If you include plants that can regenerate, the upper age limit could be ten thousand years or more. Such superorganisms including the famous quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove nicknamed Pando are made up of genetically identical trunks connected through a single root system that sends up new shoots over time. These clonal colonies are impossible to date with precision because the oldest decomposed long ago.
Known as the Trembling Giant, Pando is located about 40 miles southeast of Richfield, Utah, the nearest town. Widely considered the world’s largest tree with one vast root system, the aspen clone is also one of the largest living organisms on the planet. Spanning roughly 106 acres within Fishlake National Forest, a sprawling patch of greenery situated in the High Plateaus of south-central Utah, Pando weighs more than 6,600 tons and contains approximately 47,000 genetically identical stems (or branches), experts say.
Pando which in Latin translates to I spread is so massive that satellite imagery shows the outline of the clone in stark contrast with the rest of the surrounding national forest; its complex network of roots is so vast that it tunnels beneath Utah State Route 25, a winding two-lane highway that slices through Pando’s center.
No one knows Pando’s exact age with some estimates dating it to the end of the last ice age or about 25,000 years ago and others going as far back as 80,000 years.
The Big Tree, as it’s usually known, is one of the best known live oak trees in the United States. In its more than 1,000 years, the Big Tree has survived hurricanes, fires, and even an 1864 Civil War battle that razed the rest of the town, Lamar, Texas, to the ground. With a height of 44 feet, trunk circumference of 35 feet, and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017).
Many lists of oldest trees stick to single-trunked plants that produce annual growth rings. These kinds of trees are easier to date. Scientists called dendrochronologists focus on assigning calendar years to tree rings and interpreting data within those rings. By using a hand-cranked tool called an increment borer they extract core samples without depriving the tree of strength and vigor.
As a rule, gymnosperms—flowerless plants with naked seeds—grow slower and live longer than angiosperms, flowering plants with fruits. Gymnosperms include ginkgo and every kind of conifer—including yews, pines, firs, spruces, cedars, redwoods, podocarps, araucarias and cypresses. Roughly 25 gymnosperm species can live 1,000 years or longer. The cypress family contains the most millennials but the longest-lived species is a pine with an effective age limit of five millennia. By contrast, eight centuries is extremely old for an oak, an angiosperm. And only one kind of flowering plant, a baobab, has been positively dated beyond one millennium.
During research for his book Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees, Jared Farmer learned a lot about the world’s oldest growers. Here are some of the most exceptional specimens.
Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, ≥4,900 years
Until 1964, the oldest tree ever known grew in a cirque on Wheeler Peak in Nevada’s Snake Range in what is now Great Basin National Park. After a graduate student researcher tried and failed to extract a complete core sample, he decided to produce a stump. This scientific desecration haunted him the rest of his career even though he cut it down with permission of a forest ranger. Originally labeled WPN-114 this pine was posthumously renamed Prometheus.
The oldest survivor with a name is Methuselah which grows in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California. This pine was originally cored by tree-ring scientist Edmund Schulman who made bristlecones famous through his 1958 article in National Geographic. The innermost rings on Schulman’s core samples are extremely suppressed and partly eroded making dating difficult. The oldest extracted ring from Methuselah might be from 2490 or 2555 BC. In any case this tree is well over 4,500 years old today.
Methuselah’s location is no longer marked by the U.S. Forest Service but anyone who hikes the trail will be close to it and many other living beings as old as the pyramids of Giza. In the same population an unnamed bristlecone even older than Methuselah grows and it is known only to an inner circle of dendrochronologists. Secrecy provides protection from vandals who would carve names on it, relic hunters who would take cones from it, and photographers who would inadvertently damage the fragile soil.
In a deeper sense, the identity of the true oldest living bristlecone is simply unknowable. That’s not just because no one has the time—or the funding or the imperative—to do an exhaustive search throughout the Great Basin. The effort would be futile. On most ancient bristlecones, the oldest wood has long ago been ablated, speck by speck, by desert winds.
Giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, ≥3,266 years
As soon as Anglo-Americans encountered giant sequoia in the midst of the California gold rush, they acted in paradoxical ways: protecting them while also cutting down trophy specimens for traveling exhibits. By counting rings on stumps, people knew in the 1850s that sequoias can live for thousands of years.
After the Civil War, two of the largest protected sequoias became known as the General Grant and the General Sherman. A rivalry ensued between Fresno County, home of the Grant and Tulare County, home of the Sherman. In 1931, the California Chamber of Commerce announced an unscientific verdict: Although Sherman was—and still is—the world’s largest tree, Grant would count as the world’s oldest. Confusingly, tourists routinely referred to another monumental tree, Yosemite National Park’s Grizzly Giant as the age champion based on its incomparably gnarled appearance.
