entire Bluestem Loop area.
The trail itself is heavily treed with Bois D’arc, Hackberry, Eastern Red Cedar, Mesquite, and various Oak and Elm trees, among others. In some places it did not look like it had been hiked very often as it was overgrown in some areas. Regardless, it is well-marked and it is easy to follow the trail. At one point near the middle of the Lonesome Dove Loop we had great views of the lake. This is an ideal place to walk down to the shore and stop to have a picnic lunch. Most of the trail winds through the trees, crosses several creeks, which were dry at the time, and at one point passes a tranquil pond. We did not see much wildlife here, which was surprising as we were pretty much alone on the trail for the most part. Note that this is also an equestrian trail, so watch for horse traffic, however, on this particular day we did not encounter any.
The park rates this trail as moderate/challenging, however even though we encountered some terrain and elevation changes, we did not feel it was too difficult and certainly not anything that a beginner hiker couldn’t do if you are taking your time and watching your step for tree branches and rocks.
Trails: Coyote Run Trail (4.6 miles round trip)
Last hiked October 17, 2021
Trail Type: Hike and Bike
Distance We Hiked: 4.71 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 1 hr. 46 m.
Our Elevation Gain: 355 ft.
Park Rating: moderate
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: easy
Our Notes:
The trailhead for Coyote Run is at the opposite end of the park from the equestrian trail. There is a large parking lot with a very nice picnic area and restroom facility right on the lake – a great place to have lunch or a snack and rest after returning from your hike! This is an out-and-back trail with a small loop near the end of the trail where you turn around to head back. Note also that this is a bike trail, so be on the lookout for bikers, although we did not encounter any on our hike.
This trail is absolutely stunning with cedar woodlands and some of the largest oak trees we have ever seen. The high canopies of these trees make you feel like you are in a different, protected world, and make this trail unique from the Buggy Whip Trail System at the other end of the park. This is such a quiet and peaceful trail, and if you stay quiet, you might even encounter some wildlife. We were rewarded with deer sightings twice. This trail is pretty flat for the most part, crossing several beautiful bridges and winding through hills and bottoms of the South Sulphur River Watershed. Benches are available along the way for you to sit and take it all in. You will also see canebrakes and pocket prairies at various points. At the far end of the trail where you loop back, you get to experience a bit of history with Harper’s Hill. See the trail guide for more info on that.
The park rates this trail as moderate, however we found the trail to be relatively easy because of the mostly flat terrain and small elevation change. Take your time on this trail to get the most out of it. There are a lot of small details to see. It is definitely worth the investment of time.
Some links below to the park and the trails:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cooper-lake
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4508_0155c.pdf
https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/texas/cooper-lake-state-park
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/buggy-whip-equestrian-trail
