The Big Thicket to host “Super Bowl Sunday Hike”

The Big Thicket Association will host a “Super Bowl Sunday Hike” at the Big Thicket National Preserve’s Kirby Nature Trail Inner Loop on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1:30 p.m.

There are three loop options, ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 miles, pass through several plant communities, from baygalls to cypress sloughs to the riparian zone along Village Creek. Hikers can also choose longer and shorter hiking options, but will return to the starting point at the Kirby Trailhead.

Registration is free and can be done on the Big Thicket Association’s Facebook page. Patrons should meet at the Kirby Trailhead on FM 420, which is 2 1/2 miles east of US 69 and the visitor center (6102 FM 420) in Kountze at 1 p.m.

Patrons are encouraged to bring water, snakes, insect repellent and good walking shoes. Please note that except for service animals, pets are not permitted at public programs.

The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors. encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all of these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.

For more information, call (409) 790-5399.