In the 1990s, a forest ecologist created a mathematical formula for estimating a sequoia’s age based on the volume of its bole or the trunk below the crown. He tested his formula on hundreds of stumps in Converse Basin, the one large grove of big trees that had been devastated by industrial logging. Here, many trimillennials including the oldest ever known at 3,266 years or more had been leveled to make grape stakes and shingles. The ecologist disproved for good the old assumption that biggest means oldest. By his estimation, the General Sherman was only 2,150 years old and the Grizzly Giant was a shocking 1,790 years young.
The most senior of these trees probably lacks a name because of its relative smallness. And it may be newly dead. In 2020 and 2021, megafires devastated the southern Sierra, killing up to 20 percent of all mature sequoias.
Worth Pondering…
In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws… to represent themselves. Nothing is holier nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.
Texas State Parks is turning 100. My favorite Lone Star escapes.
From mountains and canyons to forests and swamps, the vast scale of Texas provides so many natural wonders. Across the Lone Star State, there are 87 state parks, natural areas, and historic sites currently operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
The first parks were opened to the public in the 1930s and the newest, Old Tunnel State Park, an old railroad tunnel that provides a seasonal home for 3 million bats, opened in 2012.
TPWD also has plans to develop five sites into future state parks. The latest acquisition is the 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch. This property is one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled coastal prairie in the state. A coalition of conservation groups made this purchase possible in 2014. Most of this tract is part of the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area but 2,253 acres will be developed as a state park.
Other sites TPWD plan to develop into state parks includes:
Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area (Hill Country southeast of Kerrville)
Chinati Mountains State Natural Area (northwest of Big Bend Ranch State Park)
Davis Hill State Natural Area (east of Houston)
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park (west of Fort Worth)
Fairfield Lake State Park, meanwhile, closed permanently closes at the end of February. Located 70 miles east of Waco, Vistra Energy owned the land and leased it to the state at no cost. The company sold the land to Todd Interests who plans to transform the park into an exclusive community with multi-million dollar homes and a private golf course.
TPWD splits the state into seven natural regions, each of which is home to several state parks. The Prairies & Lakes region is home to 22 parks, more than any other region. The South Texas Plains region is home to the fewest, with seven parks.
Across the system, state parks welcomed more than nine million visitors in 2022. The Prairies & Lakes region recorded the most visitors with more than 3.1 million across its 22 parks.
The Hill Country region welcomed more than 2.3 million visitors across 16 parks while the Pineywoods and Panhandle Plains regions each saw more than one million visitors.
State parks in the Big Bend Country region saw the fewest number of visitors with around 464,000. Those numbers do not include visitors to Big Bend National Park which alone saw more than half a million visitors in 2021, a record high for the park.
In 1923, the state park board of directors met for the first time. Before then, Gov. Pat Neff developed what became Mother Neff State Park perched on the Leon River southwest of Waco. His mother, Isabella Neff, had donated the original six acres for the park in 1921.
Below I showcase my favorite Tezas State Parks. Note that these are not the best state parks. I haven’t sampled them all. I’ve never, for instance, been to enormous Big Bend Ranch State Park as much as I love the nearby Big Bend National Park.
Where: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 16710 RR 965, Fredericksburg
The Nature Conservancy of Texas was involved in acquiring this striking 425-foot granite dome or batholith in the Llano Uplift region. The hike up the main face is moderately challenging for the fit. Each year that passes, though, climbs like this daunts me a bit more. The the rock climbing spots are alluring for those so inclined.
Numerous legends are associated with this spot that held spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples. This is our version of Australia’s Uluru (Ayers Rock). Be prepared: It can get windy up there.
Where: Goose Island State Park 202 S. Palmetto St., Rockport
Bounded by the waters of the St. Charles, Copano, and Aransas bays, 314-acre Goose Island State Park is a coastal delight. Popular with Winter Texans during winter months, birders during spring and fall migration, and campers year-round, Goose Island State Park is located 10 miles north of Rockport-Fulton, off State Highway 35.
Goose Island State Park is best known for two celebrated residents, one of which is the Big Tree—an enormous 1,000-year-old coastal live oak that has survived prairie fires, Civil War battles, and hurricanes. With a height of 44 feet, a circumference of 35 feet, and a crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017) for more than 1,000 years.
The other resident is the rare endangered whooping crane that returns to the area every winter.
You can surf on the Gulf Coast in Texas but you can also surf at Monahans Sandhills State Park in West Texas. A virtual island in a Permian Basin sea, the narrow strip of dunes runs for 200 miles from just south of Monahans north into New Mexico and creates a unique habitat that’s home to a variety of wildlife and supports one of the world’s largest oak forests—albeit the oaks themselves are of the diminutive variety. The Harvard oaks that cover more than 40,000 acres here seldom rise above three feet in height even though their root structure may extend as deep as 70 to 90 feet in the dunes.
The park offers an interpretive center and museum, as well as picnicking and RV camping and a favorite activity of many visitors, sand surfing. Rent sand disks to surf the dunes or bring your horse and check out the 800-acre equestrian area. Just make sure you mark off “surfed in a desert” from your travel bucket list.
