Texas
Mother Nature’s Texas to-do list: These classic hikes showcase our state’s wild splendors
If Mom Nature made a to-do checklist for Texas, we’d enterprise to guess that these hikes could be on it. They seize a lot of what the Lone Star State’s wild yard has to supply. Breathtaking mountain vistas? Test. Splendid canyons? Test. Deep forests and swampy lowlands? Test and verify.
This checklist is designed to encourage. Contemplate the hikes under as an invite to discover the state’s rugged wonderland.
Hike sensible. Preserve these security suggestions in thoughts when getting ready in your hike.
🎵 Texas street journey playlist: Sing your manner throughout the state, from ‘Galveston, oh Galveston’ to the ‘West Texas City of El Paso’
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Summit Path, Enchanted Rock State Pure Space
Each Texan ought to climb to the highest of this common pink granite dome within the Hill Nation not less than as soon as.
Distance: 0.6 miles one-way
Problem: Strenuous
Elevation achieve: 425 ft
Mountaineering time: One hour
Administration: Texas Parks & Wildlife Division
Map: Obtain the Enchanted Rock State Pure Space Trails Map (PDF)
Info: Enchanted Rock State Pure Space, 16710 RR 965, Fredericksburg, TX 78624; (830) 685-3636; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock
Lighthouse Path, Palo Duro Canyon State Park
The Lighthouse Path leads hikers to Lighthouse Peak, the preferred formation in Palo Duro Canyon. Designated a Pure Nationwide Landmark, the gorgeous 310-foot hoodoo was fashioned by water and wind erosion and vaguely resembles any variety of towering objects, together with — sure, you bought it — a lighthouse. The path to the lighthouse is effectively established. It’s fairly broad and there are markers almost each tenth of a mile. The path does cross a number of arroyos the place water could also be current. A word of warning: the ultimate leg of the path is somewhat steep, however the rewards are nice.
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Distance: 2.8 miles one-way
Problem: Reasonable
Elevation achieve: 308 ft
Mountaineering time: Two hours
Administration: Texas Parks & Wildlife Division
Map: Obtain the Palo Duro Canyon State Park Trails Map (PDF)
Info: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 11450 State Hwy Park Rd 5, Canyon, TX 79015; (806) 488-2227; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon
Guadalupe Peak Path, Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park
At 8,749 ft in elevation, Guadalupe peak is the best level within the state. Naturally, the views from the “prime of Texas” are phenomenal, well-worth the arduous, 4.2-mile ascent to the summit. Count on the journey to problem you from the get-go. You’ll encounter the steepest a part of the hike within the first mile and a half, because the path switchbacks up a steep slope (Put on climbing boots for those who don’t need to roll ankles). Everytime you cease to catch your breath — you’ll do that a lot of instances — marvel on the exceptional views. They are going to get higher each switchback you climb. They are going to show an important supply of motivation. Because the path flattens, you’ll encounter a small forest of pinion pine, and later, a sparser forest of ponderosa pine. Then, the path descends barely and crosses a wood bridge. Through the closing climb to the summit, you’ll see breathtaking views of the highest of El Capitan to your south. Finally, you’ll arrive on the summit, the place you’ll discover a commemorative spire mounted at one of many peak’s excessive factors.
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Distance: 4.2 miles on-way
Problem: Strenuous
Elevation achieve: 2,927 ft
Mountaineering time: 4 hours
Administration: Nationwide Park Service
Map: Obtain the Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park Trails Map (PDF)
Info: Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park, Pine Springs Customer Middle, 400 Pine Canyon Street, Salt Flat, TX 79847; (915) 828-3251; www.nps.gov/gumo
Window Path, Huge Bend Nationwide Park
Mountaineering the Window Path is a traditional Huge Bend expertise and a must-do hike providing dramatic views of a few of the main peaks within the Chisos vary. This path descends by means of a canyon to the path’s namesake Window, a pour-off which frames panoramic desert vistas. Use warning on this path: the highest of the Window pour-off is slick rock with no railings. Step too near the sting of the Window and danger a 220-foot freefall. It’s a breezy, downhill stroll to the Window, however the return journey is a difficult climb of 900 ft.
