Hiking Fort Richardson State Park
Fort Richardson State Park located near Jacksboro Texas provides hikers with four short hiking trails that feature different micro-ecosystems within the park. The trails are not very long and are probably not noteworthy if you are traveling there just for the hiking. If you are camping or already find yourself in the area then these trails will take you to some of the best spots in the park.
I have ranked these hikes in my order of preference. I visited in early November so the leaves were changing color and it wad for a really pretty day. I ended up hiking all four of these trails in one morning. I arrived a little after nine o'clock and was off the trail by noon. The trails do not connect so you have to move to a new trailhead to start each of the hikes.
1. South West Bank of Lost Creek Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Elevation Gain: 46 feet
Moving Time: 29:13
Total Time: 32:32
Difficulty: East
My Rating: 4 Stars
This trail
2. Rumbling Springs Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Elevation Gain: 26 feet
Moving Time: 30:36
Total Time: 30:42
Difficulty: Moderate
My Rating: 3 Stars
The Rumbling Springs Trail follows the same creek as the South West Bank trail but on the north side. If you park in the main parking lot for the historical fort area of the state park, the trail begins just across the main park road from the parking lot. This trail is rated moderate because of the rocky trail surface that exists. A good portion of the trail you are skipping from rock to rock, without ever stepping on a flat surface. As you are picking your way across these rocks make sure that you are not paying so much attention to your feed that you hit your head on the tree branches that go across the trail.
The hike follows Lost Creek, but on this side, there is are two springs that feed the creek and create small water features of their own. The real treat is when you get to the end of the trail there is a grotto in the rock that is the home of Rumbling Springs.
3. Kicking Bird Trail
Distance: .35 miles
Elevation Gail: 3 feet
Moving Time: 15:20
Total Time: 21:20
Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 3 Stars
Kicking Bird Trail is designed to be an access point to a part of the park that provides a great environment for birders to see some of the many species in the area. Along the trail, there is an interpretive sign that provides some helpful hints about birding. This is a loop trail that circles an area of the park where trees and fullage are thriving because of a water feature that is in the center of the loop. Much of the trail follows around the outer edge so you can also see across the grasslands.
4. Prickly Pear Trail
Distance: 1.31 miles
Elevation Gain: 46 feet
Moving Time: 29:26
Total Time: 29:26
Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 2 Stars
This trail is named for the abundance of Prickly Pear Cactus that is located along this trail. It is not more than a walk along a mowed path through the prairie grass. While there are some large groupings of prickly pear cacti, I found that many of the cacti were quite a distance from the trail. This was my least favorite trail at Richardson State Park.
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