Where: Balmorhea State Park, 9207 Texas 17, Toyahvale
Before the Civilian Conservation Corps built the concrete swimming pool and cabins in the 1930s, the San Solomon Springs provided water for local wildlife and hunter gatherers who are believed to have first made their appearance in the area around 11,000 years ago. During the 1800s, cattle ranchers and railroad workers often used the springs.
Now, the pool is most commonly frequented by Texans looking to escape the oppressive summer heat in an appealing desert landscape. Visitors can swim, snorkel, and scuba dive at the pool which hosts two endangered species of fish: the Pecos gambusia and the Comanche Springs pupfish. Though Balmorhea State Park is a bit out of the way from any major city (the nearest one—Odessa, Texas—is 116 miles away), getting to take a dip in the turquoise gem of the west Texas desert is an experience not to be missed.
Where: Davis Mountains State Park, Texas 118, Fort Davis
If you ask any Texan what they think of when they hear the words West Texas, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Big Bend National Park (or, alternatively, the cool little art town in the middle of nowhere, Marfa). But about 140 miles north of Big Bend country are the Davis Mountains which are geologically classified as a sky island—an isolated mountain range connecting two very different regions.
Thanks to the state park’s proximity to the McDonald Observatory, the area enjoys mandatory dark skies making it an ideal spot for stargazing. Davis Mountains State Park isn’t known only for its outdoor activities. One of the most distinctive hotel options in the area is the Indian Lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The pueblo-style lodge functions as a full-service hotel and has 39 rooms and a dreamy swimming pool.
When the temperatures start to creep into the triple digits, there’s no better place to cool off than tubing along four miles of the Guadalupe River. Swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing are also allowed. Another highlight is the Guadalupe River State Park Paddling Trail which begins in the park. During the cooler months, hike or bike the 13 miles of trails; geocaching and bird watching are also popular activities. There are over 90 campsites available. Guided tours are also offered for the Honey Creek Natural Area, a 1.5-mile spring-fed creek and natural area adjacent to the park.
This Austin-area state park is an adventure playground with ample opportunities to hike, bike, geocache, camp, or go bouldering. Many of the park’s historic attractions are along Onion Creek including the remains of an 1852 gristmill and horse trainer’s cabin. Don’t forget to take a photo with Old Baldy, one of the oldest bald cypress trees on public land in the state. At roughly 500 years old, Old Baldy clocks in at 103 feet tall.
The creek cascades over limestone ledges and volcanic ash at the upper and lower falls. The rushing water makes it easy to forget you’re only 13 miles from downtown Austin. In addition, there are nine miles of trails to explore inside the park. The hard-surfaced 2.8-mile Onion Creek Hike and Bike Trail is a must because it’s suitable for road bikes and strollers. There’s also an all-terrain wheelchair (that must be reserved in advance) available for visitors.
Continuing with water spots, the Falls Dam area at Blanco State Park is the perfect location to beat the heat. This park is off Highway 281 in the city of Blanco and beyond camping and swimming you can also rent tubes here to enjoy the river in a different fashion.
This small park hugs a one-mile stretch of the river. On the water you can swim, fish, paddle, or boat. On land, you can picnic, hike, camp, watch for wildlife, and geocache.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the picnic pavilion with its stone walks and stairs to the river. CCC boys also built picnic tables and benches, stone dams and bridges, all during an 11-month period in 1933 and 1934. Reserve the CCC-built picnic area or pavilion for your next group gathering.
Follow the footsteps of Native Americans and Spanish explorers at the unique Goliad State Park & Historic Site. The centerpiece is the whitewashed Mission Espíritu, a 1749 Spanish mission restored in 1930 by the CCC. Explore the nearby ruins of Mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario, El Camino Real de los Tejas Visitors Center, and the birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza, a Mexican general famous for defeating the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, the origin of Cinco de Mayo.
Covering 276 acres along the San Antonio River, there is no shortage of recreation opportunities from paddling to fishing. The 6.6-mile Goliad Paddling Trail passes through the park which serves as a take-out point. Borrow some fishing gear from the park headquarters to try your luck catching catfish, bass, and sunfish. A series of short walking trails line the river providing an up-close view of the park’s sites. Camping is also available. Before leaving the town of Goliad, stop by the nearby ruins of Presidio La Bahía, a former Spanish fort.
If you’re looking for the perfect spot for a weekend getaway there’s no better place than the tropical oasis of Palmetto State Park. The ecosystems of both eastern and western species merge at this Central Texas Park resulting in a plethora of diverse animals and plants. The 270.3-acre park is named for the dwarf palmetto, a species of palm native to the eastern and southeastern regions of the state. Birders often flock to this park which is part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Over 240 species of birds have been observed in the park.
The San Marcos River winds through the park with ample opportunities for paddling, swimming, and fishing. Other water features include an oxbow lake and swamps. Fishing gear is available for loan at the park while kayaks and paddleboards can be rented from Paddle EZ for use on the lake only.
