Conquering the Lone Star Hiking Trail: A 96-Mile Texas Thru-Hike

Hiking the entire 96-mile Lone Star Trail end-to-end is a rewarding but challenging journey. Get tips on timing, direction, supplies and more for this iconic Texas thru-hike.

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Josh Koop

I live with my wife and daughter in Katy, Texas and my local trail is the Lone Star Hiking Trail which is an amazing way to experience the Sam Houston National Park!

The Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) on a hike after a recent burn
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How long does it take to thru-hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail? This is a question that many people who want to hike the Lone Star Hiking Trail have asked before they start their journey. We will go into detail and show how many days you would need to complete this trail.

For most thru-hikers, you can complete the trail within seven days. For those who have their trail legs, they may be able to finish in 3-4 days depending on weather conditions and season, as it can bog down hard with rainfall as it is primarily flat with little elevation gain.

This trail is near and dear to me as I live in greater Houston. It is an easy 2-hour trip to the Sam Houston National Forest to get to the trailheads.

Being able to hike this quickly depends on the weather and outside factors like heat and humidity.

How Long Does it Take to Complete the Lone Star Hiking Trail?

For a hiker looking to complete a trail from end to end, understanding the expected timeframe for the entire distance is vital to preparations and a successful trek, so how long does it take to hike the Lone Star Trail?

An end-to-end thru-hike comes in at 96 miles if you follow the main trails and avoid doing the loops which supplement but aren’t part of the thru-hike itself. The 96 miles traverse numerous sections and landscapes that are different in nearly every season!

While this may seem shorter than many trails, it hides some severe issues for many hikers due to outside environmental factors like a lack of water sources and Texas-sized humidity and temperatures, all normal for those who choose to complete a Lone Star Trail thru-hike.

Optimal Seasons for a Lone Star Trail Thru-Hike

We feature some crazy weather from hurricanes to torrential rainfall, from 30-40 degree nights to 100-degree days.

Finding the right time to hike the whole trail is nearly as important as the length to be successful.

Spring

A hike starting in Spring will have a better chance for good weather for most of the thru-hike and fewer issues that you find in the Summer with a lack of water on the trail.

Spring can lack water in most creeks unless you are traveling after a recent storm; I would suggest caches for water at most trailheads.

This ensures you have access as you are not always in range of towns nor consistent traffic should you have a crisis.

Summer

For anyone who visits Houston in the Summer, you will frequently encounter 90-100 degree days paired with humidity in the 80s, which means you will pour out moisture during your entire hike.

Any attempted thru-hike in the Summer will require lots of preparation before the hike by setting up water caches at nearly every trailhead to restock your water and camel up before leaving (remember to pick up once done also).

Summers are not friendly in Texas, and the forest will be unique, but the chance for overgrowth will be significant, and this is when most snakes will be out, so there are many dangers out there.

Fall

Fall introduces another set of different issues to prepare for from hurricanes, and epic levels of rainfall (4+ inches in a night is possible).

Then it is also hunting season towards winter, which means only using designated primitive sites for safety and orange vests.

This season will require an understanding of the weather and knowing the best placements for camp setup to ensure that you wouldn’t get washed out if one of these downpours happened at night.

Hurricanes can be understood and measured as the expected time to make landfall, but you will want to know and be out prior as the winds can amp up long before the water and the forest is full of deadfall you don’t want to be exposed to.

Winter

Quite possibly, one of the best times to hike in Texas in the Sam Houston Forest will be the winter, though you can expect rainfall and muddy, boggy trails.

In the winter, many try this trail as they will experience only the tail end of hurricane season and deer hunting season while also not typically reaching excruciating heat and humidity levels.

The 96-Mile Journey: Lone Star Trail End-to-End Distance

There are two different lengths depending on your wants from a thru-hike. The complete LSHT with all loops comes in at 129 miles in length, and these loops can take you. out to some quality sites and sounds, but how long is the Lone Star Hiking Trail from end to end without loops?

To thru-hike, the actual main trail is a 96 miles end-to-end trail with 13 sections that take you through some of the most awe-inspiring parts of the national forest and provides you a glimpse of the better sides of Texas.

So then how many days to thru-hike the lone star hiking trail? For most hikers who average 15 miles per day, you would be looking at about 6.5 days, though the trail is Texas flat which means people tend to make more miles than expected.

Where Does the Lone Star Hiking Trail Start?

The first trailhead (LSHT Trailhead 1) starts just South of Richards, Texas, and quickly heads deeper into the woods while not leaving the immediate vicinity of the back roads that truckers and others pass through at times.

West Side Map – Lone Star Hiking Trail Map

Western TerminusLSHT Trailhead 1

Where Does the Lone Star Hiking Trail End?

The last trailhead (LSHT Trailhead 15) ends just North-West of Cleveland, Texas. This is a great place as you can walk out after the end of the thru-hike and get into town for a wonderful meal in town to recharge.

East Side Map – Lone Star Hiking Trail Map 

Eastern Terminus: LSHT Trailhead 15 

East to West or West to East? Choosing Your Lone Star Trail Direction

One can hike either East or West on the LSHT but both are fairly even to each other, I would suggest that you drop your car at your endpoint and then get a shuttle, cab, or transportation to the other trailhead to start fresh and complete at your vehicle.

Final Thoughts on the Time Needed to Finish an LSHT Thru-Hike

The Lone Star Hiking Trail is a beautiful trail that can take you through some of the most awe-inspiring parts of Texas.

However, if your goal is to hike the entire trail in one go, it will require roughly five to seven days, along with multiple water caches that are suggested to be placed along the way for water.

Be prepared before heading out on this journey by checking weather forecasts beforehand as well as consider a whole trek food carry to ease your hike due to the lack of towns local to the trail.

Resources

Alltrails – If you are looking for a good map the Alltrails app and if you have signed up for Pro can print out maps to carry with you.

Texas native and an expert long-distance hiker, Karen Borski’s The Lone Star Hiking Trail: The Official Guide to the Longest Wilderness Footpath in Texas 2nd edition is a travel-specific Lone Star Hiking trail guide with everything you’ll need to know about arranging supplies, mileage charts, section maps, designated campsites, and more.

The Lone Star Hiking Trail Facebook Group is a fantastic platform to get answers to any queries you may have regarding your trip and up-to-date trail information (and you could discover a trail angel or two poking about as well).

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