Article by Tom Douglas
Photos by Joe Coker, Tom Douglas, Linda Shead, and Kent Walters

Nestled in the basin of the Trinity River, the Cypress Wonderland is a wonderful place to explore.  We were especially looking forward to visiting it on June 10 because, as reported in the January 2017 issue of the Bayou Banner, the outing we had planned there for last December had to be cancelled due to severe weather.  But today, conditions were fine: the water level was high enough to make remote parts of the swamp accessible, many swamp flowers were in bloom, and a long-blocked bayou had opened up.  During much of the day we were able to avoid the moderate southeasterly winds by staying near the southern and eastern shores of lakes or by paddling through forested areas. 

Our large group included paddlers in a variety of craft: solo kayaks, a solo canoe, tandem canoes, and a three-person canoe.  Due to the shape of Lake Charlotte’s shore near our launch site at Cedar Hill Park, (see the map in the accompanying slide show) there initially seemed to be little wind.  But this changed as we rounded the first curve, when we saw that we would be paddling into the wind for a while.  Hugging the eastern edge of the lake, we headed south.  Flowering hibiscus plants and a US Geological Survey gauging station provided interesting diversions along the way.  Continuing on around the southeast corner of the lake, we followed a small channel to Mud Lake.  There, we wondered at a large cluster of American lotus plants, with their large, round leaves floating on the water’s surface, and many white blossoms. 

The next leg of our route required a little advance explanation.  “Yes, we are about to paddle directly into the flooded cypress forest, where there are almost no landmarks, and, most of the time, no real bayous to follow.  After about a mile, we plan to emerge from the forest at Lake Miller.”  The group gamely followed, and our route through the forest went as planned. 

After a short jog to the south in Lake Miller, we paddled along another channel through the forest to our lunch spot, which was located only a short distance from where Spanish troops had occupied a military garrison during the 1700s.  One paddler commented that they had visited the Cypress Wonderland many times, but this was the first group they knew of who had used what was, for us, an ideal place to stop for lunch.  Linda Shead spread tarps on the ground, making a comfortable spot for us to eat lunch and to share comments about why each of us wanted to spend a day in the swamp, and what we do during those times when we can’t be paddling.  Before departing the area, Joe Coker guided several paddlers over to a nearby pool where the water is very clear, and where large carp can often be seen.  We paddled back out to Lake Miller and followed its eastern side up to the entrance of Mud Lake Bayou, which was a particular treat because it had been all but impassable for the last couple of years. 

Following the bayou for over a mile, we soon came upon a large patch of lizard’s tail plants in full bloom.  Spectacular!  A little farther along, we began seeing swamp lilies, which were also in full bloom.  Again, spectacular!  Here, we also enjoyed views of blooming pickerelweed and halberd-leaved hibiscus plants.  Two rafts of floating water hyacinth required some effort to push through, but they were not thick enough to stop our progress.  Shortly before reaching Mud Lake, we made an end run around a very large raft of water hyacinth by cutting directly through the forest into the lake. 

Heading up to the north side of Mud Lake, we crossed our own earlier track for the first time during the day, returning to Lake Charlotte, and then paddling to the north-northeast with the wind at our backs.  This made for the fastest leg of our 8.5 mile paddle, but we tended to notice the 85 degree heat more at this time because our direction of travel downwind made it feel as if there were almost no breeze.  Back at Cedar Hill Park, we enjoyed what was possibly the world’s best cold watermelon, generously provided by John and Cindy Bartos in celebration of Cindy’s birthday.  Hmmm, good. 

To see more pictures of the outing, check out the photo albums posted by Joe Coker and Kent Walters at www.houstoncanoeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=187&club_id=496051# .  There, you can also go “behind the scenes” with the scouting team during its June 7 exploratory paddle by viewing Joe’s photo album from that day.  Several parts of the route we took, not to mention that special lunch spot, simply wouldn’t have been available to us without benefit of the information that was gathered by our scouts as they checked out conditions and potential paddling routes three days before the outing.  That team included Joe Coker, Tom Douglas, Rea Inglis, Dave Kitson, Bill Ohsie, and Natalie Wiest.  Special thanks are also due to Joe Coker and Kent Walters for their help during the day of the trip with key logistics that made it safe and fun for all. 

After the outing was over, those of us who are inclined to watch river gauges thanked our lucky stars.  The window of opportunity for this magical route, which is determined largely by the water level in the swamp, had opened just in time to permit access for our scouts, and it remained open for less than two weeks.  If you want to try this route yourself, we recommend doing it when the water depth at USGS Gauging Station 08067118 “Lk Charlotte nr Anahuac, TX” is at least about 9.0 feet.