Texas trails · Joe Johnston Route
Joe Johnston Route
A 4.0-mile out-and-back in Texas, with 201 ft of climbing. Reaches South Bluff Spurs Overlook and other viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- South Bluff Spurs Overlook (viewpoint)
- Canyon Overlook (viewpoint)
Heads up
Getting there
Joe Johnston Route access. 29.55008, -98.76263 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:47 a.m., the sun rises at 7:11 a.m. and sets at 7:58 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:22 p.m. (CDT) — 12 h 47 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 7.9-mile round trip takes roughly 3 h 09 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:20 a.m. — 9 h 38 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Little Windmill Trail + Sendero Balcones + Joe Johnston Route — 2.4 mi loop, 231 ft gain
- Joe Johnston Route + Overlook Trail + Caroline'S Loop — 4.1 mi loop, 346 ft gain
- Joe Johnston Route — 0.9 mi loop, 58 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Woodlawn Lake Park Trail — 15.1 mi