Spend the day exploring this unique historical site. Visit the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm. Walk 1.2 miles of trails, passing bison, longhorns, wildflowers, creeks, and historic cabins.
Tour the adjacent LBJ Ranch for an in-depth history lesson. Start with a self-guided driving tour of the ranch where he was born, lived, died, and was buried. In addition, visitors can stop at the family cemetery, ranch house, known as the Texas White House, and his former airplane hangar which now houses one of the park’s two visitor centers.
The expansive 1,570-acre property also includes the Johnson Settlement where his grandfather and great-uncle established a 1860s cattle operation. Several buildings are intact including their log cabin, barns, cooler house and a windmill. Before visiting, download the free National Park Service app for an audio tour of the drive.
Come for the barbecue, camp at the state park. Yes, there’s a place to walk off all the brisket and sausage you devoured downtown in Lockhart. The state park has something for everyone—a pool and great hiking for the family and a 9-hole golf course built by the Works Progress Administration and the CCC over 80 years ago for the adults and, of course, great camping.
There’s a common misconception that because of 2011’s massive wildfire, Bastrop State Park is a dead park. It’s actually the total opposite. The park interpreter there, Kristen Williams, likes to describe it as a living laboratory. Where else can you see nature’s rebirth up close and personal? The glorious lost pines are growing back in bunches along the Red Trail and there’s plenty of other stuff for families at Bastrop—fishing, camping, a pool, and a new playground, to name a few.
Bike or drive scenic Park Road 1C between Bastrop and Buescher state parks. The hilly 12-mile road takes you through recovering and forested areas of the Lost Pines. Turn down the radio and enjoy this quiet drive. Share the road! The speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
Consider purchasing a Texas State Parks Pass. For those planning to visit multiple state parks near San Antonio, consider purchasing an annual Texas State Parks Pass for $70. The pass waives the entry fee for you and others in your vehicle at over 80 Texas state parks. Otherwise, an entry fee is charged per person. Additionally, the pass provides discount rates on camping and equipment rentals.
Texas Spoken Friendly
Worth Pondering…
No matter how far we may wander, Texas lingers with us, coloring our perceptions of the world.
Desert, mountains, sandy beaches, clear blue rivers, and deep canyons. The Lone Star State has it all—and you can find it in a state park.
Texas is one of the most geographically diverse states in America—it is the largest state in the contiguous United States after all with a thriving state park system to match that has more than 80 different sites across the state to explore.
Officially established in 1923, Texas’s state park system was loosely modeled on the United States’ national parks. When Texas was annexed into the U.S. in 1845, the state government stipulated that Texas must retain control over its public lands, so when the country’s national park movement was first gathering steam in 1916, very little land was allocated to the federal government. There’s now a grand total of 603,748 acres of Texas state parks to traverse, so there’s a little something for every type of adventurer.
Where to stay: Davis Mountains State Park offers primitive camping, campsites with electricity and water, and full hookup campsites for RVs. If you’re not into camping, check out the Indian Lodge, a full-service hotel in the state park.
If you ask any Texan what they think of when they hear the words “West Texas,” the first thing that probably comes to mind is Big Bend National Park (or, alternatively, the cool little art town in the middle of nowhere, Marfa). But about 140 miles north of Big Bend country are the Davis Mountains which are geologically classified as a “sky island”—an isolated mountain range surrounded by a radically different lowland.
The mountains were created 35 million years ago after a series of violent volcanic eruptions which gave the area a large outcropping of rare (for Texas) igneous rock. The park offers a variety of hiking and biking trails and horseback riding corridors plus what the park fondly calls the “best little bird blind in Texas.”
Thanks to the state park’s proximity to the McDonald Observatory, the area enjoys mandatory dark skies making it an ideal spot for stargazing. Davis Mountains State Park isn’t known only for its outdoor activities. One of the most distinctive hotel options in the area is the Indian Lodge, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The pueblo-style lodge functions as a full-service hotel and has 39 rooms and a dreamy swimming pool.
Big Bend Ranch State Park is often overshadowed by its spectacular national cousin, Big Bend National Park. But just a few minutes down Highway 170 (which, by the way, was named one of the most scenic drives in the country) is this state park—the biggest in Texas at a whopping 300,000 acres. Admittedly, Big Bend Ranch State Park is not for the faint of heart: There’s only primitive (a campsite with no water or electricity, but can be driven to) and backcountry (campsites with no water or electricity either, but require a hike to reach) camping in the park.
Because of its size and remoteness, it offers little in the way of amenities. What the park does have is 238 miles of multiuse trails for hiking, biking, and riding horses. Bring plenty of water—temperatures can reach as high as 130 degrees in the summer, so plan your visit for sometime during late November to early March. This west Texas park also makes a great place to stargaze. For an extra dose of personality, add a stop in Terlingua to your trip. The famous revitalized “ghost town” serves up some serious western-inspired grub, drinks, and music at the Starlight Theatre.
