Red Trail - LBJ National Grasslands
Texas lacks the abundant access to public lands that those living in the western United States enjoy. One of the few places where North Texans have access to public land is the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands. Located in Wise and Montague counties, the grasslands consist of over 20,000 acres of land and contains nearly 75 miles in trails. While the trails can be accessed from a variety of places, the best place to do so is at the TADRA Point Trailhead.
TADRA Point serves as the trailhead for five different trails ranging in length from 9 miles to 25 miles. These color coded trails are the Red, Blue, White, Yellow, and Orange trails. Parking and camping at the TADRA Point Trailhead is $10 per day (as of October 2022). Cash payments can be made in a deposit box or you can pay with your smartphone by scanning an available QR code. An annual day use pass is also available from the Forest Service at the cost of $30 per year. The TADRA Point Trailhead has vault toilets if you would rather not take care of your business while on the trail.
Regardless of which trail you choose, you will be sharing the land and trail with more than your fellow hikers. The trailhead was constructed through the efforts of local equestrian groups, thus the trails are used by horse riders. Since the grasslands are public land, they are used by hunters. While wearing fluorescent orange is only mandatory for hunters, it is also a wise practice for hikers. Cell service is intermittent, so best to also have maps downloaded to your phone or available on paper.
The trails on the LBJ Grasslands are well maintained and marked. While not impossible, getting lost is not likely as the trails are regularly marked. Markings include ribbons tied to vegetation, painted blazes, and mile markers.
The Red Trail is a loop trail and is the shortest of the five trails accessible via TADRA point. Officially, the trail is 9.2 miles in length, although the day I hiked it I logged 9.9 miles on GPS. As you would guess by the name, the grasslands contains lots of prairie. My only complaint about this trail is the sand. There is lots of it! It adds adds an element of challenge to the trail.
One of the best views on the trail comes about mile 2 when you reach a point listed on maps as Dry Mesa. You are on higher ground and can see into the distance. On the day of my visit, clear blue skies made the view even better.
Despite the designation as a grassland, LBJ contains lots of forested land and there is plenty to be seen on the Red Trail. Prior to 1974 the LBJ Grasslands was known as the Cross Timbers National Grasslands. Typical of the Cross Timbers region, the forests are dominated by oak trees. While much of the Red Trail is open prairie, the forests provide periodic shade.
More information:
.jpg)
