Counties Include: Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Jefferson, Lee, Liberty, Madison, Montgomery, Orange, San Jacinta, Walker, Waller
Regional Director: Joe Garcia (Region 9)
2520 Wilpitz Road • Pattison, TX. 77423
(C) 281-705-5025 • garcia77466@gmail.com
Grant Information
Current Regional News
TPWD, volunteer labor and Partners at Nails Creek State Park continue to make improvements to the park and the equestrian facilities. A large new bath house is now open at the boat dock and the Group Pavillion has been remodeled. Three new bathrooms along the trailway have been completed: Mill Pond Camp Area, Wolf Pond Camp Area, and Newman Bottom Camp Area, (on the sand hill). A new mounting block has been installed near the Mill Pond bathroom and plans are to install one at each of the other two new bathrooms.
The Park office now has ice and firewood available for purchase. Railings have been installed on the Yegua Creek bridge at Newman Bottom and work has begun on installing the rails on the Nails Creek bridge. The Challenge Course is still a work in progress.
The trails are trimmed and in great shape and wagons are welcome. Many volunteer hours, both from TETRA members and Partners at Nails Creek State Park, have, over the years, helped created a great equestrian destination with outstanding trails and facilities.
Happy Trails, Norman & Susan Cumings
In Loving Memory Of
Teresa Hester Chipman
April 6, 1944 - March 1, 2011
Teresa Hester Chipman, age 66, went to be with her Lord on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
Teresa was born to Thomas Ray and Pat Modjeski Hester in Crockett, Tx. She has lived in Bryan since 1997 and worked for several years as a systems installer. She is a graduate of Sam Houston State and has been a member of Lion’s Club , Beta Sigma Phi and served as Area Director for TETRA
Teresa was the backbone of Region 9 for many years. She dedicated her time and efforts for the success of TETRA. She was awarded the Ned Granger award at the 2011 membership meeting held in January. Her absence will be felt by us and she will be surely missed by all of us.
Anyone looking for a fun, improved place to ride? Try Nails Creek State Park. Many hours of hard work by TETRA and "Partners at Nails Creek" volunteers have made this equestrian oasis one of the premier riding facilities in Texas. The 20 campsites in the Bent Tree Equestrian campground are private, surrounded with trees, and have water and electricity. Two large shower/bathroom facilities are located within the park, all connected by walking trails. Each equestrian site also has two welded pipe, 12x12 pens (TETRA), with additional bracing for a tarp for sun protection. One round pen and some horse pens are located in the 10 additional sites located in the Equestrian Camping Area,. These have no hookups, but water is available in the area. The trails, thanks to more volunteer labor, are wide, long and clear. The approximately 4 miles of trails within the Park are sandy and easy to ride. The Main Trailway is 13 miles long and terminates at Birch Creek Park. This trail has some rocky areas in the first mile of trail, but with a little care, can be ridden barefoot. A Challenge Course, with a gate to 
open and logs to step over, is the current ongoing project, with a simulated bridge to practice crossing in the near future. TPWD will soon construct side railings on both the Nails Creek and Yegua Creek bridges.
All trails are mowed and trimmed with additional loop and spur trails being opened for multi use, but no motorized vehicles. As new trails are opened, maps will be posted on the Region 9 page. Want a different activity while the horses are resting? Canoes and kayaks are available for rent for use in the creeks and on Lake Sommerville. Miles of hiking trails are great for walking your dogs and birdwatching, and there's a fishing pond for the kids. Early 2011 TPWD will dedicate a paddle trail starting at Nails Creek. If you've never visited, give Nails Creek a try. You'll love it. For those of you who have been before, come again. You'll love it, too. Not sure where Nails Creek is located? Call the office at (979) 289-2392 for directions. It's about a 90 minute drive west of Houston, 90 minutes east of Austin, and 12 miles north of Hwy 290.
Norm and Susan Cumings, Region 9
We have been to the park 3 times this year. It was about 3 years since we have been to the park and what a great improvement. We appreciate all the hard work that has been done. We were concerned each time we were there that campers would leave without cleaning out the corrals. what a pity!! We plan on using the park more in 2011.
Regards,
Skip & Liz Kline, Magnolia, Texas
Nails Creek. Thanks to Norman and Susan Cumings and Donald and Loral Haus, a lot of work has been completed at Nails Creek. A frame has been added to the top of each pen that you can attach a tarp over for extra shade for your animals. Check with the Park Rangers for extra tarps.
The pens at the Bent Tree equestrian camping area at Nails Creek now have frames over the tops to support tarps. The best size to fit the supports is 12 feet X 24 feet. The Park office has available for sale the tarps, clips and rope, or you may bring your own.
Scraping and painting of the pens is still ongoing. We need a lot of help in this area. The big hold back has been that it is hard to paint on weekends because the park has been full. The best time to work on the pens is during the week. So, if you are retired and looking for something to do, feel free to drive to Nails during the week and work on the pens. Check with the Park Rangers when you go over. They have all the supplies needed for the pens and can tell you which ones need working on.
