4C Trail

Named for the Central Coal and Coke Company, which logged timber in these East Texas woods, this trail traverses National Forest Land except for a one-mile segment on private property. This route begins in the Big Slough wilderness area near the intersection of County Roads 1175 and 1180. There is a small parking area on 1175 just before 1180, and a short trail from there to the Four C. The six-mile hike ends at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area on State Highway 7. Leave a car at the lake and shuttle to the start point.
The trail is well-marked, using white rectangles on posts or about 6 feet high on trees. A few are obscured by vegetation, but you shouldn't ever go far without seeing another mark. If you do, chances are you're no longer on the trail. Bug spray comes in handy much of the year. Other possible hazards include bears and venemous snakes, so hikers should be informed and prepared to deal with those.

The trail covers East Texas terrain inacluding lush bottomland pine hardwoods, boggy sloughs, and upland forest, both old and new growth. The calls and songs of birds will likely accompany your entire hike. 

Once you reach the actual 4C, you're in deep woods, hiking gentle hills and along deep draws. Pine needles carpet much of the trail, and pine cones and sweetgum balls are plentiful. In spring and fall, keep a sharp eye out for wildflowers. Woodland flowers tend to be less showy than those in the hill country, in small groups or even single flowers of white, purple and blue.
The trail skirts some private pastures, crosses a gravel road, then follows a dirt road for about 70 yards. This is the only portion of the hike on private property, then you turn back into the woods, with a barbed wire fence on the right marking the boundary between national forest and private land.
In this section, creeks cut deep washes through the soft, sandy soil, and you'll cross a dozen or so wooden bridges over water that trickles clear across fallen logs and forms pools the color of weak coffee with cream.  The water is not drinkable.
You'll pass a large pond occupied by clicking frogs, cross a dirt service road, hike over more bridges, and then along the edge of another pond. After several more bridges evenly spaced along the trail, you cross the paved road. The trail parallels the road for about 15 yards before turning back into the woods. You cross another dirt service road and head into the final portion of the trail, traversing above twin arms of Ratcliff Lake, then down its east side, paralleling the park road to a trail head parking lot at Ratcliff Lake recreation area.