About the Trail Between the Lakes
For the people who love to get out in nature there is the Trail Between The Lakes located in the southern portion of Sabine County. The trail is a 28-mile hiking trail that winds through the Sabine National Forest. The Trail Between The Lakes extends from Lakeview Recreation Area on Toledo Bend Reservoir to US 96 within sight of the easternmost point of Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
In a joint effort between the Golden Triangle Group of the Sierra Club and the USDA Forest Service, trail planning began in 1981, and the construction began in 1985. The final section of the trail was located and marked during the fall of 1990, but the group continues to work on the trail, and members have adopted sections to maintain.
Hikers can see different plant communities; interesting topography, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and various forest management activities. A portion of the trail is adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir, and many portions lie along streams or special wildlife areas. The trail crosses roads at a number of locations, so it's easy to plan shorter hikes of varying lengths.
The trail is easy to follow. It is marked with 2" x 4" aluminum, rectangular-shaped tags which are attached to trees at a height of 5 feet above the ground in both directions. A vertical tag indicates that the trail generally continues straight ahead. A single tag with the long side leaning to the left indicates a left turn and double tags with the long sides leaning to the right indicate a hard right turn.
The Trail Between The Lakes is designated for hiking only; horses, off-road vehicles, and mountain bikes are not allowed.
There are many opportunities to camp in primitive or natural settings along the route. Camping is not allowed in the Moore Plantation Wildlife Management Area during deer hunting season or in colonies of red-cockaded woodpeckers, which are an endangered species. Woodpecker colony boundaries are marked with aqua-green paint and boundary signs. The Forest Service asks that you please be careful with campfires, and if you "pack it in, pack it out".
Birding Guide, Maps, and General Information
Sabine National Forest encompasses 157,951 acres along the western side of the Toledo Bend Reservoir. Trail Between the Lakes provides a 28-mile route between Lakeview Recreation Area north to US 96, within sight of the easternmost point of Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Toledo Bend Reservoir, covering an area of 185,000 acres with 1,200 miles of shoreline, was developed for water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. Key birds: Wood Duck, Red-cockaded and Pileated Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatch, and Bachman’s Sparrow are present year round. Red-headed Woodpecker; Chuck-will’s-widow; Wood Thrush; Yellow-throated, Prairie, Prothonotary, Worm-eating, Swainson’s, Kentucky, and Hooded Warblers; American Redstart; Louisiana Waterthrush; Indigo and Painted Buntings; and Eastern Towhee occur in summer. Bald Eagle; American Woodcock; and Grasshopper, Henslow’s, and LeConte’s Sparrows can usually be found in winter. This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information.
Interested?? Read more here:
Trail Between the Lakes at Alltrails.com
Trail Between the Lakes Facebook Page
Trail Between the Lakes at ouachitamaps.com
Blackland Prarie Texas Master Naturalists-Hiking the Trail Between the Lakes