Kick Off Hike Season with a Guided Photography Hike at Doeskin Ranch!

All registered participants will get a special kick-off weekend gift - a Friends of Balcones water bottle to use for this hiking season!

Bring your cameras and enjoy the many photo opportunities at Doeskin Ranch on Indiangrass trail!

Photo by Richard Gaines

This photo stroll will be a great way to stop and appreciate the beauty of the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

Guided hike leader and photographer Richard Gaines will share information on the refuge and share photography tips to help you get some great photos of this beautiful area!

We will begin with a hike up Rim Rock trail to access the Indiangrass trail. Once at Indiangrass trail, we will take our time to look for photo opportunities and take pictures along the way.

You can view some of Richard's art and photographs here!:https://www.rgainesstudiosart.com/

Who is this hike for?

If you are interested in nature photography and continuing to expand your skill sets, then this hike is for you! Any level of photography experience is welcome, we will walk and experiment together. 

To access the Indiangrass trail, a hike up Rim Rock trail is required, therefore, we recommend you only bring the gear you have that is easily portable.

How difficult is this hike?

The Rim Rock portion of the trail that is required to reach Indiangrass is an uphill and downhill climb on a moderately difficult trail. We consider this moderately difficult due to the incline as well as the rocky trail. We advise you to pack your photography gear into a backpack to help you get it up and down the trail. The Indiangrass trail is a flat trail, which is mostly exposed with limited shade.

We will be hiking approximately 2.5 miles in total during this event so please consider the equipment you will bring and your level of comfort walking this distance.

EQUIPMENT:In addition to bringing your photography equipment, wear appropriate shoes, bring plenty of water, bug spray, and sunscreen. Due to slippery rocks on the trail, hiking poles are also highly recommended.

PHONE RECEPTION: Some phone-based GPS’ will not work in this area. A printable/downloadable map can be found here.

GROUP SIZE:Registration is limited to 15 participants for this hike.

WEATHER ADVISORY & OTHER CANCELLATIONS:In the event that we need to cancel due to extreme weather or other unforeseen conditions you will be notified via email before 10:00 AM on the day of the hike.

PARTICIPANT CANCELLATIONS:Our hikes are popular and often have wait lists, if you need to cancel, we ask that you try to do so at least 48 hours in advance so that a wait-list participant is notified in adequate time to be able to join us on the trail! You can cancel in two ways:

• Log in to your profile on the Friends website and use the my event registration link to cancel your registration

• Send us an email at hikes@friendsofbalcones.org.  Looking forward to seeing you at the Refuge!