Sam Houston National Forest
The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four national forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. Look for it in Coldspring. Running it is the United States Forest Service.
A national forest inside Coldspring
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 94–94°, and about 103 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Coldspring
Sam Houston National Forest is inside Coldspring, which has 7 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Houston
Houston is about 57 miles south (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov and Dec
February, March, April, October, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 62–80°. When to go ↓
Established in 1936
Sam Houston National Forest dates from 1936 and is run by United States Forest Service. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Use the months below to time a visit to Sam Houston National Forest.
Sam Houston National Forest
The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four national forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely in Texas, from common offices in Lufkin, Texas. The units include Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Sam Houston National Forests, plus Caddo National Grassland and Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland. There are local ranger district offices located in New Waverly. It is located in portions of three Texas counties including Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Walker.
- Type
- National forest
- Established
- 1936
- Area
- 255 square miles
- Elevation
- 394 ft
- Run by
- United States Forest Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 8.8K a year
Where to sleep near Sam Houston National Forest
The first towns with rooms are Coldspring (7) and Livingston (18).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Sam Houston National Forest | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldspring | in town | — | 7 1 hotel · 1 motel · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 886 | $217K | — |
| Livingston | 15 mi northeast | 20 min | 18 12 hotels · 3 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 5,386 | $200K | D |
| West Livingston | 11 mi northeast | 15 min | 9 1 hotel · 2 lodges & cabins · 6 RV parks | 8,199 | $154K | — |
| Cape Royale 51% vacation homes | 5 mi north | 5 min | 4 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 574 | $317K | — |
| Onalaska | 17 mi north | 25 min | 12 3 hotels · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 3,289 | $166K | C |
| Conroe | 27 mi southwest | 40 min | 43 31 hotels · 2 motels · 2 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 4 RV parks | 119,564 | $310K | C+ |
| Cleveland | 17 mi south | 25 min | 10 5 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 RV parks | 9,936 | $174K | — |
| Goodrich | 11 mi east | 15 min | 4 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 273 | $216K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Sam Houston National Forest
These lie within 65 miles as the crow flies.
Big draw59 mi Stadium & arenaDaikin Park
Big draw64 mi Stadium & arenaReliant Stadium
59 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Center
61 mi MuseumRothko Chapel
58 mi LandmarkSan Jacinto Monument
59 mi Stadium & arenaShell Energy Stadium
61 mi Stadium & arenaTDECU Stadium
47 mi National PreserveBig Thicket National Preserve228K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Daikin Park: Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0 · Reliant Stadium: User eschipul on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Toyota Center: Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Rothko Chapel: Unknown, Public domain · San Jacinto Monument: Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Shell Energy Stadium: HDFC PR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · TDECU Stadium: Brian Reading, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Big Thicket National Preserve: NPS, Public domain
Sam Houston National Forest, answered
Is Sam Houston National Forest in Coldspring?
Yes. It’s inside Coldspring, TX.
When is the best time to visit Sam Houston National Forest?
February, March, April, October, November and December, with highs of 62–80°.
How far is Sam Houston National Forest from Houston?
About 57 miles south of Houston, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Sam Houston National Forest?
George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), about 43 miles away.
Where should I stay near Sam Houston National Forest?
Coldspring (in town, 7 places to stay), Livingston (15 mi, 18 places to stay) and West Livingston (11 mi, 9 places to stay).
Inside knowledge from Coldspring
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Coldspring’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.