About us
This group is for people who want to explore the the Houston area on foot. We hike every weekend. Our hikes are normally 10-12 miles so a reasonable fitness level is needed. We plan camping trips around Texas with occasional trips to National Parks and other special hiking location.
HATs leaders are fellow hiking enthusiast, not guides. We encourage all members to plan for hikes as if they are going solo as the best way to assure safety.
To find out more about our hikes and what you may need to prepare for a hike. https://www.hatsandmore.org/
See our Houston hikes map for more on where we hike.
https://www.hatsandmore.org/houston-hikes
Then join us to trace out your own path on the map.
Join us for less intensive activities at our social Meetup group, More and More.
https://www.meetup.com/More-and-More/
If you know of places to hike or you'd like to revisit a favorite hike, please let Tom know. If you are visiting Houston and want to hike with us, let Tom know in advance and we will try to accommodate you.
HATs is friendly with other Meetup groups that also offer great outdoor activities.
Houston Urban Trekkers
https://www.meetup.com/HoustonUrban-Trekkers/
City Walks Houston
https://www.meetup.com/city-walks-houston/
Upcoming events
18
Lone Star Hiking Trail Hike 18, Mercy Fire Tower Hike ~12.1 Miles
Lone Star Hiking Trail - Trailhead # 14, FM 2025, Cleveland, TX, USMercy Fire Tower Loop is the hike for today's segment of HATS' 6th attempt to complete the ~120 mile Lone Star Hiking Trail. Be sure to touch base with Cindy after you park to get counted for completing this hike.
About HATs and our hikes
https://www.hatsandmore.org/HATs organizers are not guides nor do we have any special training. We are here to come up with hiking ideas and get the hike started. Take the same precautions you would if hiking alone, including the fitness needed to make long hikes. Then enjoy the hike among friends.
Best Map: You will not get Lost
Any hikers with the Avenza Maps App are encouraged to download the file: Mercy Winter Loop.pdf
Mercy Winter Loop Geolocatable pdf map
and email the PDF file to your iPhone. Open the pdf in your phone and "share" it with Avenza Maps. That way you can see exactly where you are on the geolocated map during the entire hike.COVID PRECAUTIONS:
Bring and wear a mask when not hiking and follow the best practices to prevent the transmission of COVID.COMMUNITY CARPOOL:
Alan is organizing a community carpool. The goal is that everyone gets a ride or a rider.
Leaving at 7:30 AM sharp
Judson Robinson, Jr. Community Center.
2020 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77004
Google Map LinkGathering Place:
Lone Star Trailhead #14
https://goo.gl/maps/snfN4rJvLGE2Call or text Alan at 713 863 8038 if you need help.
There is no bathrooms at the trailhead or along the hike. Stop on FM 2025 near the freeway.
The Hike:
We will follow the LSHT by Tarkington Bayou then return along FS Roads and ROWs.The hike is over the loam soils of the region and will be mostly shaded.
Weather Forecast:
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=30.4714&lon=-95.106&FcstType=graphicalHike map is in the photos.
Geolocated Maps:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HAPsrE9_lZVVCtPO8Wj8oO_8V7hgLoQQAfter Hike Event:
Back Pew Brewing Company
26452 Sorters McClellan Rd, Porter, TX 77365
https://g.page/backpewbrew?sharehttp://www.backpewbrewing.com/
To find your place on your personal path to hike the LSHT, see our progress sheet. Starting with this hike, we will simplify the tally of hikes by trimming the list to include active hikers only. All you have to do is show up to be counted.
Link to LSHT Progress ChartTo see the groups progress on this fifth quest to complete the trail, see our map.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=19KnZUyqYn0OK0lQ1NvP1dscHWimo99TgTo support work on the LSHT donate or volunteer with either of these great organizations.
The Sam Houston Trails Coalition
https://www.samhoustontrails.org/The Lone Star Trail Hiking Club
https://lonestartrail.org/From the Official Guidebook for the Lone Star Trail
"One of the hidden jewels of Texas, the Lone Star Hiking Trail is the only long-distance National Recreation Trail in the state. At 128 miles (including loop trails), it is also the state’s longest continuously marked and maintained footpath. The trail meanders through flat and gently rolling forests of pine, oak, and mixed hardwood, and cypress swamps and bayous in the famed Big Thicket area in east Texas, in the Sam Houston National Forest. The seemingly endless variation of forests, much of it designated wilderness, provides a paradise for tree-lovers and bird watchers year-round. The trail is well-suited for both short and long hikes (of up to 10 days), appealing to dayhikers, overnight backpackers, long-distance hikers, and others seeking a peaceful outing."
71 attendees
White Shaman Preserve Tour
White Shaman Preserve, 42535 US-90, Comstock, TX, USThis hike requires a paid reservation on another site, linked below. An RSVP here will not get you a space and no walk ups are allowed. Tickets will be available in mid October and are limited to 18 participants.
Located near Seminole Canyon State Park, this two hour trek takes you through a landscape filled with Chihuahuan Desert plants and stunning views of the Pecos River where it converges with the Rio Grande. The White Shaman mural, painted thousands of years ago, illustrates the lifeway and belief systems of the first indigenous people of what we now call Texas.
This tour costs $40. Reservations are required and spaces are limited to 18 participants.
Participants must be ages 12 & up.Tours are operated by the Witte Museum of San Antonio.
Tickets are currently on sale. Numbers are limited so if you want to take the tour order them now.
