Big Thicket National Preserve Announces Fall 2025 Programs

Contact: Megan Urban, 409-554-9016

KOUNTZE, Texas - Come enjoy the fall weather at Big Thicket with a full ranger-led program schedule! All programs are free and family-friendly, some of which require reservations.

National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day will take place on Saturday, September 27. This year rangers and volunteers will clear brush at the visitor center. By clearing woody vegetation and replacing it with native understory grasses and flowering plants, we are creating a visual link for the visitor to connect them to the preserve's commitment to restore the imperiled longleaf pine savannah. Sign up on Volunteer.gov!

Ranger-led Programs

Explore Big Thicket with a park ranger! Join us for free ranger-led activities on weekends, including guided hikes, night sky programs, canoe trips, and volunteer events. These programs are designed to introduce new visitors to the wonders of Big Thicket and give returning visitors something new to explore. Check our calendar of events for more information.

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Big Thicket National Preserve is located in Southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. 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.