Mother Neff State Park

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Trails: 4.00 Miles	Elevation Gain: 650 Feet
Ratings
Enjoyability: (5.00)
Difficulty: (2.57)	Solitude: (2.64)
Access Restrictions
Fee: $2.00 per Person
Location And Maps
City: Moody	County: Coryell
More Info: Official site	Waypoints: View
Alt Trail Map: View	Track File: View
Maps: Street Map, Topo Map, Satellite Map, Order a topo map of this area

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Mother Neff State Park's elongated shape provides for hiking through numerous ecological regions. (Click on map for larger view) (Click on map for larger view)
Maptech® USGS Topographic Series™, ©Maptech®, Inc. 603-433-8500, www.maptech.com/topo Copyright 2000 Maptech, Inc.

Getting there: From I-35 take the 315 exit onto State Highway 107, heading west. The road turns into FM 107 past Moody. Turn onto State Highway 236 and head south for 2 miles to the park. Look for the park entrance on the right.

The Hike: Mother Neff State Park was the first official state park in Texas. Isabella Eleanor Neff, mother of Texas Governor Pat M. Neff, donated the initial six acres of land that would form the nucleus of the park. Later donations increased the park size to 259 acres. While not large by state park standards, Mother Neff is a thin rectangle that dissects the landscape, offering a variety of terrain and vegetation that often can not be found in parks several times its size.

The "Lost Trail" trailhead can be found behind the ranger station near the entrance to the park and is marked on the map by the "Trailhead" waypoint. The route we took will venture to the back of the park by as direct a route as possible and then visit some of the interesting side trails on the return journey back to the trailhead. One word of caution concerning the official state park map. Due to the long, narrow shape of the park and the size of the paper on which the official park map was printed the trails got compressed somewhat and they appear to sway back and forth across the terrain more so than they really do. Refer to both our topo map and the park map to arrive at something more close to the actual truth.

The entrance to the park. The ranger station and trailhead lie just to the right.

The trail begins in the easy terrain of the park's river bottom lands. Here one can find an abundance of large Cedar Elms and other trees that enjoy the rich soil and close proximity to moisture. It's easy to make fast progress over this portion of the trail as the land is flat and the large trees are well separated from each other.

In the rocky creek canyon portion of the hike the terrain can be steep, but such spots are not too numerous.

As the trail enters the small creek canyon that empties to the south the terrain changes. Here one finds more Oaks and Junipers, those trees and shrubs that can handle the rough and rocky terrain that predominates this portion of the park. The nature of the trail itself also changes as the going becomes a bit more challenging. Flat dirt trails give way to short, but rocky, ascents and descents. The Junipers close in on the trail more so than the hard woods along the river bottom.

The Wash Pond is a peaceful spot to stop for a rest before the trail hits the prairie.

The waypoint "Wash Pond" is one of two great places to stop along the trail for a rest. This small natural bowl is fed by water runoff and by a small spring that can occassionally be seen bubbling after rains. Sitting on the steep rock slope of one side of the pond and enjoying the cool breeze sifting through the trees we felt at ease and alone, but we weren't. After several minutes our eyes met those of a staring, perfectly still frog just two feet away along the edge of the water. Only later, when it was time to continue to hike and we got up did the frog dart under water and under a rock.

The trail is in great shape and bridges, such as this one, make crossing the creek easy.

As you near the waypoint "4-L" you'll encounter the third, and largest, ecological area of the park, the prairie. On the day of our visit the area was beset by high winds. While in the relative shelter of the river bottom and canyon lands below, the effect of the wind was barely felt. Here on the prairie a hat strap and a firm hand on the trail map were the only thing that kept gear from being blown into the next county. Despite the high winds, breaking out into the prairie was a refreshing change. The wide open terrain provides for sweeping views, which will become more prominant later in the hike.

The northern portion of the park is an open prairie, with isolated tickets of Juniper.

The trail leads almost straight back to the corner of the park. A spur trail leads to a primitive camping area near the waypoint "Pond". The main trail continues uphill to the waypoint "Lookout", near the highest point in the park. From this vantage point sweeping views to the south provide a glimpse of landscape for miles. Under more ideal conditions this location would make an excellent spot for a picnic.

The overlook lies near the high point of the park and provides sweeping views to the south, over the park lowlands.

The lookout marks the turnaround point for the hike. On the way back we'll try and hit the three main sites that make Mother Neff State Park unique and we'll attempt to cover as many as yet un-hiked paths as possible. After descending from the park highpoint follow the trail towards the southwest toward the "Alt-Trailhead" waypoint. Here a parking area allows for those who do not wish to hike the length of the park to enjoy the lookout without too strenuous a trip.

The distinctive rock water tower is the signature structure of the park. It also provides a platform for overlooking the surrounding area.

"Ruins" marks the spot at which one can find reminders of the park's day as a working ranch. Soon after passing by the rock structures keep a careful eye out for the return trail to the right. It's not that easy to spot coming from this direction and you could easily find yourself back in the heart of the prairie.

Back at the Wash Pond we cross over the small dam and ascend the rock stairs on the opposite side. The trail here will parallel the path we took on the initial half of the hike back to the waypoint "Y-R". A side trail leads to the waypoint "Rock Tower", which represents the signature structure of the park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the water tower in the 1930's and added a spiral staircase to the design to provide yet another high vantage point in the park.

The cave served as shelter for the local Indians.

