Fort Richardson State Park – Historic Site & Lost Creek Trailway
Trails: Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, Lost Creek Nature Trail, Rumbling Spring, Prickly Pear
Last hiked October 3, 2021
Trail Type: Hike, Bike, and Equestrian
Distance We Hiked: 7.18 miles
Amount of Time it Took Us: 2 h. 39 m.
Our Elevation Gain: 175 ft.
Park Rating: easy/moderate
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: easy
Our Notes:
We decided to start our hike at the Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, which is a few miles down the road from the state park, but is still part of the State Park system. The trail totals 9 miles one way and travels past Lost Creek Reservoir, Lake Jacksboro, and back into the state park. There is a bathroom facility in the parking lot next to the trailhead.
We have to admit, this trail was a huge disappointment. We were expecting the usual dirt path hiking trail, but what we encountered instead was a car-wide gravel road-like trail. It was pretty wide open with just a few trees scattered here and there. However, it did offer some nice views of the reservoir off to the left. We ventured as far as the dam, and then decided to turn around and head back to the state park to try out their other hiking trails.
Once back at Fort Richardson, we parked in the lot near the parade grounds in the Fort Richardson Historic Area. If you have extra time, check out this interesting historic site to learn more about this area during the 1860’s. From there we crossed the street to the Rumbling Spring trail, which was only about half a mile, but wound through thick trees and led to some natural springs. From there we stepped onto the Lost Creek Nature trail, also only about half a mile. We made quick work of this trail and then tried the Prickly Pear trail, which is pretty flat but offers more distance at 1.3 miles. All of these trails are hiking only, so you won’t have to worry about bikers or horses.
Overall, we were a bit discouraged about this trip as the pretty trails weren’t long enough for our taste. But if you are a beginner hiker and just want to try out a quick hike, we recommend doing the trails within the park instead of the Trailway, which is better suited for bikers and horses.
The park rates the Trailway moderate, which may be because of the distance, but it is very flat and easy to walk on in our opinion. The other trails within the park are rated easy/moderate, and there are certainly a few ups and downs and large rocks to navigate at times, but because of the short distances of each, we would consider them fairly easy.
Links to parks:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fort-richardson
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4506_0025m.pdf