There are a few directions to reach Lost Maples from the San Antonio area. Bandera Road takes you through the town of Pipe Creek and Bandera. Bandera is a unique city to Texas and has a main drag filled with cowboy shops and small eateries. It prides itself on being self-reliant and far enough outside San Antonio to represent small-town life but close enough to San Antonio to financially benefit from its patronage.
Just outside Bandera is FM-470 (Farm to Market Road), which takes you out to FM-187, and FM-187 takes you past Lost Maples. It is about an hour and a half outside the loop from the 1604/Bandera exit in San Antonio. These two roads drive you past many smaller towns, their amenities and wind you through the hills. One of our favorites is the small town of Utopia, where they have a gas station and a small eatery. Before you reach Utopia, there is a town called Tarpley; there is quite a wonderful place, Mac & Ernie's Roadside Eatery, to stop and eat. As you hit a fork in the road on FM-470 and turn right, you pass through Vanderpool, which is home to the Lost Maples Winery. The land is relatively flat as you head down FM-187 and on towards Lost Maples. You will see the Lost Maples turn off on the left-hand side of the road.
The entrance to Lost Maples State Natural Area is simple and understated. It has the aspect of a camp from times past. Turning left into the park, you see a small road that runs past a small entrance booth. I highly recommend making reservations online, and at this point, it is your only choice. Most days sell out within the 30-day window, especially in the spring and fall. There is some flexibility during the summer and winter.
All of Texas was privately owned at one time, and Lost Maples is no exception. The park was purchased from private owners by Texas in 1974 and officially opened to the public on September 1, 1979. It covers 2,900 acres of this hill country paradise along the Sabinal River. Two birds that call this area home are the golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos; they are songbirds that fill the skies with song and streaks of yellow. Some of the animals that call Lost Maples home also call San Antonio home, like the white-tailed deer, bobcat, armadillo, and rock squirrel.
There is a park employee to greet guests at the booth and to help you with questions. Once past here, there is a small building that holds the visitor center and restroom facilities. The visitor center holds campground and hiking info, books, and an interpretive center. There are some campgrounds with electricity and water, and there are other campgrounds that you can hike to and are primitive. The campgrounds with water and electricity are off to the right of the entrance. It is before you head towards the main parking lot and hike. Please remember that you need to pack out everything you bring in or the Leave No Trace principle for each of these campground types. There are many restrictions, so please read them carefully to make sure they meet your expectations.
As you head into the park, there are two main parking areas for hiking. The main hiking path is to the right and is the head for the East Trail and the Maple Trail. There are also plenty of picnic tables, places to run around and play games, and restroom facilities. The parking lot to the left is for overflow and the West and East Trails trailhead. We decided to make an extended Maple Trail on our first adventure into the park that had us hiking about a mile in and a mile out. It was during the spring, and there was lots of water. We were glad that we had water hiking shoes with us. The kids loved splashing as we headed in, and the water was even deep enough at a few places to go swimming.
The granite walls line both sides of the hike along the Maple Trail, and huge boulders have fallen from above due to the deep weathering cracks caused in the winter. Some of the boulders stand between 15-20 feet high. In one of the secluded picnic areas at the main parking area, you can see recent activity and large boulders covering the Sabinal River. Still, you can hear it racing underneath the rocks piercing through from underneath and heading on its way down the canyon. The coolness from the trees' overgrowth, cooled rocks from the night, and the water rushing revives you for the hike ahead. There are warning signs around to be aware of rocks falling, and much of this area is only available by stairs. Most of the paths in Lost Maples are not paved and not chair accessible. The trails are too narrow.
In the spring, everything was lush and green, with wildflowers dotting the grassed areas. You could see they were trying to reestablish trees in certain areas, but they set up fencing to protect them from the deer. We walked along trails that hugged the valley's walls, and then it would open up to green meadows so wide you would lose sight of the river. You would turn, and you would see a flood of small streams running together, blocking all the trails, making rock hopping a necessity. We would twist and wind around, over and by the river on this trail. When we started to feel a slight incline, we could see the river becoming deeper, and a ledge had formed in the granite with the water running underneath it. The water eroded the hard limestone that fills Texas's hills and fills the river bed with silt. Millions of years ago, limestone was created from the tiny shells of herbivores and carnivores that filled the ocean and sea that once covered Texas. A hard volcanic granite lies on top of some of the limestone that sparkles in the light. The feldspar and quartz create these sparkles that shimmer in the sunlight. The granite solidifies underground and is exposed after millions of years of erosion. The shelf allowed us to hang our feet into the water or slide into the water below.
These beds dry up as summer progresses, and when we visited in the fall, all that was left was the limestone silt and fall foliage falling from the trees. It was quite a different type of beauty. Most of the fall foliage is created by the Uvalde Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum).
These trees and the colorful display in the fall are why it is difficult to reserve a spot in the fall. Everyone is so hungry for an actual fall in Texas that we all head out to this area. We were fortunate to snag a Saturday in early November to catch the leaves' changing and be immersed in the vibrant reds and oranges that contrast with the deep sky blue.
