If You See Purple Paint in the Woods in Texas You Need to Leave

(KPEL) - Summertime in Texas means getting outdoors for hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and more.

While you're spending some quality time outdoors, there's something you need to keep an eye out for.

If you find yourself exploring through the woods in Texas and come upon something like a tree or fence with purple paint on it, Texas law enforcement say you need to turn around and leave immediately.

Here's why...

Unsplash Via Steven Kamenar

What Does It Mean When You See Purple Paint In The Woods?

If you’re hiking through the woods in Texas and spot a tree marked with a streak of purple paint, don’t panic, you probably haven’t stumbled onto the land of backwoods cannibals ready to turn you into BBQ.

I mean, I can't you haven't with 100% certainty, you know, the whole "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" thing.

However, while you probably won't be turned into dinner if you stumble across purple paint in the woods, you could definitely have unknowingly broken the law and should turn around immediately.

In Texas, purple paint is a legal warning to stay out.

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TSM Staff Photo

Thanks to The Lone Star State’s “Purple Paint Law,” landowners can mark their property lines with vertical stripes of purple paint instead of posting “No Trespassing” signs.

It’s a clear message: private property. Keep out.

If you ignore it, you can be charged with criminal trespass.

The purple paint is usually painted on trees or posts, around 3 to 5 feet above the ground.

According to the Texas "Purple Paint Law" (Texas Penal Code § 30.05), the purple paint marks should be at least 8 inches long and be clearly visible.

The “Purple Paint Law” became official in Texas on September 1, 1997.

According to ttha.com "in Texas, trespassing is a Class B misdemeanor, unless the intruder is carrying a firearm, which is a Class A misdemeanor".