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

Trails & hiking

Biking · Hiking

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

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

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

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: Boating · Canoe or Kayak Camping · Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Hands-On · Citizen Science · 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

Nearby parks

Parks of Texas

El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic TrailBlanco State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkWaco Mammoth National MonumentBig Bend Ranch State ParkBonham State ParkSouth Llano River State ParkBastrop State ParkBentsen - Rio Grande Valley State ParkLake Arrowhead State ParkEstero Llano Grande State ParKSeminole Canyon State Park & Historic SiteAtlanta State ParkLake Mineral Wells State Park & TrailwayCleburne State ParkHueco Tanks State Park & Historic SiteFalcon State ParkSan Angelo State ParkSheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning CenterVillage Creek State ParkDinosaur Valley State ParkMartin Creek Lake State ParkMcKinney Falls State ParkFranklin Mountains State ParkGuadalupe Mountains National ParkLake Casa Blanca International State ParkSan Antonio Missions National Historical ParkBarton Warnock Visitor Center State ParkAlibates Flint Quarries National MonumentLonghorn Cavern State ParkEisenhower State ParkEnchanted Rock State Natural AreaHuntsville State ParkLake Colorado City State ParkLake Bob Sandlin State ParkFort Parker State ParkGoliad State Park & Historic SiteFort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State TrailwayLost Maples State Natural AreaBrazos Bend State ParkRio Grande Wild & Scenic RiverCedar Hill State ParkTyler State ParkBlackwell School National Historic SiteAbilene State ParkPadre Island National SeashoreChoke Canyon State ParkHill Country State Natural AreaGuadalupe River State ParkLake Livingston State ParkDevil's Sinkhole State Natural AreaMustang Island State ParkMonahans Sandhills State ParkKickapoo Cavern State ParkMeridian State ParkBig Bend National ParkInks Lake State ParkLake Somerville State Park & TrailwayMother Neff State ParkDaingerfield State ParkFort Davis National Historic SitePalo Duro Canyon State ParkPedernales Falls State ParkLake Whitney State ParkBalmorhea State ParkAmistad National Recreation AreaPossum Kingdom State ParkLake Meredith National Recreation AreaGovernment Canyon State Natural AreaOld Tunnel State ParkResaca de la Palma State ParkLake Corpus Christi State ParkBuescher State ParkBig Spring State ParkMission Tejas State ParkPalmetto State ParkLyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic SiteLake Brownwood State ParkStephen F Austin State ParkFort Boggy State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkLake Tawakoni State ParkLyndon B Johnson National Historical ParkGalveston Island State ParkGoose Island State ParkCopper Breaks State ParkPowderhorn State ParkChamizal National MemorialDevils River State Natural AreaPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical ParkRay Roberts Lake State ParkLockhart State ParkDavis Mountains State ParkColorado Bend State ParkGarner State ParkPurtis Creek State ParkSea Rim State ParkCaprock Canyons State Park & Trailway

99 parks mapped in Texas

You're looking at Big Thicket National Preserve — the gold marker.

Every dot is a park. Tap one to jump to it.

Browse all Texas parks →

Guides for the trip

All guides →

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