As any Texan knows, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is a must-visit park. You can see what makes the region special from miles away along the drive on Ranch Road 965—a gargantuan hunk of pink granite that’s completely unique to Texas. (The state capitol is made of the same rock.) Geologically, the unusual formation is known as a monadnock, a hill of bedrock that rises above its surroundings.
The stunning monolith has always had a mystical ambience. Before the Spanish and Anglo settlers arrived, the Plains Native Americans who frequented the area called the formation the “Singing Rock.” When the granite would cool from Texas’s ultra-hot summer temperatures as the sun went down, the stone would moan and groan as it shrank in the cool night air. If you’re lucky, you can still catch this phenomenon during a sunset hike.
There are 11 miles of trails in Enchanted Rock State Natural area; the most popular hike goes straight up to the top of the rock, the Summit Trail. The “trail” (there are few ways to mark a path on bare rock) can be slippery at times but the view of the Hill Country at the apex makes the near vertical trek worth it. Because this hike is up a hunk of granite, the trail has little to no shade or vegetation, so be prepared with hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water.
OK, so calling Port Aransas Texas’s best beach may be a controversial statement—South Padre Island is regularly flooded with spring breakers each year, Galveston enjoys a steady stream of tourists, and let’s not forget Latina superstar Selena’s hometown of Corpus Christi. But many Texans will say that Port Aransas easily beats them all. And if you’re into fishing, the reel-’em-in heaven of Rockport is only 18 miles away from this island community.
What makes Port Aransas so special? Think small-town Texas with charming coastal vibes and the whitest, fluffiest sand your toes will ever have the pleasure of knowing. Plus, being located on the barrier island, the area enjoys an ecosystem populated by seabirds, 600 species of saltwater fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and even a few alligators. One of the best places to experience the island’s environment is Mustang Island State Park.
The park has five miles of coastline where visitors are encouraged to camp, bird-watch, kayak, fish, or simply play in the surf. Camping here is a little different than in most Texas state parks—though there is a designated camping area with electric hookups, guests can also camp primitive-style directly on the sand near the surf with the appropriate permits.
Barton Springs in Austin is indisputably one of Texas’s favorite swimming pools thanks to its year-round cool temperatures and convenient location in the heart of the capital. But if Balmorhea were a little closer to central Texas, it would definitely be a fierce competitor. It offers a sizable spring-fed pool that hovers around 72 to 76 degrees all year, right smack in the middle of the desert.
Before the Civilian Conservation Corps built the concrete swimming pool and cabins in the 1930s, the San Solomon Springs provided water for local wildlife and hunter gatherers who are believed to have first made their appearance in the area around 11,000 years ago. During the 1800s, cattle ranchers and railroad workers often used the springs.
Now, the pool is most commonly frequented by Texans looking to escape the oppressive summer heat in an appealing desert landscape. Visitors can swim, snorkel, and scuba dive at the pool which hosts two endangered species of fish: the Pecos gambusia and the Comanche Springs pupfish. Though Balmorhea State Park is a bit out of the way from any major city (the nearest one—Odessa, Texas—is 116 miles away), getting to take a dip in the turquoise gem of the west Texas desert is an experience not to be missed.
You can surf on the Gulf Coast in Texas but you can also surf at Monahans Sandhills State Park in West Texas. A virtual island in a Permian Basin sea, the narrow strip of dunes runs for 200 miles from just south of Monahans north into New Mexico and creates a unique habitat that’s home to a variety of wildlife and supports one of the world’s largest oak forests—albeit the oaks themselves are of the diminutive variety. The Harvard oaks that cover more than 40,000 acres here seldom rise above three feet in height even though their root structure may extend as deep as 70 to 90 feet in the dunes.
The park offers an interpretive center and museum, as well as picnicking and RV camping and a favorite activity of many visitors, sand surfing. The 26 campsites offer electric and water hookups, picnic table, and a shade shelter. Rent sand disks to surf the dunes or bring your horse and check out the 800-acre equestrian area. Just make sure you mark off “surfed in a desert” from your travel bucket list.
Look for “fulgurites” (melted sand created by lightning strikes), ride your horse, or borrow a disk to surf the dunes. This park seriously reminds me of a scene from Aladdin. Oh, and did I mention that you can surf down the sand dunes? I can’t think of many activities more fun than that!
Bounded by the waters of the St. Charles, Copano, and Aransas bays, 314-acre Goose Island State Park is a coastal delight. Popular with Winter Texans during winter months, birders during spring and fall migration, and campers year-round, Goose Island State Park is located 10 miles north of Rockport-Fulton, off State Highway 35.
Visitors to the Island engage in a variety of activities, including camping, birding, fishing, boating, water sports, picnicking, hiking, photography, geocaching, and wildlife observation. A leisurely 1-mile hiking trail is available. Swimming is not recommended as the shoreline has concrete bulkheads, oyster shells, mud flats, and marsh grass.
