A Girl Scout's Guide to the Goodwater Loop Trail

Written by: Lucy Y.

My favorite thing about Girl Scouts and my troop has been our outdoor adventures. I have been lucky to grow up with one of the few long-distance hiking and backpacking trails in Central Texas right in my backyard. I have also been lucky to have been part of a troop with a strong outdoor emphasis. As part of my Gold Award project, I made it my mission to get more Girl Scouts involved in camping, hiking, or backpacking outside of Girl Scout-owned campsites. It’s easy for troop leaders to stay within those areas, but I also wanted to show them how great it is to explore other trails and parks.

Troop 572 on one of our very first backpacking trips on the
Goodwater Loop Trail

The Goodwater Loop trail is a 26.9-mile trail around Lake Georgetown, and it is the perfect place for Girl Scout troops to explore the outdoors. I have been hiking and camping there with my troop since I was a Brownie, and we started doing overnight backpacking trips on sections of the trail when I was a Cadette. In 2019, we completed the entire 26.9-mile loop in one weekend.

Waterfall at Crockett Garden Falls, one of the most scenic spots on the
Goodwater Loop during filming for the video series

Through my Gold Award project, I surveyed Girl Scout leaders about what backpacking resources would be most helpful to them. Eighty percent of my respondents said they would like more information about local trails and places to go backpacking. This led to the creation of a four-part video series that teaches leaders how to get started with backpacking, as well as hiking and camping options along the Goodwater Loop trail. Additionally, more resources are hosted on my troop website for other Girl Scout troops.

I also presented backpacking information to other troops at Sasquatch, a weekend-long event focused on outdoor skill-building. One hundred percent of the girls who attended a backpacking session during Sasquatch weekend said they wanted to try backpacking! Getting to speak with other Girl Scouts and getting them excited about backpacking was my favorite part of this project.

Presenting Backpacking 101 at Sasquatch

Now as a new adult Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts, I am looking forward to attending Trailblazers, an outdoor-centric volunteer retreat, with other troop leaders this fall. I’ll be leading a presentation on Backpacking 101 and can’t wait to get more Girl Scouts excited about the outdoors through my project and resources.

Get started with the first training video:

A Girl Scout’s Guide to the Goodwater Loop Trail: Part 1 – Overlook to Tejas