Balcones Canyonlands

I hiked in Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge while in Texas.  Based on the name of trails I spotted online before arriving I’d predetermined that the Cactus Rocks Trail and the Boulder Trail would be the ones I visited, within the Warbler Vista section of the refuge.  Upon arrival I went to the visitor center wherein a lady working the information station seemed more than helpful to chat with me about any aspect of the refuge I was curious about for as long as I wished to chat.  In that conversation I learned that the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler would not be present on this visit because they’d migrated south for the season.  I also was given some pamphlets clarifying how long my intended hikes were, information of which I’m inclined to pass on now.

WARBLER VISTA section hikes

1.  Ridgeline Trail 1.2 miles (loop)
2. Cactus Rocks Trail 1.25 miles (loop)
3. Vista Knoll Trail 0.5 miles (lollipop loop)
4. Boulder Trail 0.4 miles (one way)
5. Quarry Canyon Trail 0.8 miles (one way)

DOESKIN RANCH section hikes

1.  Pond and Prairie Trail 0.5 miles (loop)
2. Creek Trail 0.6 miles (loop)
3. Rimrock Trail 1.6 miles (loop)
4. Shin Oak Trail 0.5 miles (loop)
5. Indiangrass Trail 1.5 miles (loop)

Basically none of the trails are seriously long, although many of them can only be reached by hiking through each other, but this gives ample options to make a hike as short or long as you desire.  Since my focus was the Cactus Rocks Trail which spurred off into the Boulder Trail, it worked out quite well.  You should be able to find a trail brochure over at the official website.

While I didn’t find the Boulder Trail to be too “bouldery”, maybe because i’m spoiled from hiking elsewhere, I did find the Cactus Rocks Trail to be spot on with the naming.  The whole thing was loaded with honeycomb limestone and prickly pear cactus.  The majority of the other vegetation consisted of Ashe Junipers and various types of oak.  Since I’m used to trail markers being on trees elsewhere I was amused to find that the nature trail guide (you can get it at the trailhead or visitor center) referenced numbers painted on rocks, which kind of makes sense in this environment.  The rocks were numbered and had warblers painted on them, a nice touch.  I highly recommend hiking here since it’s a nice slice of nature and zero hassle.

Address:  24518 Ranch Rd 1431, Marble Falls, TX 78654

FYI: That’s just an all purpose address for the refuge, you can track down via your favorite mapping app the visitor center, Warbler Vista or whatever.  It is also very close to Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area, Turkey Bend Preserve, Shaffer Bend Recreation Area and several other lovely little things that could happily take an entire day to wander around.  This stop made sense for me since I was traveling between McKinney Falls State Park and Marble Falls at the time.