Goose Island State Park is best known for two celebrated residents, one of which is the Big Tree—an enormous 1,000-year-old coastal live oak that has survived prairie fires, Civil War battles, and hurricanes. With a height of 44 feet, a circumference of 35 feet, and a crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017) for more than 1,000 years.
The other resident is the rare endangered whooping crane that returns to the area every winter
Choose from 44 campsites by the bay or 57 sites nestled under oak trees, all with water and electricity. Every camping loop has restrooms with showers. Goose Island also has 25 walk-in tent sites without electricity, and a group camp for youth groups.
The forces of nature and their impact on the Texas landscape and sky combine to offer an element of drama that would whet the imagination of artists from any medium.
Rockport-Fulton has been a favorite coastal hideaway and snowbird roost for many years
Find yourself in Rockport-Fulton and discover why Rockport-Fulton is the Charm of the Texas Coast. You’ll find a sandy beach, a birder’s paradise, a thriving arts community, unique shopping, delectable seafood, unlimited outdoor recreation, historical sites, and great fishing.
Life around Rockport-Fulton changed dramatically August 25, 2017 when Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Cat 4 hurricane, made landfall directly across the area. Rockport’s recovery since Hurricane Harvey three years ago counts among the great feel-good stories in Texas history. Rebounding in stunning ways, this little art colony beloved by visitors since the 1950s for its fishing, bay setting, and frequent festivals feels fresh again.
Three-hour whooping crane tours depart Fulton Harbor and motor eight miles across Aransas Bay to get a close-up view of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the centerpiece of Rockport-Fulton’s ecotourism offerings. The Aransas refuge is the winter home of the only remaining wild migratory flock of whooping cranes in the world, an endangered species with a local population of roughly 280. The flock’s numbers had dwindled to about 15 birds in the 1940s, but the refuge—created in 1937 as a haven for migratory birds—provided a patch of safe habitat for the cranes to recover.
During the summer when the whoopers are at their Northern Canadian breeding grounds, boat tours offer dolphin-watching and sunset cruises. There are plenty of birds to see in the summer as well. The tours also provide a thumbnail introduction to Coastal Bend ecology and industry.
A mixture of sand and pebbles that stretches for several hundred yards, Rockport Beach is a park set on a small peninsula next to Rockport Harbor. Thatch-roof umbrellas on wooden posts offer bits of shade and a grass lawn provides space for covered picnic tables and a playground.
Birding, history, kayaking, and hiking and biking trails come together at Pathways Center, the principal information center for the new Aransas Pathway projects. There is also a deck for relaxing and observing Tule Creek and the adjoining Shellcrete Birding and Nature site. A bridge connects the north and south sides of Tule Creek and the nature site. This facility functions as the trailhead for Pathways eco-tourism projects in the Aransas County.
For many visitors to Rockport-Fulton, the estuaries of Aransas and neighboring bays are most notable for their prime sportfishing and duck hunting. Sportsmen from Texas and beyond have made Rockport-Fulton a destination since the railroad arrived in 1888. Aransas and San Antonio bays, together covering more than 350 square miles, are famous for their redfish, trout, flounder, and drum.
Ironically, it was turf—not surf—that put the Rockport area on the map in the second half of the 19th Century. The Fulton Mansion State Historic Site recalls the region’s ranching history and tenure as a shipping center.
In pursuit of distant markets for their beef and cattle byproducts, George Fulton and his associates developed cutting-edge methods of refrigeration for meatpacking and shipping. The meatpacking industry fizzled in the 1880s when the railroad arrived and shippers found it cheaper to move live cattle by rail. However, the infrastructure continued to sustain a profitable but short-lived turtle meat industry, satisfying big-city demand for a delicacy of the time period—sea turtle soup.
Because the Fultons had lived in the eastern U.S. for a while, they knew about the latest innovations and conveniences you could have in a home, so they built it with three flush toilets, hot and cold running water, central heating, and gas lighting.
The Fulton Mansion is worth a stop to see the mansion’s stylish French Second Empire exterior and the verdant grounds shaded by large live oak trees. In fact, the majestic live oaks along this stretch of the Coastal Bend are a worthy attraction in and of themselves. Some are individually famous, such as the gnarly, millennium-old “Big Tree” at Goose Island State Park and the Zachary Taylor Oak where Taylor camped in 1845. Other stands of wind-sculpted oaks near the shoreline are remarkable for their shape—angled, twisted, and reaching inland from decades of prevailing winds and salt build-up on their seaward edge.
Come evening, after a day of exploring Rockport-Fulton’s coastal scene, a fitting way to reflect on the experience is from the shade of one of these magnificent live oaks. As the bright orange sun sinks into the horizon, a gentle breeze blows ashore, it’s simple to understand why Winter Texans love this stretch of the Gulf Coast.
With their imposing size and universal symbolism, trees are the celebrities of the plant world. But some trees can boast special A-list status.
In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws… to represent themselves. Nothing is holier nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.
