Piney Woods: Where Fast-Paced Is Out of Place

A hiker strides a path beneath tall pines, magnolias, and beeches. A sightseer drives a backroad past rolling hay meadows. An angler trolls a brushy shore. A waitress serves blue-plate specials with a Southern drawl. A dominoes player lays down double-five in a cuss-and-spit game on the courthouse lawn.

If your wanderlust aches for backwoods wandering and Southern small-town charm, grab your official state map and follow my 100-mile ramble. Look to the Piney Woods of East Texas—home of Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn reservoirs, plus the Sabine and Angelina National Forests.

Outdoor enthusiasts know this land of water and woods as a recreational haven of public trails, campgrounds, and prolific fishing holes. History buffs know the place for tales of early exploration and international conflict. On a recent visit, I also found the area chock-full of quaint churches and pretty farmhouses. All in all, it’s a getaway where “fast-paced” is out of place and “old-fashioned” is in fashion.

Texas’ easternmost national forest, Sabine National Forest sidles up to Toledo Bend Reservoir and forms part of the boundary between Texas and Louisiana. In the fall, when the tree canopy changes from green to copper and gold, hiking and biking the forest’s serpentine trails proves especially rewarding.

See the full article in the September 2007 issue.

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