Just wanted to chime in and say Lost Maples is our favorite place to camp and hike in Texas. We usually go over Thanksgiving and/or Spring Break. We have found that weekends are too busy so we try to arrive on a Monday and leave on Friday morning. The Maple Trail, where most of the maples are, is pretty busy even during the week but on the East Trail and The West Trail (our personnal favorite) you may see only a few fellow hikers. We have seen glorious color on only 3 of our 5 Fall trips there. But it is a wonderful place with or without the color. Go prepared for any kind of weather. You may need thermals OR you could get by with shorts and a t-shirt. All on the same day!
Small camp area (@ 30 sites) but cozy and those "dogs" you hear barking at night over the mountain?...Those are barking frogs! Really!!