u/AdventuresWithBG

Following up on yesterday's River Overlook post with a look at Post Oak Ridge’s second trail: Whispering Oaks (1.7 miles).

While the river rim gets most of the attention for the canyon views, the inland side has a completely different feel:

• The Terrain: The first mile is wide, flat double-track caliche through post oak savanna (feels very similar to the new trail expansion on the backside of Enchanted Rock).
• The "Lollipop" Loop: The trail terminates in a loop marked as "Challenging Terrain." This is easily the best hiking on this route; tighter single-track, cedar corridors, and stepped limestone shelves you actually have to scramble up.
• Springs: Keep an eye out for karst limestone fissures in the dry creek bed. I found stagnant water trapped deep in rock cracks, which appears to be the only natural water source for wildlife out on the ridge right now (there is zero potable water in the park, so pack in everything you need).
• Active Construction: The spur trail leading to the Whispering Oaks overlook was still blocked off with construction signage during opening week, so trail building is definitely ongoing.

If you want a full visual walkthrough of both trails, road conditions, and the river bluffs before booking your $2 day pass, I filmed the full scouting trek here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmg5yLss7c&list=PLDqztRjj27zZn5ftp4yk6xpnmLILTAxie

Put boots on the ground at Texas’s newest state park (opened Sept 24 in Lampasas County). Here is a rugged hiker’s breakdown of what to expect on trail:

Terrain & Footwear:
• Expect a mix of hardpacked caliche road and loose, fist-sized crushed limestone rubble. The descent to the river rim has some slick, steep gravel grades. Standard trail runners worked fine, but watch your ankles on the loose rock.
• Whispering Oaks has a rocky limestone shelf section with modest step-ups, but 80% of the currently opened 4 miles is flat double-track utility road.

Water & Heat Management:
• Zero potable water anywhere in the park. With the current high temperatures and severe sun exposure on the wide caliche roads, pack a minimum of 3L of water/electrolytes. Do not rely on natural sources; the little spring is just stagnant rock crevices, and there is no direct river access yet.

Access & Logistical Notes:
• $2 day-use pass booked via TPWD website gives you a gate code for the keypad at 4136 CR 105.
• 2.5-mile unpaved interior gravel road to the vault-toilet trailhead loop. Easily handled by 2WD.

Full visual breakdown of the trail network and bluff overlooks for anyone planning their miles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmg5yLss7c&list=PLDqztRjj27zZn5ftp4yk6xpnmLILTAxie

Just got back from scouting Post Oak Ridge State Park in Lampasas County on opening week. Since there isn't much info or crowd-sourced trail data out there yet, wanted to share a first-look field report for anyone planning to book a reservation.

The Basics:
• Day-use only right now ($2 entry, advance reservation required via TPWD).
• You receive an automated gate code in your confirmation email for the security gate on CR 105.
• Once through the gate, it’s a 2.5-mile unpaved, crushed limestone road to the trailhead loop. Easily passable in a standard 2WD sedan, just dusty.
• There is NO potable water and NO electricity on site yet (vault toilets only). Pack in every ounce of hydration. Cell service is limited to nonexistent across the ridge.

The River Overlook Trail (2.2 miles):
It starts as a wide caliche service road that descends fairly steeply toward the bluffs. While it’s mostly open double-track with significant sun exposure, the payoff at the rim is legitimately impressive. The trail ends at circular stone overlook pads sitting high above the Colorado River canyon.

The highlight is a direct sightline across the gorge to Post Oak Falls—a massive travertine/limestone formation that looks completely alien for Central Texas. There is currently no direct water access down to the river, but the canyon views from the bluffs earn the hike.

I documented the full 4-mile route, trail friction, and road conditions on video for anyone wanting a visual walkthrough before heading out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmg5yLss7c&list=PLDqztRjj27zZn5ftp4yk6xpnmLILTAxie

With over 95 percent of Texas held as private land, finding true hike-in backcountry camping in Central Texas is rare. Fox Bottom Primitive Area out at Granger Lake is one of the few spots where you can backpack in, set up camp for free, and have quiet water access.

The route follows the Comanche Bluff Trail starting from Taylor Park, running 4.8 miles one way. You cross an old closed historic truss bridge right past the trailhead before the path heads out along the shoreline bluffs.

Trail Conditions The first section along the lake is easy cruising, but deeper in, the path becomes heavily overgrown and disappears completely in several spots. An offline GPS map is mandatory out here to keep from wandering off into the brush.

Campground Features Fox Bottom has eight designated first-come, first-served campsites right near the water: Tent pads and fire rings Lantern posts and picnic tables On-site composting toilet

There is zero potable water along the trail or at camp, so pack in every drop you need.

I broke down the exact trail fade spots, camp layouts, and the vehicle registration process in the full video: https://youtu.be/nfEo4IApd6M

TPWD recently opened up a massive backcountry expansion at Enchanted Rock, adding over 10 miles of new trails to the park footprint. I hiked the new system to see how the facilities and terrain are laid out compared to the original park loop.

The new trails primarily follow old ranch roads and 4x4 tracks through the surrounding Hill Country. What makes this area unique is how far away from it all it feels compared to the crowds on the summit trail. You pass several large, unnamed ponds and historic cattle tanks that had surprisingly good water levels after recent rains. There is also a centrally located restroom station out near the middle of the new loop, along with non-potable water for cooling off. Just be aware: reaching the start of this new trail system requires a 2-mile trek from the main parking lot, so budget your time and water accordingly.

I made the jump from a smartwatch to the Oura Ring 4 to track my recovery during hiking and travel trips. I shot a full breakdown of my setup, but I wanted to drop the main hardware takeaways here for anyone considering the upgrade, especially if you are looking at the new travel case.

The Hardware and Sensors: The biggest physical change from older tech is the fully titanium interior and the recessed sensors. If you have used older trackers, you know the sensor bumps can dig into your fingers when gripping heavy bags or trekking poles. The flush design completely eliminates that, and it just feels like a standard, durable ring.

Real-World Battery: Oura claims up to 8 days of battery. In my experience, if you leave continuous activity, heart rate, and blood oxygen sensing turned on, you are realistically looking at a highly reliable 4 to 5 days.

The Travel Case Trade-offs: The official aluminum travel case is a massive upgrade over the fragile desktop puck, holding up to five full charges so you can go weeks without a wall outlet. However, there are two major quirks you need to know before buying one:

1. It is size-specific and an incredibly tight fit. It requires perfect alignment to start charging, and you cannot share the case with someone who wears a different ring size.
2. The charging speed is noticeably slower than the standard desktop dock. You are strictly trading charging speed for the aluminum protection and battery capacity.

If you want to see the hardware up close, how the ring fits into the case, or check out the app interface, I put the full visual breakdown together here: https://youtu.be/l9ROl9b_mDw

Drove out to Great Falls for my first real visit to Maryland and decided to jump straight into the deep end with Billy Goat Trail Section A. I had read about the rock scramble, but reading about it and doing it are two different things. You're using your hands constantly, the Potomac is roaring right below you, and there are moments where the trail is just a crack between two boulders and a long drop. It felt less like hiking and more like problem-solving on rock.

The loop took me a couple of hours. Scramble along the gorge rim, then a quiet walk back on the C&O Canal towpath past the old lockhouses. The contrast between the trail's intensity and the canal's calm is something that stuck with me. I was not expecting Maryland to have terrain like this.