Added: 01/23/2006 |
The Big Thicket, Rich Texas BiosphereUnlike many national parks or wildlife areas, the Big Thicket National Preserve in Southeast Texas does not offer majestic vistas or unusual natural formations. Instead, the 97,000 acre Big Thicket represents an unusual convergence of biospheres dating back to the last Ice Age. Established on October 11, 1974, the Big Thicket National Preserve brings together the hardwood forests of the east, the coastal plains of the Gulf of Mexico, and the prairies of the Midwest.
In the unique ecosystem of the Big Thicket, more than one hundred species of shrubs and trees (dominated by the Longleaf Pine) thrive with some trunks towering as much as a hundred feet in the air. More than twenty species of orchids grow in the Big Thicket, including four plants that are carnivorous in nature. The rich diversity of the area draws some 65,000 visitors a year. In 1981 the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated the Big Thicket a Biosphere Preserve.
Although the boundaries of the Big Thicket are somewhat poorly defined it is usually accepted to sprawl over Hardin, Tyler and Polk counties. Small towns are scattered throughout the Big Thicket National Preserve, many of which were founded when the region's heavy forestation attracted commercial lumbering activity.
Now protected within the boundaries of the Big Thicket National Preserve, the trees of the Big Thicket are safe from the chain saws but the protection of other species, notably the feral hogs indigenous to the area, sometime cause clashes with the locals. Preserve officials try to work with the locals to control the damage caused by the animals and to control the damage to the animals caused by the locals' shotguns!
There are eight hiking trails covering forty-five miles of the Big Thicket and the Kirby Nature Trails are accessible by wheelchair. Although summers are warm and humid, the more temperate months from March to October are perfect for trips to see the wildflowers and April and May make for excellent bird watching excursions.
The best months for water activities like boating, canoeing and fishing run from April to October. Although there are two delineated canoe trails in the Big Thicket, visitors are not limited to their use only. Photographic opportunities abound throughout the Big Thicket year round.
With a permit, hunting is allowed in the Big Thicket from September to January and trapping in December and January. Permits are also required for camping in the back country of the Big Thicket and campers must bring all the equipment they need as there are no organized camping facilities in the Big Thicket National Preserve.
An eighteen-mile-long trail is available for horseback riding but is closed during hunting season for the safety of the riders. In addition there is one trial for off-road bicycle riding. Both of these trails are located in the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve.
In addition to these facilities and activities, the Big Thicket National Preserve hosts educational workshops for students and teachers. The visitor center is located in Kountze, TX on FM420. Although not as grand as some other national facilities, the diversity of the Big Thicket National Preserve and the richness of the natural experience it offers to visitors make a stop in the Big Thicket a rewarding and enjoyable experience for lovers of the great outdoors.
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