Little Windmill Trail

Dogs No Dogs

A short, easy route between Joe Johnston Route and Sendero Balcones, Little Windmill is also home to Government Canyon's backcountry camping area. The trail is much more open to the air than others in the area, and can be a welcome relief for hikers turning off from some of the nearby technical routes.

The western end of the trail begins as a flat packed dirt doubletrack, though it narrows quickly down to standard singletrack. A pit bathroom is located a few hundred feet down the trail to the left and is impossible to miss. A huge grassy clearing follows soon after.

Around the halfway point, Little Windmill enters the trees and a few rocks join the mix, though it remains an easy hike. The track parallels a dry creek bed briefly before ending at a signed intersection on Sendero Balcones, just across from Black Hill Loop and the Protected Habitat Area.

The Texas Hill Country is well known for its abundant tree life. Government Canyon exhibits a number of these varieties, including mountain laurel, Ashe juniper, mesquite and live oak. Birds and deer are the most common animals encountered in the area.