Lost Mine Trail, Texas, United States

5Mitch M 5:00 PM Dec 28, 2020

Great hike with magnificent views
We went during the week after Christmas and the park was pretty crowded. Tried to go at 10:30 but was stopped in a queue of cars at the street to go up. The ranger said it would probably be a few hours to wait for a parking spot and it is better to get there by 8:00 am so we left and did the Mule’s Ear and Santa Elena trails instead that day attempt again the following day. The next morning we got there around 7:15 or so and found a parking spot fairly easily but noticed there weren’t very many. The views of the surrounding mountains were particularly spectacular with the sun coming up. I got the app PeakAdvisor for my phone and it was fun using it to identify the surrounding peaks. (Unfortunately the free version only allows you to do that in one location a day). The hike up is steep in some places but overall easy if you’re in good shape. My son did not break a sweat as the temperature was perfect at that time (50 but dry).. I’m over 60 and not athletic and I didn’t find it very difficult either. However, I don’t have any joint or mobility challenges yet. I can see it would be much more difficult if you do because there are some places with tall, steep steps. After we came back down we noticed the rangers giving out tickets to cars parking on the shoulder so don’t be tempted. This trail was well worth going back for.

5Krissy D 5:00 PM Dec 19, 2022

Awesome!
Fantastic! Beautiful views totally worth the effort. I cannot imagine doing this hike in the summer, so caution to be prepared for the weather. We went in early December and were warm, though likely overdressed and overpacked.