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Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

June 5, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary

red flowers

pine forest

southeast texas

If your favorite color is bright green then you are going to enjoy this post. Disclaimer: You may have to shield your eyes from all the bright green colors of nature ๐Ÿ’š๐ŸŒณโœ…๐Ÿธ

While I was still living in the pine filled region of southeast Texas I discovered a hidden gem that not many people know about. The Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary is right on a Texas highway in the small town of Kountze, but it’s easy to miss the entrance. I remember driving along the highway, thinking I had the wrong address because I was totally not seeing an entrance to any kind of park or sanctuary. Finally, I noticed a small wooden sign that blended in perfectly with the tree trunks surrounding it. Found it!

With over 5500 acres and multiple trails to explore, the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary is a quiet retreat for nature lovers who want to hike, bike, photograph, or simply enjoy the great outdoors. Here’s some of my fav photos from one of my visits there ๐Ÿ“ท

roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary

nature park

spanish moss

I love Spanish moss! And there’s plenty of it to greet you upon first entering the park. There’s a little self sign-in station with maps and brochures, plus a covered area with picnic tables and grand old trees to provide shade.

yellow flower

forest

swamp

The interesting thing about this sanctuary is that it’s a unique and rare combination of pinelands, open-floor forest, and swamp. I ended up visiting just a couple of days after some intense rainfall, so the swamp was a little more…swampy than usual, and part of the trail was underwater. Did that stop me? Of course not. I managed my way through the swamp, camera and all.

baby pinecone

pine cone

green pinecone

Being in the pinelands, there were obviously lots of unique pine cones to be found! There weren’t too many flowers, but the ones I spotted were quite beautiful. Lots of mushrooms thanks to the rain and humidity, and animal tracksย ๐Ÿพ

blue flowers

wild mushroom

animal tracks

You definitely notice a difference in biodiversity when the floor switches from sand to pine needles to dirt. There’s lots of birds chirping and bugs crawling. And since it’s off a slow highway, you don’t hear a lot of cars whizzing past, especially the deeper into the forest you go.

caterpillar

pinelands

roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary

I didn’t come across another person while I was on the main part of the trails. However, I was chased by a very persistent bumblebee on my way back to the car, which was slightly terrifying ๐Ÿ

After slopping through swamps and maybe, definitely slipping and falling on my backside at least once, my Converses made it through the ordeal in much better condition than I expected.

converse sneakers

I realize Kountze, Texas may not be on most people’s list of Places to Visit, but if you live in southeast Texas or ever find yourself in the area, check out Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary. It’s beautiful and diverse and peaceful. And green ๐ŸŒฒ

nature park

swamp

yellow flowers

creek

Jillian ๐Ÿ’™

Related posts on Compassionate Women:

  1. Hiking Through Big Thicket National Preserve
  2. Angelina National Forest & Historic Aldridge Sawmill
  3. Beaumont Botanical Gardens

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: big thicket, biodiversity, compassioniate women, hiking, hiking trail, kountze, kountze texas, natural trails, nature, nature park, open-floor forest, outdoors, pinelands, roy e. larsen, roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary, southeast texas, spanish moss, swamp, Texas, texas wildlife, travel, vegan, vegan lifestyle, wildlife, wildlife sanctuary

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HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live near Houston, Texas with my rescue dog Stella! I create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious, to demonstrate that it's easy to follow a plant-based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. In our spare time, Stella and I also love watching movies, reading, snuggling, and taking long walks! LEARN MOREโ€ฆ

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Feature-length documentary that uncovers the Jewish history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the customs & traditions the Jewish people there have contributed to.

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Compassionate Women
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