Hidden Falls...1st Time!!! 11/21
#11
JK Newbie
You can camp at both Hidden Falls and BMRA. Both offer RV/trailer camping, or just primitive tent camping. Fees are generally about the same at both parks, ~$30/day for wheelin' and $10 or so for tent camping. You can take some firewood and have a little fire at night too. Different landscapes obviously between east Tx and the hill country, but from what you've said, I think you'd find more to do out at BMRA. They have plenty of easy #2 type trails that are just dirt trails through the trees. The adventure trail is easy too.....and then a lot trails that branch off from that. Not sure if you're going solo or not, but BMRA seems a bit safer if you're heading out alone. If you head to BMRA, Swanner's in Gilmer has great burgers -
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...mer_Texas.html
They close at 3pm though, so you have to plan for it. Also, right down the street from Swanner's is a cheap manual car wash if you need to clean some of that red mud off your wheels for the ride home. Was just out there a few weeks ago and it was pretty dry, but if you do run across any mud, that stuff really sticks.
If you want to reference the map below, all the trails to the right of the main road (behind the bunhouses, pavilion, and over by Xterra camp) are all very easy things. You can run the adventure trail that starts by Clyde's Ravine and take that back. Off that trail you could easily run Pine Hill and Whatever. There are a few like Sunday Cruise that you can head down and offer an easy bypass so you can see the obstacle but the wife probably isn't gonna want to go through it. The signage out there is superb. Off the main roads a lot of the trails towards the back will look like a steep descent, but aren't that bad. Guessing those will be more than she's wanting to do.
http://www.barnwellmountainra.com/im...p_property.jpg
#13
JK Jedi
If you're in Houston, BMRA out in Gilmer, TX is about the same traveling distance. Both parks are very different from each other due to the geographic landscape. I like them both but I think I lean towards BMRA being a bit better in the variety of things they offer.
#15
JK Jedi