—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962)
A century ago, Hermann Hesse contemplated how trees model for us a foundation of integrity in his beautiful love letter to trees—how they stand lonesome-looking even in a forest yet “not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche.” Celebrating them as “the most penetrating preachers,” he reverenced the silent fortitude with which “they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves.”
Trees are remarkable living things. Not only do they provide shade, oxygen, and often fruit, but they can also live remarkably long—the oldest tree in the world is a 4,852-year-old bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) in the White Mountains of California with the appropriate nickname of Methuselah. However, it’s not the only tree to earn well-deserved recognition. Here are five other famous trees and forests you can visit around America.
General Sherman might possibly be the most famous tree in the world. While the age of the tree is impressive (likely to be around 2,000 years old), it’s actually the size of the tree that brings it fame. General Sherman is 275 feet tall and 36 feet wide in diameter making it the biggest tree in the world. The tree sits in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in California where thousands of visitors flock every year. Fences around the tree keep visitors from trampling on the shallow roots. General Sherman is still growing so it’s anyone’s guess how big it will eventually get.
The Big Tree, as it’s usually known, is one of the oldest, most well known live oak trees in the United States. In its more than 1,000 years, the Big Tree has survived hurricanes, fires, and even an 1864 Civil War battle that razed the rest of the town, Lamar, to the ground. With a height of 44 feet, trunk circumference of 35 feet, and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017). The tree has its own dark history as well, as it has variously been associated with hangings, cannibalism, or pirates.
Surrounded by twisted, spiky trees straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, you might begin to question your map. Where are we anyway? In wonder, the traveler pulls over for a snapshot of this prickly oddity; the naturalist reaches for a botanical guide to explain this vegetative spectacle; and the rock climber shouts “Yowch!” when poked by dagger-like spines.
The Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, is a member of the Agave family. Don’t confuse the Joshua tree with the Mojave yucca, Yucca schidigera. This close relative can be distinguished by its longer, wider leaves and fibrous threads curling along leaf margins. Both types of yuccas can be seen growing together. The Joshua tree provides a good indicator that you are in the Mojave Desert but you may also find it growing next to a saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert in western Arizona or mixed with pines in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Legend has it that Mormon pioneers named the tree after the biblical figure, Joshua, seeing the limbs of the tree as outstretched in supplication, guiding the travelers westward. Today we enjoy this yucca for its grotesque appearance, a surprising sight in this arid landscape.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is unique because it has over 130 native tree species and over 100 native shrub species that grow in five major forest types: Cove Hardwood, Spruce-fir, Northern Hardwood, Hemlok, and Pine-and-Oak. Other national parks have fewer than 15 native trees. Oak trees are one of the most important parts of the national park. There are 12 species of oak trees in the Smoky Mountains.
The oldest tree in the Great Smoky Mountains is a blackgum that still stands at 562 years old. One of the tallest trees in the Smoky Mountains is a white pine tree that reaches 186 feet tall. The Smoky Mountains have a large population of tulip trees, including some that measure over 20 feet wide.
A walk through Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a journey back in time. This forest is one of the Nation’s most impressive remnants of old-growth forest. The forest contains magnificent examples of more than 100 tree species, many over 450-years-old and some enormous tulip poplars more than 20 feet in circumference and 100 feet tall.
This 3,800-acre forest was set aside in 1936 as a memorial to the author of the poem “Trees,” Joyce Kilmer, who was killed in action in France during World War I (See poem below). The floor is carpeted with wildflowers, ferns, and moss-covered logs from fallen giants. This forest, part of the Joyce Kilmer-Slick Rock Wilderness, is maintained in its primitive state.
The only way to see the memorial forest is on foot. The figure-eight Joyce Kilmer National Recreation Trail covers two miles and has two loops: the 1.25-mile lower loop passes the Joyce Kilmer Memorial plaque and the upper 0.75-mile loop swings through Poplar Cove—a grove of the forest’s largest trees. The trailhead parking area has a flush toilet and picnic tables.
I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.
Life around Rockport changed dramatically August 25, 2017
when Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Cat 4 hurricane, made landfall directly
across the area. The storm forced people from their homes and patients from
hospitals and turned quiet streets into turbulent torrents. For millions of
residents it was a terrifying, catastrophic, tragedy.
Amid this ongoing disaster, one iconic local inhabitant stood its ground: the magnificent Big Tree at Goose Island State Park, 10 miles north of Rockport. With a height of 44 feet, circumference of 35 feet, and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey for more than 1,000 years.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Facebook page posted a photo of
the tree on August 28, surrounded by the wreckage of its brethren. Younger
trees, they wrote, might have perished in the calamitous storm—but “you don’t
get old by being weak.” Texans seem to have found some solace in this 44-foot
pillar of strength. Local resident Dana Brotherwood thanked them for putting
the photo up, adding: “I know it’s silly but if he can make it, then no matter
what else we as Texans can keep going. I am just so happy to see this.”
