Lost Maples State Natural Area

Infobox_protected_area | name = Lost Maples State Natural Area
iucn_category =

---

caption =
locator_x = 149
locator_y = 144
location = Bandera County, Texas
Real County, Texas
nearest_city = Vanderpool
lat_degrees = 29
lat_minutes = 40
lat_seconds = 59.88
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 99
long_minutes = 35
long_seconds = 9.96
long_direction = W
area = convert|2174|acre|km2|1|lk=on
established = 1979
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Lost Maples State Natural Area is a state park in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, United States.

Location

Lost Maples State Natural Area is located at coord|29|40|59.88|N|99|35|9.96|W; this is about convert|5|mi|km|0|lk=on north of Vanderpool, Texas and convert|71|mi|km|0 west of San Antonio. The park sits along the Sabinal River in western Bandera County and far eastern Real County.

History

The land for Lost Maples State Natural Area was acquired by the state of Texas in 1973 and 1974, and the park was opened to the public in 1979. In 1980, the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service made the park a national natural landmark.

This area along the upper Sabinal River was inhabited in prehistoric times. The recorded history of the area, beginning with Spanish explorations in the 17th century, identified a number of Indian groups, including the Apache, Lipan Apache and Comanche.

Origin, bedrock, soils and vegetation

Evidence suggests that the maples that give the park its name are relicts: remnants of a larger, more widespread population that flourished during the cooler and wetter climate of the last ice age. Today, soils and microclimate control their present distribution. [http://www.npsot.org/Boerne/newsletters/BigtoothPOM.pdf]

Much of the park's limestone bedrock is exposed on elevated terrain, which has a shallow, discontinuous cover of dark gray stony clay (Eckrant series). Most valley bottoms have deep, dark brown silty clay (Krum series) or clay loam (Pratley series). Deposits of gravel, sand, and loam (Orif-Boerne association) lie within a few hundred feet of the Sabinal River. All of these soils are well drained, have free calcium carbonate throughout their profiles, and are moderately alkaline. Among the trees are American Sycamore, Black Walnut, Pecan, Green Ash, Black Willow, Chinkapin Oak, Lacey Oak, Texas Red Oak, Juniper, Florida Basswood and Bigtooth Maple (the latter of which was discovered far removed from any maple forest, and thus gave the area the name "lost maples"). [ [http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/park_of_the_month/archive/2007/07_09.phtml TPWD: Park of the Month ] ] The maple colors well in some autumns; the Texas red oak gives an impressive autumn display almost every year. This park is most crowded when the fall colors peak in November.

Recreation

Lost Maples has been developed only enough to protect its resources while providing access to visitors. The convert|2174|acre|km2|1|sing=on park contains convert|11|mi|km|0 of hiking trails, 30 campsites, and 8 primitive camping areas, some of which have outhouses. In the center of the park are the ponds, two small lakes along Can Creek.

References

* [http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/park_of_the_month/archive/2007/07_09.phtml Park of the Month, September 2007]
* [http://www.tpwd.state.ts.us Texas Parks & Wildlife] - [http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lostmap/ Lost Maples State Natural Area]
* [http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lostmap/foliage.htm Lost Maples Fall Foliage Report]
* [http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx Web Soil Survey (select Bandera County, Texas)]
*

External links