News Release

Summer 2024 Programs at Big Thicket

See the bayou in the evening on a sunset canoe trip.

NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

News Release Date: May 28, 2024

Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700

KOUNTZE, Texas – Explore Big Thicket National Preserve this summer at a variety of free ranger-led programs. All ages and abilities are welcome!

• Night Sky Programs: Have you ever seen the Moon up close? Spend a summer evening with park rangers to gaze at the Moon and other night sky objects through telescopes. Learn about the Solar System and the stars that shine bright in the summer sky. Meet at the Tyrrell Park Nature Center in Beaumont. Drop in any time between 7:30 and 10:00 pm!
   
• Canoe Trips: Paddle the scenic waters of the preserve! This summer, park rangers are offering three kinds of canoe trips: daytime, sunset, and fishing canoe trips. These trips require reservations, which open two weeks before the trip date.
   
• Fish with a Ranger: Want to learn some new fishing skills? Kids and families can learn all about fishing in Big Thicket, including knots, fishing limits, and even try fishing from the bank with a ranger. All gear is provided. No fishing license or reservations needed!
   
• Nature Walks: Big Thicket is home to four kinds of carnivorous plants that consume insects. Join a ranger on a 1-hour, 1-mile walk at the Pitcher Plant Trail to look for these unusual plants in the wild. No reservations are required.

Check our calendar of events for more details, including dates, times, and places.

-NPS-

Big Thicket National Preserve is 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 these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.