Reflections of twisting tupelo trees in calm water below a green canopy.
Explore the woods near the Edgewater Day-Use Area to find a scenic cypress-tupelo slough NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

Big Thicket National Preserve

National Preserve / Reserve · Texas · National Park Service

Life of all types abounds in the Big Thicket. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats meet in southeast Texas. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous. It is a place of discovery, a place to wander and explore, a place to marvel at the richness of nature.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
409-951-6700
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Industry · Mining · Logging and Timber Cutting · Social Movements · Conservation Movement · Animals · Alligators or Crocodiles · Birds · Cats (wild) · Tortoises and Turtles · Fire · Forests and Woodlands · River and Riparian · Thickets and Shrublands · Trails · Water Trails · Unique Species · Endangered · Watersheds · Wetlands

Activities & features: Biking · Boating · Camping · Backcountry Camping · Canoe or Kayak Camping · Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Hands-On · Citizen Science · Hiking · Hunting and Gathering · Hunting · Paddling · Canoeing · Kayaking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store · Gift Shop and Souvenirs

Photos

  • An iron bridge above a murky creek surrounded by dense woods.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • A patch of palmettos glowing in warm afternoon sunlight in a forest.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • A leaf-covered trail leading through a tree tunnel of dense green vegetation.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • Leafless bald cypress trees and knees stand in a swamp filled with leaves and branches in winter.
    NPS Photo / Steve Heineke
  • Tupelo trees growing on the edge of a reflective pond in the woods in spring.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • A log cabin in a forest beneath a canopy of sprawling live oak trees.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • Close-up of a carnivorous pitcher plant with the shadow of an insect inside.
    NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga
  • A woodpecker with bright red head clinging to a dead tree.
    NPS Photo / Nathan Pattee

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12