For those that don’t know, back in the day, the Texas Forestry Association kept and maintained several hiking trails on land scattered throughout Southeast Texas. As the land ownership has changed, almost all of the trails have been lost. The Dogwood Trail in Tyler County was owned and semi-maintained by Hancock Forest Management until hurricanes, floods, and time made it too expensive to keep up with the trail. The trail and surrounding 40 acres were purchased by the Big Thicket National Heritage Trust in 2020 and gifted to the Texas A&M Forest Service in October of 2022. Gretchen Riley and Donna Work applied for and were awarded a USFS Landscape Scale Restoration and TPWD Recreational Trails grant for restoration and maintenance of the trail. No maintenance has been done on the trail since at least 2016 and there are several foot bridges that need to be removed for safety reasons.
For the week of January 8-12, 2024 (weather permitting), we will be removing said bridges, snags, brush, re-establishing the trail, as well other general cleanup work. More hands mean less work so if anyone can spare a day or two to assist, it would be much appreciated! I will send a follow up email after the first of the year with the location and maps of the trail. If you know of any other people or groups that would be willing to volunteer, please reach out! The more the merrier.
This will be Phase I of the project. Phase II will be replacing bridges as needed and adding interpretive signage where appropriate.
Conor McInnerney
District Forester • Olive District
409-273-2432 (c)
409-246-2484 (o)
3882 US Hwy 69 N
Kountze, TX 77625