Not Much To See
By Blaze on 5/6/2013
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Distance: 10.30 Miles Duration: 3 hours, 4 minutes
The John Henry Kirby Memorial State Forest is a large, rectangular plot of land off of Hwy 287. It is not part of the Big Thicket, but it is in the same general area. There is a small road sign pointing to the John Henry Kirby Memorial State Forest, but you are given no advanced notice. The sign is posted on the corner of the dirt road that takes you to the forest, so when you see it slow down quickly so you can make the turn (hard to do because the speed limit is 75 mph on Hwy 287).
The State Forest is closed to vehicles, so you have to park impromptu on the dirt road and jump the gate. There is no trail map and no signs, just a bunch of old logging roads that criss-cross through the area in a grid-type pattern.
This area provides a good distance workout, but there isn't anything to see other than a bunch of trees. It is very secluded, though, so it rates high on the solitude scale.