(TX) Double Lake/Stubblefield Hammock Friendly Sites

Has anyone been here and have an idea of whether most sites are hammock friendly or not? Or any specific recommendations?

I'm planning a last minute trip for 3-5 people this coming weekend, and right now it's a toss up between Stubblefield and Double Lake. We need to stay somewhat close to Huntsville as two of the members have activities there during the weekend. My initial thoughts were either Huntsville SP or somewhere along the Four Notches Loop. Unfortunately the SP sites are already all booked up and camping along the Four Notches Loop would require the two members to hike back and forth to the car each day which is limiting.

So, it's either down to Stubblefield or Double Lake. I believe Stubblefield is first come first serve, and we're getting there midday Friday so we should be okay there. Double Lake still have quite a few sites left, and another thread here recommended sites 5, 7, and 10-15, some of which are open.

Any other recommendations are welcome, either about these two places or other options.

edit: Looks like there's an "at least one tent" rule that used to be in place at Stubblefield and may still be. If so, I do have a sacrificial tent that I can bring along to throw spices on and dance around while chanting.

You can camp anywhere on Trail in the Sam Houston National Forest. There is a decent car camping spot at the Hunter's Camp at Parking Lot #8 as shown on this map.

No toilet facilities or running water, but good parking, places to have campfires, decent trees for hanging, and some old building slabs for ground dwellers to set up on.

Some pics can be found here

Sweet, thanks Sarge! I had read about y'all bushwacking after the meadow and ending up at Hidden Lake, but I didn't put two and two together and realize it was in the same area.

Is that hunter's camp generally less busy than campgrounds? And I'm assuming the hunting seasons are all done for the year, but correct me if I'm wrong so I don't end up as a pincushion.

We may end up spending a night there and a night at Stubblefield so we can put the yaks in.

I'm told its the most popular one on the LSHT, but I'm not sure what that means in terms of visitation. One could assume that hunters would remember the site and take their family camping there. There are a couple of sites hacked out of the bush back into the woods with short trails leading to them that are not readily apparent when you first arrive.

Keep in mind that if you're hanging, you've got lots more options for camping than the ground dwellers. You can go thirty feet back into the woods where they can't. In effect, you have the whole Sam Houston National Forest open to you.

Rules state that you have to camp 200 feet away from any trailhead or trailhead parking lot, except for at the Hunter's Camps. Theorhetically you could camp at any of the trail heads and never be too far from your car. There's a nice spot about a half mile south of Trail Head #1 on the Little Lake Loop. Use this map.

You should pay attention to this map for trail closures. More than half the trail remains closed due to deadfall from the drought. The stupid thing is that the Forest itself is not closed---just the trail. If you camp 100 feet away from the trail and 200 feet from the Parking Lot, you're not in violation, although I'd not chance it.

Stubblefield campground is open, but I'd venture to guess that it will be crowded as Kelly's Pond is closed.

There are other hunter's camps that might be OK, but Parking Lot #8 is the only one I've been to. They are shown in yellow boxes with numbers in them on this map. Just make sure you compare that to the map of the closed sections.

Sarge, you're a wealth of knowledge! I've perused some of the maps and knowledge online before, but having pointed recommendations and firsthand knowledge is so much more valuable!

I didn't realize the whole trail around Stubblefield is closed. I guess that would really limit any hiking we could do there, unless of course we resort to general bushwacking and blazing our own trail. At least it seems like that would be allowed as long as we are 100ft off the trail. That does seem quite silly.

Hunter's Camp #8 sounds like the best bet. We can always make a day trip with the yaks to somewhere close if we chose to go that route.

Again, thanks for all your help, can't tell you how much I appreciate the tips.

Glad to help, Cob.

Hope to see you at the Butt Bake in July

I'm headed to Australia for work for a year sometime in July or August. I don't have a departure date yet, but with having to pack and store everything before I leave, the Butt Bake might be right in the middle of crunchtime, if I haven't already left by that point.

Ending up spending the weekend at Stubblefield, I think at site 27. Sites 19-21 looked great, but it was busy over that way. Site 25 looks like it has 1-2 good spots to hang and is pretty secluded.

Thanks for the info Sarge

Got info from the LSHT Group that part of the trail to Stubblefield will be opened May 11.

Glad you had a good time.