Time Out at Lost Maples

Justin hiking among the fall foliage
24k JPEG

Location: Lost Maples SNA, Vanderpool, Texas
Date: Mid-November 1999
Weather: Mid-50s to low 60s, overcast skies
Activities: Digital and traditional photography, hiking, relaxation
Submitted by: Shannon Moore

Justin and I made two visits to Lost Maples State Natural Area this fall. Both visits rewarded us with good color from the Texas red oaks, while the bigtooth maples simply turned from green to brown. The maples are always highly dependent on the weather. Like last year's "one hundred year flood", this year's lack of rain proved too extreme to yield vibrant color from the maples. There's always next year!

Trailside pond

Copyright © Justin W. Moore
See more photos at OutdoorPhoto.com

One pleasant side effect of the maples' lackluster showing is the park does not get as crowded as usual for this time of year. While we enjoy meeting fellow outdoors enthusiasts, Justin and I also value the subdued sounds of nature--the gurgle of a stream, the rustle of wind through dying leaves and the songs of birds. It was delightful to walk the Maple and East Trails, surrounded only by nature's sounds and colors.

We have yet to camp at Lost Maples, but it is something we are looking forward to when time permits. While the park was peaceful during our visits, we noted the camping areas were fairly busy. Clearly, many other nature lovers have discovered the beauty of Lost Maples, even when the maples aren't in their full glory. This is a park for which you definitely make campsite reservations.

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