Email   Print   Share By Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious July 19, 2012 | Leisure

Belton Dam is very close to Miller Springs Nature Center, located about 600 meters to the west of the park. This mural painted on the side of the dam can be seen when leaving Miller Springs, heading south. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Yours truly ducks under a tree and heads into one of the darker parts of the hiking trail that Josh and I chose to take at Miller Springs Nature Center. The hiking trails are near the Belton Dam and offer everything from very advanced hiking trails to more kid-friendly, less intense trails. Because of the close proximity to Belton Lake and the Leon River, everything is very green. Courtesy photo

This bridge has been built recently by the Corps of Engineers. During my previous visits, I’ve had to leap across on the rocks that aren’t covered by the creek water. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Josh gets a rolling start to sprint up the last hill on our hike. This hill is always the toughest part when I have come hiking here, and this time proved no different. There is a ramped trail just to the east of this steep hill for anyone who decides that 30 meters of steep incline and rocks is too challenging. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

This mural is more than 100 meters long and is painted on a wall along the main trail. It is painted as a timeline showing the progression of the United States military and this Central Texas area through the decades. It begins with cowboys on horses and settlers coming into the area in covered wagons. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

During one of the easier parts of our hike, Josh and I were able to take a minute to breathe along this path. It is located about halfway through the path we chose, and it opens up into the valley at the bottom of the spillway. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

A view from the top of the steep hill that Josh and I conquered at the end of our hike. This hill is an intense ending to any hike, and we used it as the final push to our workout by sprinting up it as hard as we could for about 30 meters. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

A view of the Leon River from one of the hiking trails. The Leon Rivers cuts through the limestone that forms the 40-foot bluffs at Miller Springs Nature Center. The river is part of the Brazos River system and is more than 180 miles long. Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

BELTON - Going hiking during the summer in Central Texas may sound too hot to be fun, but I disproved that thought this week.

As my friend Josh and I were hiking at Miller Springs, over by Belton Dam, we were having so much fun that we hardly noticed the heat. It also helped that we waited until around 7 p.m. to hit the trail, when the sun isn’t at its highest intensity.

Miller’s Crossing is Belton’s former dirt bike trail, and it is now a large area where visitors can hike, mountain bike, go for a walk or a run, or just go out and enjoy the land and scenery. Maybe you’re thinking the scenery in our dry area of Texas isn’t so pretty, but in this area, it’s beautiful. Being so close to the lake, everything is very green and the terrain is anything but flat.

I’ve been hiking in this area a few times before, but during this trip, I stopped to discover the history of the area and how it came about to be such a great place for hiking.

Part of the beauty of the park was actually created by default, because of the 1992 flooding of Belton’s Dam when the lake overflowed the spillway. The overflow created a geologic window – a canyon where the floodwaters carved limestone below the spillway.

Following the flood, all of the developments below the dam were damaged, and the park required numerous improvements. Through the rallied support of the Miller Springs Alliance and the community, trail access and park lands were restored, improved and preserved, and it is now the place that visitors love today.

I also found out that not only do visitors hike, bike and run here, Miller Springs Nature Center also hosts field trips, bird-watching tours, star parties and naturalist expeditions for anyone who wants to study geology or the local flora and fauna of Central Texas.

Josh told me that while he was a student at the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, the midterm for his Endurance and Fitness class was running through one of the parks four-mile trails. Talk about a tough midterm … four miles isn’t so bad, but like I said, the terrain is anything but flat.

Miller Springs’ trail system is extensive – every time we go back, Josh and I take a new route. This time we chose the same trail he ran for his midterm. Luckily, we weren’t being timed, so we were able to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

When starting out, there are a few decisions to make on which way to go. There is a map at the very beginning, near the parking lot, which makes it easy to plan out a route beforehand. Josh and I decided to wing it, which was safe because we have both been there. I would recommend checking out the map before hitting the trails on a first visit, though, the land can get a little confusing once down in the canyon.

Josh and I stopped a few times at the top to take the pictures and do the typical “tourist hiker” poses before getting down into the real workout stages of the hike.

Something to also keep in mind: this area can provide a leisurely walk with not-so-steep hills, and it can also be kid-friendly – with supervision, of course, because there are cliffs on the trails. But, there are very steep hills and terrain that could result in a twisted ankle if you’re not watching where you’re stepping. To play it safe, always take a partner in case of an accident.

More experienced hikers and people who are familiar with the trail, like Josh, are probably OK going alone. I know he goes to run the trails frequently, and he always comes back unscathed. Even though I’ve been to this place a few times, I still won’t go without him because I can see myself twisting my ankle about two miles into my hike, stranded and waiting for someone to come along. Remember – safety first!

Along our hike, we were passed by a team of mountain bikers. At first, Josh and I couldn’t figure out what in the world was coming up so quickly and loudly behind us, but my fears of a mountain lion were shut down when we heard the signature clicks of bike chains.

The trail scenery changes so often, and there are animals everywhere at Miller Springs that we were stopping often to appreciate it this time.

There are even certain parts of the trails where the trees are so dense, even the Texas sun can’t get to all of the ground. We were in one of these areas around 7:30 p.m., when the sun is still shining, and there were thousands of fireflies around us. I can imagine that this part of the trail would be kind of scary if hiking alone.

Not even 100 meters ahead, we came across the Leon River, which flows through the canyon. We took a little break here and Josh told me some more stories about his visits to this place over the years. One in particular had me laughing, when he told me about the first time he brought his roommate along for some conditioning. The not-so-flat terrain got the best of Josh’s roomie, and he tripped over a tree root in one of the more shadowy areas. Luckily, there were no injuries to anything other than his pride.

When we crossed the river and the trail widened out, Josh pointed out the wild watermelon growing in the valley. Their vines snake all over the trails, and there are little flowers that will soon turn into wild watermelons.

He also showed me some of the more dangerous plants to avoid – Mesquite trees, poison ivy and other rash-inducing plants. He laughed at me when I decided to give the Mesquite trees a new name – wild toothpick trees.

We finished our hike around 8:30 p.m. and were worn out. Because of the trail we chose, the last mile or so of our hike was pretty much all uphill, but it was worth it. We found that we were really hungry after our hike and decided to bring along a picnic next time and eat in the valley. But since we’d missed out on the picnic idea this time, we headed over to Dead Fish Grill, less than a mile from us, to have an appetizer and talk about our hike.

Miller Springs doesn’t permit pets, motorized vehicles or smoking, and the use of cell phones is only suggested for emergency situations out of respect for the park and other hikers. To find out more about Miller Springs, visit their website at www.millerspringspark.org/about-miller-springs-park.