The cave at the end of the last side trail marks the spot of a natural rock overhang that had been used for years by local Indians. During CCC operations in the park the remains of three Indians were found. Two of them were reburied in a nearby cemetery. The third was reinterred under the rock overhang and marked by a plaque. Unfortunately, in 1969 someone raided the grave and stole the marker, which was never replaced.

The rest of the hike from this point is a simple return by the most direct route to the trailhead. In all the entire trip covered just over 4 miles and was covered in 3 hours and 13 minutes. The elongated shape of Mother Neff State Park provides an enlightening view of multiple ecological regions, providing some natural insight to go along with a good hike. The actual solitude of the trail is difficult to gauge as our visit occurred on a non-holiday Monday. We encountered no other person on or along the trail the entire day, though this is certainly not the norm on weekends. At times the trail does pass close to roads outside and inside the park, so while our hike provided solitude, it's not a wilderness experience.

According to reports, the ADA (wheelchair) accessible parts of the trails are include the Praire Trail (to primitive campsite) and the Bluff Trail Loop (cannot take path to wash pond).

Despite a few rough spots in the canyon area, most of the trail is relatively flat and easy to navigate. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	Contrary to our initial perceptions, we were not the only ones present at the Wash Pond. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	As the trail nears the transition from canyon land to prairie pockets of trees and prairie intermingle. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
Most of the trail through the prairie follows old jeep trails that were probably used when this was ranch land. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	This prairie pond sits near the primative camping area near the back of the park. (Photo by Austin Explorer)	The view from atop the rock tower rivals that from the Overlook at the back of the park. (Photo by Austin Explorer)
(Photo by seejanplay7)	(Photo by seejanplay7)	(Photo by seejanplay7)
(Photo by seejanplay7)	(Photo by seejanplay7)

Logs

Have you hiked this trail? What did you think of it? Submit your own log entry to let others know of your experiences and to keep track your adventures. Only log entries that included a comment or rating are shown here.

Mother Neff Hiking Trail
User: Miles - 2/25/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 1.65 miles Duration: 2:45 (Hours:Minutes)
Went to the Neff Trails today to pick up some caches. ran into a lot of people on the trail today enjying the great weather.Visit our State Parks before they're all gone.Only YOU can save our State Parks by using them!

Great Beginner Trail.
User: gabegober - 2/19/2007 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 miles Duration: 0:04 (Hours:Minutes)
The park map is not correct. This was my first thru hike. I have gone back since. I will never forget it.

User: seejanplay7 - 12/3/2005 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 miles Duration: N/A
Great hike. These are some of the best marked and maintained trails I've ever seen :) A beautiful park with interesting features. There is a stone table, tower, cave, and pools down wooded paths ... I felt like I was escaping into Narnia ;)

A hike to remember the years
User: Miles - 7/31/2005 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 3.50 miles Duration: N/A
This is one of my favorite places to hike. My Dad brought me here as a boy to camp, and I've brought my Son in return.The main trail is lined with local history. This State Park is also Texas First State Park, thus the oldest.

Surprising variety of terrain
User: Peter Maurer - 7/9/2004 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 miles Duration: N/A
There is a surprising variety of terrain for such a small park. There are rock formations woods and prairie all in a small area. The entire park can be explored in an afternoon. The official park map has a few errors, for example, the Bluff Loop Trail is marked in the wrong place. It is actually the short loop that joins the two trails that fork away from the wash pond. The loop does not cross the stream bed as shown, but joins the main trail on the side opposite the wash pond. This is one of the prettiest stretches of trail in the park, so don't miss it. Also, the prairie trails are mowed through the grass and subject to change. The map was not too helpful with them.

Nice day hike, solitude is marginal
User: rmtjr - 5/24/2004 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.00 miles Duration: N/A
Nice day, May 24. Humid and overcast in the morning, but nice breeze from the south. Trails are well defined and marked at most junctions. Bluff Loop Trail was the most secluded and challenging, although the steps up to the road from the Wash Pond can leave you huffing and puffing. The field north of the primitive camping area was a riot of wild flowers! See''em soon before the summer sun does them in. A trail not marked on the map has been mowed between the northern viewing area (Lookout)and the Prairie Trailhead (Alt T.H.). Nits and picks: Mother Neff is convenient to the Waco-Temple area. The entire trail system can easily be hiked in a leisurly four hours, including a lunch break. The Wash Pond is a relaxing place to visit. A good starter hike. Construction and road noise were always present, even if in the distance. The primitive camping area is a stone''s throw from the highway. Rather than camp in the absolute primitive area, try the low stone wall area (ruins) on the trail going east southeast from the Prairie Trailhead. This spot is away from the road and gives you a solid surface to cook on. Some streams in the park had dried up, but the major ones could provide water if you wanted to filter it. Oh, the scenic spot marked for the Wash Pond is too far west. The Pond is right at the junction of the trail coming up from the Rock Tower and Cave, and the one going east to the Primitive Camp site. 03-08-05 added. The construction seems to be finished, but there is still noise from the road throughout the park.

Walk through a slice of Texas
User: Austin Explorer - 11/18/2002 [View Log Page]
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Distance: 4.16 miles Duration: N/A
The long and narrow shape of the park lends itself to different terrain and vegetation. The trails here were better than I was expecting. Would have spent more time at the prairie lookout, but the winds were increadibly intense on this day.