The Big Tree, as it’s usually known, is one of the oldest,
most well known live oak trees in the United States. In its 1,000 years, it has
survived hurricanes, fires, and even an 1864 Civil War battle that razed the
rest of the town, Lamar, to the ground. The tree has its own dark history as
well, as it has variously been associated with hangings, cannibalism, or
pirates.
Despite technically being the second-oldest live oak in the
state—dethroned in 2003 by the discovery of an older tree in Brazoria County—it
is much beloved and has inspired some fervent tributes from local poets, mostly
written from the tree’s perspective.
The tree has inspired several poems. A favorite is by
local resident Mary Hoekstra:
I have gathered sun and rain to grow green leaves,
Swaying softly in spring, rustling like applause in fall.
My limbs have shaded generations;
My roots have reached for centuries;
My children and their children’s children surround me,
Here in this peaceful part of my land.
Golden sunlight diamonds have glinted on the ground around
me.
Cold fingers of ice have touched my heartwood.
Dust-dry days of sandstorms have scoured my skin.
Torrents of rain, driven by gales have rushed at me,
And I have swayed, but stayed unbroken.
Silver moonlight has kept me company many a night.
Yet through all the seasons, sorrows, bitterness, and
beauty,
All of the history I have withstood and witnessed,
There has been one thing I could not do.
I could not grow green dollars, or silver, or gold.
There are smaller live oaks surrounding this venerable old
tree almost as beautiful. The age of it and the graceful, gnarly limbs
pulled me, too, towards it. Maybe I thought of it as a survivor—a testament to
standing in the face of adversity.
Lapping water and Gulf breezes: We must be on the coast!
Bounded by the waters of the St. Charles, Copano, and
Aransas bays, 314-acre Goose Island State Park is a coastal delight. Popular
with Winter Texans during winter months, birders during spring and fall
migration, and campers year-round, Goose Island State Park is located 10 miles
north of Rockport, off State Highway 35.
Life around Rockport changed dramatically August 25, 2017
when Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Cat 4 hurricane, made landfall directly
across the area. The storm forced people from their homes and patients from
hospitals and turned quiet streets into turbulent torrents.
We first visited Goose Island State Park in December 2011. During
our recent visit earlier this month we noted that recovery efforts are under
way. The east end of the island, the fishing pier, the Group Hall, and all
overnight camping on the Bayfront side is closed to public access due to park
construction and repairs. These closures are expected to last several months.
This will impact fishing and birding access and other day use activities.
Visitors to the Island engage in a variety of activities,
including camping, birding, fishing, boating, water sports, picnicking, hiking,
photography, geocaching, and wildlife observation. A leisurely 1-mile hiking
trail is available. Swimming is not recommended as the shoreline has concrete
bulkheads, oyster shells, mud flats, and marsh grass.
Goose Island State Park is best known for two celebrated
residents, one of which is the Big Tree—an enormous 1,000 year old coastal live
oak that has survived prairie fires, Civil War battles, and hurricanes. The
other resident is the rare endangered whooping crane that returns to the area every
winter.
A small bridge connects the main portion of the park—one of
the oldest in the state park system—to a small sliver of sand that gives the
park its name. The ancient barrier island has been shrinking due to erosion
caused by Gulf currents and wave action from the surrounding bays. Stepped-up
efforts in recent years, including installation of offshore rock breakwater,
dredging, and marsh restoration projects, have stabilized the island’s shell
ridge, oyster beds, seagrass shoals, tidal flats, and salt marshes.
Approximately 500 bird species have been recorded in the
area, including the whooping cranes which spend each winter in the coastal
marshes of nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
Developed RV campsites in a secluded, wooded area are
available, all with water and electric service. Amenities include a fire ring,
outdoor grill, and picnic table. There are also 25 walk-in tent sites without
electricity. The park can accommodate a maximum of 64 in the one-acre Group
Camping Area. Covered picnic tables (the Park calls them “open
cabanas”) are all that remain of the Bayside camping area following
Hurricane Harvey.
Fishing opportunities include speckled trout, redfish, drum,
and flounder; crabs and oysters are abundant as well. There is a regular boat
launch and a kayak/canoe launch (bring your own boat). A fish cleaning station
is provided. You do not need a fishing license to fish from shore or pier in a
Texas state park.
A nearby adjunct of the state park holds the magnificent Big Tree. With a height of 44 feet, circumference of 35 feet and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey for more than 1,000 years.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Facebook page posted a photo of the tree following the storm surrounded by the wreckage of its brethren. Younger trees, they wrote, might have perished in the calamitous storm—but “you don’t get old by being weak.” Texans seem to have found some solace in this 44-foot pillar of strength.
To reach the state park drive 10 miles north of Rockport on
Texas Highway 35 to Park Road 13. Travel two miles on Park Road 13 to reach the
park entrance.
Drive carefully as you enter the Park and drive through the
Park—some of the roads are narrow and tree lined with low or overhanging
branches.
Texas Spoken Friendly
Worth Pondering…
The forces of nature and their impact on the Texas landscape and sky combine to offer an element of drama that would whet the imagination of artists from any medium.
