Place

Sundew Trail

dirt path leading through a forest of pines and ferns — Follow the Sundew Trail through a forest of pines and ferns.
NPS Photo / Mary Kay Manning

Benches/Seating, Grill, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Pets Allowed, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Toilet - Vault/Composting, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

Take a walk through a wetland pine savannah on the Sundew Trail to look for birds, longleaf pines, and carnivorous plants. The pavilion at the trailhead is a great place to have a picnic in the park!

Distance: 0.3 to 1 mile roundtrip
Type: Loop
Location: Hickory Creek Savannah Unit
Trailhead: Parking lot on County Road 1910
Lat/Long: 30.548225, -94.409754

Overview

From the trailhead, follow the paved path clockwise to reach a boardwalk through a small bog. In spring and summer, look for carnivorous plants here: tall, funnel-shaped pitcher plants and coin-sized, red sundews.

Continue along the boardwalk to an open pipeline right-of-way. Sundews grow abundantly among the mowed grasses on the right-of-way during winter and spring. At the right-of-way, go right to continue on the inner loop or cross the pipeline and go left to follow the outer loop through a longleaf pine forest.

Both loop options return to the trailhead.

Picnic Area

Bring lunch! The trailhead has a shaded pavilion with 4 picnic tables, 2 metal grills, and a vault toilet.

Accessibility

The Sundew Trail is generally flat. The inner loop is a mixture of pavement and wooden boardwalks. The outer loop is a wide dirt path covered in leaves that crosses a few small bridges and boardwalks; there are several sections with exposed tree roots.