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Distance: 2.25 miles one-way
Problem: Reasonable
Elevation change: 900 ft
Mountaineering time: Two hours
Administration: Nationwide Park Service
Map: Obtain the Huge Bend Park Brochure Map (JPEG)
Info: Huge Bend Nationwide Park, Panther Junction Customer Middle, 310 Alsate Dr., Huge Bend Nationwide Park, TX 79834; (432) 477-2251; www.nps.gov/bibe
Misplaced Mine Path, Huge Bend Nationwide Park
Park workers and guests usually checklist this path as their favourite hike in Huge Bend Nationwide Park. Rising 1,100 ft over 2.4 miles (4.8 miles round-trip), the Misplaced Mine Path presents a few of the finest scenic views within the park.
Distance: 2.4 miles one-way
Problem: Strenuous
Elevation achieve: 1,100 ft
Mountaineering time: Two hours
Administration: Nationwide Park Service
Map: Obtain the Huge Bend Park Brochure Map (JPEG)
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Info: Huge Bend Nationwide Park, Panther Junction Customer Middle, 310 Alsate Dr., Huge Bend Nationwide Park, TX 79834; (432) 477-2251; www.nps.gov/bibe
Higher Canyon Path, Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
Achieve and lose a whole bunch of ft in elevation climbing this path by means of purple earth nation.
Distance: 7.5-mile loop
Problem: Strenuous
Mountaineering time: Six hours
Administration: Texas Parks & Wildlife Division
Map: Obtain the Caprock Canyons State Park Trails Map (PDF)
Info: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway, 850 Caprock Canyon Rd., Quitaque, TX 79255; (806) 455-1492; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/caprock-canyons
East Path, Misplaced Maples State Pure Space
Admiring the autumn foliage at Misplaced Maples is one other requisite Texas expertise. On the park’s East Path, you’ll uncover bigtooth maples, bald cypress and sycamores as you hike alongside the spring-fed Sabinal River. As you ascend rocky slopes, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views. Look forward to finding a range of wildlife on this lovely path.
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Distance: 3.1 miles one-way
Problem: Difficult
Mountaineering time: 3 hours
Administration: Texas Parks & Wildlife Division
Map: Obtain the Misplaced Maples State Pure Space Trails Map (PDF)
Info: Misplaced Maples State Pure Space, 37221 F.M. 187, Vanderpool, TX 78885; (830) 966-3413; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lost-maples
Kirby Nature Path, Huge Thicket Nationwide Protect
Expertise the biodiversity of the Huge Thicket on this path providing views of outdated cypress timber, swampy baygalls, dense forest, and the tranquil waters of Village Creek.
Distance: 1.5 to 2.5 miles roundtrip
Problem: Simple
Administration: Nationwide Park Service
Map: Obtain the Kirby Nature Path Map (PDF)
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Info: Huge Thicket Nationwide Protect, FM 420, Kountze, TX 77625; (409) 951-6700; nps.gov/bith
40-Acre Lake Path, Brazos Bend State Park
This path is a wonderful approach to view a plethora wildlife, together with the American Alligator. Alongside the best way, climb the four-story remark tower to get a hen’s eye view of the park.
Distance: 1.2 mile loop
Problem: Simple
Elevation loss: 10 ft
Mountaineering time: 1.5 hours
Administration: Texas Parks & Wildlife Division
Map: Obtain the Brazos Bend State Park Map (PDF)
Info: 21901 Farm to Market Rd 762, Needville, TX 77461; (979) 553-5101; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/brazos-bend
Lone Star Mountaineering Path, Sam Houston Nationwide Forest
This 128-mile path winds by means of Sam Houston Nationwide Forest, positioned 50 miles north of Houston. The 163,037-acre forest incorporates land in Montgomery, Walker, and San Jacinto counties. Dubbed the hiker’s “Jewel of Texas,” this path presents one thing for everybody — scenic loops that may be accomplished in a number of hours, sections which might take a complete day, and enormous parts excellent for multi-day backpacking journeys.
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Distance: 128 miles
Problem: Simple
Administration: The U.S. Forest Service
Map: View the East aspect Map and the West aspect Map
Info: (936)-344-6205; fs.usda.gov
🥾 What number of of those trails have you ever hiked? Which Texas trails would you add to this checklist and why? Drop your suggestions in remark part and we might embody them in a future replace to this text.
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Texas
Texas vs South Dakota State: Longhorns head into holiday break with a 46-point win
Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
After a 103-57 win over South Dakota State on Sunday, the Texas Longhorns will head into their holiday break on a high note.
Sunday’s lopsided win at Moody Center came five days after Texas beat La Salle by a 111-49 score. Texas hadn’t scored 100 points in consecutive games since it did so against McNeese State and UTSA in November 2017.
