Steep Ravine Trail

Dogs Leashed

You'll have to pay park fees to hike this. Traffic is very low. The park had a decent trail map available when I was there in March 2019, and the ranger told me they were having a map created that would be available "shortly." Verizon cell service is spotty in the park. The trail is well-marked.

This blend of two-track in the pines and singletrack on the hills in Mission Tejas State Park is much better run clockwise. You can start at the park headquarters, or at near the mission inside the park. This description starts from the Mission.

Park near the bathrooms by the Mission, and look for two trailheads just across from the Mission. For this hike, take Steep Ravine Trail. The trail is fairly straight two-track in the pines. Follow it past the turn-off for Primitive Loop, and head into the woods. You'll come to a small downhill, and the trail goes off to the left for a little tiny bit of winding through the woods. You pop out at the bottom of this very small hill, and head up a for a climb that will get your heart pumping a bit.

At the top of the hill, the access trail from the park headquarters comes in from the left. Go another few feet, and you'll see Highway 21 ahead of you and a sign for Steep Ravine Trail. Take that right—the best part of this hike is starting.

Go a few hundred feet, and another sign pointing right takes you along the hills. The next mile plus winds along the hills, and has a fun mix of ups and downs and corners. Take a little care when the trail is covered in pine needles—the needles are slick. The trail is standard singletrack width, is very smooth with no real drops or rocks, has a few tight turns, and a couple of short climbs.

The trail drops off the hills in a couple of fun downhills—none terribly steep—and winds into the woods. After you cross a series of three small wooden bridges, the trail spits out onto the two-track at Primitive Loop. You can take Primitive Loop left to add a tiny bit of mileage, or keep going onto Hardwood, or simply follow the signs for Steep Ravine Trail back to the mission.