On our Fall hike, we traversed the East Trail that takes you up to the top of the 2,200-foot high cliff overlooking the valley below. It is quite magnificent, and there are quite a few routes to get the best view. We started our hike at the main parking lot and headed out to the overflow parking lot. I wanted to arrive at our car straight off the trail. From the trailhead, it is a 4.6-mile hike up and over, and it is quite strenuous. You need to step up at a height that passes must knees, do this for a good mile up a hill, and go another mile down a hill. When you start, it is a pretty level hike along the bottom that is covered with dirt and some crushed rock to stabilize the trail. As you go deeper and deeper, the colors become brighter and brighter. The trees start to engulf the trail, and the brilliant hues frame the trail. There are benches along the route to stop and enjoy the birds calling and the leaves rustling. You eventually come to a stream that will lead you to the west trail if you cross, and if you don't, you remain on the east trail towards the swimming ponds.
You can see the walls are unevenly deteriorating due to the different geology that transpired over millions of years. You have ledges sticking out and creating a natural umbrella-like covering. When you reach the ponds, you realize you have also reached a primitive campground. When we visited, it was closed to swimming and camping. At this point, you need to start and make a commitment to the hike. The smooth incline starts to escalate and becomes increasingly steeper. Huge rocks line the way as you put one foot in front of the other. This goes on for a long time until you reach a vista and feel the climb digress. Shrubs and low grasses have replaced the trees, and it looks more like a high desert. The wind whips across the plateau and gives you the idea it will sweep you off the edge. There are a few primitive campgrounds up here, and the land is rocky and filled with low lying cactus and succulents. Some beautiful overlooks showcase the valley you just walked through and the ponds down below. You appreciate the height of what you have climbed. One overlook is marked four (4) on your map has an old metal fence to rest upon and gaze at the trail below. There is also a bench. It is just a short walk from the main trail.
As you move on, the trail leads you further into the plateau and away from the edge until you come across number three (3) on the map, which is a scenic overlook. It is a little way off the main trail, about three-fourths of a mile round trip. A few joined us on our adventure out to the vista, and we had to wait a little to have distance and a place to sit when we arrived. Here is where we stopped for a snack and could look out over the valley and ranch houses that sat along one of the tributaries that runs into the Sabinal River.
Headed back, you could see remains of the fencing and gates left by the ranchers that worked these areas. We soon ran into the descending trail that runs as steep as the ascending side. We saw quite a few people having a hard time making it up, and some may have been ill-advised to carry on. As we stepped and hopped down the rock-lined trail, we turned a corner to reach a much flatter descent and were stopped by the beauty of a natural grotto that ran along the wall of the canyon. The grotto was marked two (2) on our trail map. Mosses and ferns cling to the walls as they are continuously watered by the drizzle that runs down. A small creek runs between the walkway and the steep concave wall of the grotto. Small flowers bloom randomly, being ever confused by the climate of Texas. A lovely bench lies under a small grouping of trees that sit along the grotto wall. It is a great place to take a moment and reflect on all that you have seen so far.
As we continued our descent following the current of the small creek, we saw the sign for "Monkey Rock." Well, that caught our attention immediately, so we decided to sidetrack our route to catch a glimpse. It reminds one of a carving you would see in a tropical humid forested area of a Pacific-Asian country. It looks like the remains of a temple guardian without the temple. His arm is perched up high to ward off intruders. It is hard to believe how beautiful rocks can erode without the help of man. It is a small descent down a couple of slopes to reach the monkey rock. You will need to go back up the way you came down, and there are some man-made steps and rails.
Once back on the trail, we headed into another part that held large groves of the Uvaled Bigtoothed Maples. We arrived at where we ended our hike during the spring. Unlike in the spring, when the water was rushing all around, it had significantly been depleted. Just a small creek remained, but it was still beautiful to behold as the shimmering liquid had been replaced by colors jumping all around above our heads. Once back in the valley, you could see the tree's foliage running the spectrum from bright green, red, orange, and yellow. The red set the mood for the day and provided visual warmth to the sky. It had started a gloomy day, but by the time we arrived at the top, the sun was shining, and the clouds had dissipated. We wound ourselves down through the valley and came across a river bed with large granite boulders. They dwarfed the trees that surround them, and you lose all concept of proportion. It was such a calm, comforting spot to sit and take a moment.
We entered narrow openings to broad meadows, and we choose to climb along the right bank, which is part of the Maple Trail. It wraps in tight along the cliff, and tree roots tangle along the path. We exited the trail by ducking and climbing out onto the opening that leads to the main parking lot. We made sure to visit the facilities before heading out of Lost Maples. It is a wonderful way to spend a fall or spring weekend. There were many people there, and the numbers were not at capacity, but they were sold out. Only 250 cars can be allowed in the park at any one time. There was plenty of parking at the overflow parking lot, but everyone was cramming into the main parking lot.
This East Trail is for those in good shape and can climb a steep hill for quite a distance. There were college kids in reasonable condition having to stop a lot on their way up. At the top, you need to watch over those that wander because there are a lot of drop off points that someone could inadvertently walk off if they weren't paying attention. The paths are well marked, and at no time did I feel I was lost or couldn't understand where I was on the map. Please remember there is no service in the park so be prepared.
Get your day pack ready, bring some snacks and a small first aid kit. Lost Maples is one of the state parks you don't want to miss. The eco-systems and the environment balances that are performed for us to view are breathtaking. The change in the seasons and vegetation is lovely to watch throughout the year. For all of those who have lived in San Antonio all their lives and never witnessed Lost Maples' beauty or traversed the hills to get here, I challenge you to make a reservation now and enjoy the view.
37221 FM 187, Vanderpool TX 78885
830 966-3413
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