Texas · Trail 871

North Loop

North Loop is a 5-mile trail in National Forests in Texas. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and mountain biking.

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 end30.6356° N, 95.5279° W · Directions ↗
Other end30.6480° N, 95.5146° W · 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

Length5 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade5-8 percent
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers871
ForestNational Forests in Texas (unit 0813)
StatesTexas
Detail publishedmanagement 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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near North Loop40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 4.57 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.38 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.85 inches of precipitationApril: 3.89 inches of precipitationMay: 4.47 inches of precipitationJune: 5.45 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.06 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.14 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.47 inches of precipitationOctober: 4.63 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.68 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.73 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 48.7°F averageFebruary: 52.5°F averageMarch: 59.1°F averageApril: 66.1°F averageMay: 73.4°F averageJune: 79.7°F averageJuly: 82.3°F averageAugust: 82.4°F averageSeptember: 77.2°F averageOctober: 68.2°F averageNovember: 57.8°F averageDecember: 50.5°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Huntsville, 4 miles from the trail midpoint at 494 feet, station USC00414382 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 51 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed 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.

Trails nearby

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.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx San Jacinto 9587

    13 mi from the trail midpoint · 146 acres · 0% contained

  • Prescribed
    Rx San Jacinto 9568

    18 mi from the trail midpoint · 113 acres · 0% contained

  • Prescribed
    Rx Trinity 9616

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 145 acres · 0% contained

  • Prescribed
    Rx Polk 9275

    48 mi from the trail midpoint · 900 acres · 0% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for Texas

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Enjoying Big Bend National Park
    Gary Clark, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes, Austin
    Keith Stelter, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Austin and San Antonio
    Matt Forster, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Explore Austin Outdoors
    Charlie Llewellin, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Gulf Coast
    Joe Cuhaj, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the North Loop?

The Forest Service records 5 miles under this name in National Forests in Texas, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the North Loop?

Hiking and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the North Loop start?

The line begins at 30.6356° N, 95.5279° W and ends at 30.6480° N, 95.5146° W. 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 North 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 North Loop?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: National Forests in Texas official page

How developed is the North 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 North Loop?

The typical grade is 5-8 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the North Loop accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the North Loop?

National Forests in Texas, Forest Service unit 0813. The trail is in Texas.

Source: National Forests in Texas official page

Is there a fire near the North Loop?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx San Jacinto 9587 at 13 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named North 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.