White Shaman Tour TicketsMore about the tour:
Witte Museum’s White Shaman Preserve - The Witte Museum
Archeology Magazine: Reading the White Shaman MuralTour guidelines and expectations:
Rock Art Foundation Adventure TourWelcome to the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas! Come visit us.
Gathering Place:
Meet at the gate to the White Shaman site on us 90 About 1.5 miles west of the entrance of Seminole Canyon State Park. Look for the sign on the gate.https://maps.app.goo.gl/4ypNETtaWE6Son3U6
About the Shumla Center:
Welcome to Shumla Archaeological Research & Education CenterArticles on the art:
The Walls of the Lower Pecos Canyonlands Contain Priceless Pictographs
https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/pecos/index.htmlHotel:
I'll be staying in Del Rio Friday and Saturday nights. We usually stay at Motel 6. Campers can stay at Seminole Canyon State Park or the Amistad Recreation Area.20 attendees
Seminole Canyon SP Rock Art Tour
Seminole Canyon State Park Visitor Center, PM2P+2R Comstock, Texas, Comstock, TX, USThis hike requires a paid reservation on another site, linked below. An RSVP here will not get you a space.
Take a fairly rugged hike to the Fate Bell and Fate Bell Annex rock shelters. Protected by a huge cliff overhang, the shelters hold some of Texas most spectacular rock art. Tours cancelled in extreme temperatures or rain.
This tour costs $8 for adults and $5 for children. Reservations are required and spaces are limited. Day use pass must be purchased in addition to tour tickets.
Tickets are currently not available for February.
Tickets go in sale one month in advance of the tour date. Check back around January 7.
Fate Bell Shelter TourMore about the Fate Bell Shelter:
Welcome to the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of Texas! Come visit us.
Bradshaw Foundation
Shumla Archaeological Research & Education CenterGathering Place:
Meet at the Seminole Canyon State Park Visitors Center. Event time in 30 minutes before the tour start. There will be time to look around the small exhibition and take photos of the beautiful desert landscape.Photos from 2021
Photos from 2024Hotel:
I'll be staying in Del Rio Friday and Saturday nights. We usually stay at Motel 6. Campers can stay at Seminole Canyon State Park or the Amistad Recreation Area.After the hike, we will move on to Stillwell Campground for the hiking at Black Gap.
Dinner:
12 Gauge Restaurant
102 NW 1st St #90w, Marathon, TX
Google Maps Link21 attendees
Hiking Black Gap WMA and Big Bend NP 2026
Stillwell Ranch Store & RV Park, 48421 FM 2627 Hwy, Alpine, TX, USThis is for travel and accommodations information only. Each hike or other events will have a separate pages. I'll be filing this page out and over the next few weeks.
HATs trips are self-organized. The organizer’s job is limited to assuring a camping space and getting the hike started.
Accommodations
There are several hotels In Marathon including the historic Gage hotel and a more affordable motel. Since hike times are at 9 AM you could still easily make the hikes. If you want to carpool, leave a comment.
Camping is at the Stillwell Campground. It is in a very remote area. The nearest grocery store is an hour drive in Marathon.
Update on camping:
Stillwell Campground.
A rustic campground with gas and groceries at high prices.There are hot showers and bathrooms with flush toilets. There is a coin operated laundry facility. Be prepared for somewhat more a rugged adventure than at a state park.
I have reserved RV site 89. this will give us access to water and electricity. There is ample space for tent camping in the immediate area. The cost for tents will be $10 per person per night. I'll be asking a small additional amount to cover the additional costs for the RV site that gives us power and water.
If you are bringing an RV there are additional spaces next to 89. Please book on your own.
This is very rugged grounds with sharp rocks. Bring a tarp to protect your tent floor. If it is not needed then you can return it when we get back. The desert can be very windy so have the ability to secure your tent. EZUP type covers are not recommended.
You must be self contained with everything you need. This includes tent, sleeping bags and clothing. Food, cooking equipment and fuel to cook with. If you need something, organize a trip to the nearest grocery store with others in need.
There is a shop at the campground that has minimal supplies at very high prices.
The event plan has more information about clothing and personal safety gear. Please read it.
Black Gap Feb 2026
Canyons and Desert Hikes Trip PlanTrip event pages:
White Shaman Preserve Tour, Sat, Feb 7, 2026, 12:00 PM | Meetup
Seminole Canyon SP Rock Art Tour, Sun, Feb 8, 2026, 9:30 AM | Meetup
Maravillas Canyon Hike 10.0 Miles Cañón de Dos Ecos Hike ~3.0 Miles,
Cañón de Dos Ecos Hike ~3.0 Miles, Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 9:00 AM | Meetup
Ridge Walk Explore 2 - 2+Miles, Tue, Feb 10, 2026, 1:00 PM | Meetup
BBNP Apache Canyon Hike ~9.1 Miles, Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 8:30 AM | Meetup
Hidden Valley Ranch Hike , Thu, Feb 12, 2026, 9:00 AM | Meetup
Prickly Pair Hike ~11.0 Miles, Fri, Feb 13, 2026, 9:00 AM | MeetupHike locations:
Google MapsHighlights from the 2024 scouting trip
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cPSNqSWEDRaven3z7Highlights from the 2021 scouting trip.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1shXpT4DtqZK67rL637 attendees
Past events
1354
Group links
Organizers
Members
27,449
