A walk at Lubbock Lake Landmark
Pick a trail through Yellowhouse Draw, from an archaeological loop to a longer prairie walk.
Begin at the interpretive center
Lubbock Lake Landmark follows a bend in Yellowhouse Draw. What looks like a quiet stretch of grassland today is also a place where archaeologists study how people lived on the Southern High Plains. Every trail visit begins with signing in at the Nash Interpretive Center. The preserve closes its trails when the center closes, so check its hours before planning an evening walk. Landmark trail and visitor information.
Choose the walk before leaving the center
The half-mile Archaeological Trail circles the former reservoir. Choose this one to connect the landscape to excavations and read the interpretive panels without committing the entire afternoon. The Nature Trail is a much longer outing at three and a half miles. Take enough water for the return and ask about conditions if wind or rain has changed your plans.
The university posts closures for individual trails. Read the current notice before counting on the Wildflower Trail or any particular accessible route. Check with the center if your group includes a wheelchair user. Different surfaces and slopes affect what equipment can use each route. Current trail status.
Leave the collection where you found it
Closed-toe shoes work well on loose surfaces. Keep to marked tracks, photograph anything interesting where it lies and leave plants and artifacts in place. The Landmark restricts dogs to the picnic kiosks beside visitor parking, so a visit with your dog needs a different plan from a hike through the preserve.
For a second outing on another day, the National Ranching Heritage Center traces a later chapter of life on the plains. Find it in our weekend guide, along with places to eat and hear a show. See Stay Lubbock homes.
