Lost Maples State Park
Lost Maples State Park is one of the more popular state parks located in Texas Hill Country. If you’re already in TX Hill Country, we highly recommend checking out the other nearby state parks. There are many! See our guide to Garner State Park for an example.
We were able to visit Lost Maples State Park as part of a larger 9 day West Texas road trip, view our itinerary here!
We had only an afternoon to spend here before sunset, so we only hiked one trail. I would love to come back to enjoy more.
Hiking the East-West Trail to the East Trail
We hiked the East-West Trail to the East Trail to Scenic Overlook #4 during our visit to Lost Maples State Park. Follow along as we detail our hike with a map of Lost Maples State Park.
It was a cloudy day when we visited, but the park itself was still beautiful. Much of the ground was blanketed by deep red leaves leftover from the autumn season. I would love to return in the fall. I hear it’s gorgeous!
We started off on the East-West Trail, which is a 1 mi flat hike ultimately leading to a fork. Stay to the right for the East Trail or head to the left for the West Trail. As daylight was limited when we were here, we decided we would hike to Scenic Overlook #4 on the East Trail, then head back down.
The East-West Trail could have been better marked. When we saw a fork in the road early on in the hike, we thought we had already reached the East Trail. It was only after continuing to hike on this trail for a few more minutes, that we realized that the East Trail was still ahead.
The East-West Trail will take you to a couple of great photo opportunities!
Once on the East Trail, the hike gets strenuous. It’s a rocky and steep climb to the top. Bring your hiking poles and shoes for this one.
It was a windy day, but the view from the top was worth it!
- Easy
- Maple Trail – 0.4 mi, 20 min
- East-West Trail – 1 mi, 45 min – This one leads you to a fork in the road where you can choose to continue to hike up on the East or West trails, which are both more strenuous.
- Moderate
- West Loop Trail – 2.4 mi round trip, 1.5 hr
- Strenuous
- East Trail – 3.1 mi, 3 hrs
- West Trail – 3.6 mi, 3.5 hrs
Learn more about this state park at: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lost-maples
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