Texas never trailed on Sunday, and freshmen Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton served as first-half catalysts for the No. 6 team in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll. Lee started and scored 10 first-quarter points while Carlton came off the bench to score 17 first-half points on 7-of-9 shooting. Combined, Lee and Carlton had 29 points in the first half. South Dakota State’s entire team had 26.
While Texas built its 53-26 lead in the first half, eight of the nine Longhorns who played scored. The surprising exception was All-American Madison Booker, who distributed three assists and grabbed three rebounds but missed her three shots.
A perennial NCAA tournament qualifier that had split its prior games against ranked Creighton and Duke teams, South Dakota State (10-3) never cut into its 27-point halftime deficit in the second half.
Here are three observations from Sunday’s 46-point rout:
Mwenentanda remains patient with her process
Carlton finished with 19 points and nine rebounds while senior forward Taylor Jones had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Lee and senior guard Rori Harmon respectively added 14 and 13 points for a Texas team that shot 53.9% from the field. Booker was limited to nine points, but Harmon pointed out after the game that Booker’s +/- of 41 was the best among the Longhorns.
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda was the fifth Longhorn to record a double-digit scoring total. Over 11 minutes, Mwenentanda scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Mwenentanda grew up in South Dakota and was that state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. The school in Sioux Falls where she won a state championship is about an hour drive from South Dakota State’s campus. Mwenentanda was recruited by the Jackrabbits but she said that she was attracted to what Texas could offer her athletically and academically.
Since arriving on campus, Mwenentanda has shown glimpses of her potential since arriving at Texas, but she has mainly been a role player for the Longhorns. Sunday was the 11th time that she scored at least 10 points in a game. Just twice in her career has she played more than 25 minutes.
Mwenentanda sees herself as a Swiss Army Knife on the Texas roster. She’s listed as a 6-foot-2 guard on the team’s roster, but Vic Schaefer has mainly used her as a “4” player this season. Mwenentanda played some in the paint last season, but she got more playing time as a guard. Training more with the post players this offseason has helped her adjust to that role this season.
“I physically prepared for it, I mentally prepared for it. I’m enjoying it,” Mwenentanda said.
Schaefer praised the play of Mwenentanda in his postgame press conference on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Mwenentanda said that she was staying patient with her process.
“Everybody’s process is different. I feel like comparing myself to other people’s process would be one reason to give up,” Mwenentanda said. “Everybody on this team are great players, are great women so even though this process is a little bit different for me, it’s not something I look at negatively because I know everybody’s working hard and everybody’s pitching in.”
Status for sidelined Laila Phelia remains unclear
Texas senior Laila Phelia missed her third straight game on Sunday. Phelia suffered a detached retina during the offseason. Texas has not announced a timeline for her return, but Schaefer has said the program will soon release an update.
The leading scorer at Michigan last season, Phelia has played in just eight of the Longhorns’ 13 games. She is averaging 6.1 points and 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.5% from the field.
What’s next for Texas? Rest and one final tune-up
Next on the schedule for Texas is a home game against UTRGV (6-6) on Dec. 29. That will be the Longhorns’ final game until their Southeastern Conference debut at Oklahoma on Jan. 2, 2025.
But first, the Longhorns will get some rest. Mwenentanda won’t be able to fly back to South Dakota until Monday morning, but the rest of the Longhorns headed home after Sunday’s win. The Longhorns will return to practice on Dec. 27.
How will the Longhorns spend their break? The three players who attended Sunday’s postgame press conference – Carlton, Harmon and Mwenentanda – said they’d take some time off, but they added that they’ll get some workouts in with family and hometown trainers.
As for Schaefer? He’ll do some work over the break, but he won’t be in his office.
“I’m going to be standing in about knee-deep water in the morning calling a duck and having my son (Logan) with me and my dog, my hunting dog, not my show dog. We’ll enjoy some time together in the morning and then we’ll wet a line and fish in the afternoon,” Schaefer said. “I’ll probably sit in my bow stand a couple of nights with my computer in my lap and watch film. I don’t really care if I see anything or not, but I usually see a lot. I get more work done sitting in a bow stand in a bow blind than I do a lot of times sitting at my desk.
“I’ll just enjoy time with family. I’m really blessed with Holly and Logan and Blair here and we’re all together at Christmas, and it’s just a special time for us. We really embrace the Christmas season.”
