Iron Horse Loop
Iron Horse Loop is a 10.1 miles trail in National Forests in Texas, Texas. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The National Forests in Texas official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 30.5792, -95.7385 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 30.5678, -95.7467 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 10.1 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 881 |
| Forest | National Forests in Texas (unit 0813) |
| States | Texas |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 01/01 to 12/31 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx San Jacinto 8214
34 mi from the trail midpoint · 2 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedRx Trinity 8273
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 149 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedRx Trinity 8321
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 121 acres · 0% contained
- PrescribedRx Trinity 8374
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 48 acres · 0% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Iron Horse Loop?
10.1 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in National Forests in Texas.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Iron Horse Loop?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Iron Horse Loop start?
The line begins at 30.5792, -95.7385 and ends at 30.5678, -95.7467. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Iron Horse Loop in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Iron Horse Loop?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
How developed is the Iron Horse Loop?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Iron Horse Loop?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Iron Horse Loop?
National Forests in Texas, Forest Service unit 0813. The trail is in Texas.
Is there a fire near the Iron Horse Loop?
4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Rx San Jacinto 8214 at 34 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named IRON HORSE LOOP in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0813. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.