The Magazine of the American Landowner is an essential guide for investors, landowners, and those interested in buying or selling land. The award-winning quarterly is known for its annual survey of America's largest landowners, The Land Report 100.
Issue link: http://landreport.epubxp.com/i/656422
70 The LandReport | T E X A S 2 0 1 6 LANDREPORT.COM W hen I was a youngster growing up in Houston, one of my Boy Scout troop's favorite getaways was the Sam Houston National Forest. Not only was this piney haven close to home, but it was a breeze getting there: less than an hour's drive up Interstate 45 and only minutes off exit 102. With more than 160,000 acres, this great forest challenged us day and night. If our band of brothers wasn't hoofing it along some stretch of the Lone Star Hiking Trail, then odds are we had all piled into a motor- boat and were waterskiing on Lake Conroe. By the time the remnants of Troop 525 broke camp Sunday morning, everyone, including our Scout leaders, welcomed the quick ride back to civilization, i.e., a hot shower, some clean clothes, and Mom's cooking. In the decades since, Greater Houston has grown from the Bayou City into a behemoth: from just over 2 million in the 1970s to almost 6 million today. These days, I plan my trips to avoid the traffic jams that snarl the Katy Freeway and turn the 610 Loop into a parking lot. Gilley's has closed, and my beloved Oilers have lit out for Tennessee. But not every- thing has changed. As I drive north on I-45 through The Woodlands toward Huntsville, familiar sights reappear: barren country roads, tall stands of pine, and signage heralding state parks, golf courses, and boat ramps. Although Harris County (Houston) and Montgomery County (Conroe) have undergone cataclysmic growth, a calmer tenor still pervades Walker County to the north. The great Sam Houston — Texas's first president, its seventh governor, and one of its first federal senators — called this sylvan stretch of the Piney Woods home. I know why. He did so for the very same reasons that have compelled hundreds of others to buy at Texas Grand Ranch. Above: The Piney Woods covers parts of four Southern states, but its major presence is in Texas. Opposite top: Nearby Lake Conroe offers swimming, canoeing, fishing, jet skiing, and waterskiing. Far right: Miles of trails and thousands of acres of national forest surround Texas Grand Ranch.