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Texas
Former Colorado defensive end Dayon Hayes transfers to Texas A&M
Former Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Dayon Hayes is set to continue his collegiate career at Texas A&M after transferring following a season-ending injury. Hayes, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound defender, began his journey at Pitt, where he played from 2020 to 2023, accumulating 13 sacks and 80 tackles over four seasons.
At Pitt, Hayes showcased his potential in his sophomore and junior years, logging around 500 combined snaps and producing 30 pressures. His breakout came in 2023 when he amassed 44 pressures and a 13% pass rush win rate, ranking 12th in the ACC. Hayes also demonstrated solid run defense, posting an average tackle depth of 1.6 yards and recording 10.5 stops for loss. His ability to set the edge and prevent runners from escaping outside made him a critical piece of Pitt’s defense.
Following his success at Pitt, Hayes transferred to Colorado as a highly sought-after addition to Deion Sanders’ revamped Buffaloes roster. He made an immediate impact, registering two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in Colorado’s first three games. However, his promising start was cut short by a knee injury in the fourth game, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
Deion Sanders says he won’t attend the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay
Despite the setback, Hayes’ strong early performance likely earned him a medical redshirt, granting him another year of eligibility. With his final collegiate season on the horizon, Hayes opted to join Texas A&M, bringing his pass-rushing skills to the SEC. The Aggies, coming off an eight-win season, are set to face USC in the Las Vegas Bowl. Hayes’ ability to pressure quarterbacks and defend the run should bolster Texas A&M’s defensive front, adding experience and depth to their edge rotation for the 2024 season.
Texas
D-FW can claim Texas’ best high school football team in an otherwise down year for Dallas
ARLINGTON — North Crowley showed out on Saturday in its dazzling 50-21 victory over Austin Westlake in the 6A Division I state title game, winning the program’s second state championship and putting Fort Worth high school football on the map in front of 36,120 fans at AT&T Stadium.
Until North Crowley took the field at 7:30 p.m., there was a possibility the Dallas-Fort Worth area might boast only one state champion in 2024. Celina routed Kilgore 55-21 in the 4A Division I state championship to capture the program’s ninth state title and its first under coach Bill Elliott.
But North Texas teams came up short in the next three title games, the region’s worst showing at state since 2021, when South Oak Cliff became the first Dallas ISD school to win a recognized state championship since 1958, but Denton Guyer and Duncanville fell in the 6A state championship games.
Two-time state champion South Oak Cliff missed a last-second field goal, falling 38-35 to third-year program Richmond Randle in the 5A Division II state title game Friday night. It was SOC’s second straight loss in the state championship game.
“The future is still bright,” South Oak Cliff coach Jason Todd said. “We just gotta find out what’s going to get us over this hump.”
Smithson Valley, from the San Antonio area, topped Highland Park 32-20 as the six-time state champion faded in the second half of the 5A Division I state title game Saturday afternoon.
In the second game of the day, eight-time state champion Southlake Carroll extended its title drought to 13 years with a 24-17 loss to Austin Vandegrift in the 6A Division II game.
“It’ll happen one day. I’m excited about what the future holds,” said Carroll coach Riley Dodge, who fell to 0-2 in state title games as a coach.
The Dallas area claimed three football state champions in 2023 with Anna winning the 4A Division I state title and Duncanville and DeSoto sweeping the 6A Division I and II state championships, respectively. The southern Dallas County schools also swept the 6A state championships in 2022, when South Oak Cliff won its second straight 5A Division II state title.
But this year, the rest of Texas didn’t let the Dallas area, a high school football mecca, run the table. Teams from each of the state’s major metros — Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio —- won a title in each division of the UIL’s two highest classifications.
Even before this week’s state championship games, 2024 seemed to mark a changing of the guard. Neither Duncanville, DeSoto nor Houston-area power Galena Park North Shore made it to AT&T Stadium this year. Nor did 12-time UIL state champion Aledo, the juggernaut west of Fort Worth that had won the last two 5A Division I state championships.
But North Crowley did, after knocking off both DeSoto and Duncanville this season. North Texas might not have dominated the competition as it has in recent years, but for a third straight season, the king of 6A reigns in Dallas-Fort Worth.
“When you get to this point, there’s only one team that’s standing that’s hoisting the trophy. And fortunately for us, this year it’s us and we just happen to be from 817,” North Crowley coach Ray Gates said. “We’re elated to be able to bring that type of recognition back to our community, just to let people know that when you talk about this area, when you talk about Metroplex football, you can’t forget about us.”
On Twitter/X: @t_myah
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