State Parks and National Forests

The Texas Forest Trail Region is proud to be home to an abundance of beautiful state parks and forest recreation areas where anyone from the most avid outdoorsman or woman to the occasional outdoor enthusiast can find the right spot to commune with nature. Texas Forest Trail Region is also the only region of all the Texas Heritage Trails to be home to a national forest--and we have four of them!

Use the links below to find a recreation spot that's right for you. Need some help finding these places? See a map of the region or use the google map, below.

STATE PARKS

• Atlanta SP: 1475 acres on Lake Wright Patman Dam in Cass County, a few miles southwest of Texarkana. The park offers swimming in a designated sandy beach area on Wright Patman Lake, a nature trail and a hiking trail of five miles, water skiing, boating (canoe rentals are available at the park), and fishing.

• Caddo Lake SP: Located on the border of Texas and Louisiana about 20 minutes north of Marshall/I-20, the lake was created by a mass of trees and flood debris known historically as the Great Raft of the Red River. Today, a modern dam has recreated the lake so now canoeists and boaters can explore the picturesque maze of bayous-thick with ancient bald cypress trees. The park includes some lovely recently renovated CCC pine log cabins that make for an authentic "cabin in the woods" experience.

• Daingerfield SP: Located in Morris County southwest of Texarkana, is a 506.913-acre recreational area (including an 80-surface-acre lake), deeded in 1935 by private owners and opened in 1938.  The original improvements were made by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The park offers picnicking; camping; boating (5 MPH speed limit); fishing; swimming in an unsupervised swimming area; hiking; and nature study. A seasonal concession (March - October) rents pedal boats and canoes. Tours may be arranged by special request. Year-round boat rentals are available.

• Huntsville SP: Huntsville State Park is a 2083.2-acre recreational area, six miles southwest of Huntsville, in Walker County. It was acquired by deeds from private owners in 1937 and was opened in 1938.  The heavily-wooded park adjoins the Sam Houston National Forest and encloses the 210-acre Lake Raven. The park offers camping, hiking, biking, boating (Motor size unrestricted; speed is limited to idle speed), Guided Horseback Trail Rides and "Eat and Rides" with horses provided by Lake Raven Stables, fishing, swimming in unsupervised swimming area, boat & Hydrobike rentals, and nature study.

• Martin Creek Lake SP: Martin Creek Lake State Park, which consists of 286.9 acres, is located in Rusk County, southeast of Longview. It was deeded to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by the Texas Utilities Generating Company on June 23, 1976, and was opened to the public the same year. The park is located on 5000-acre Martin Creek Lake, constructed to provide cooling water for a lignite-fired, electric power generation plant. Activities include excellent, year-round fishing; camping; wildlife observation and photography; picnicking; boating; water skiing; unsupervised lake swimming; backpacking; hiking; and interpretive programs on Saturday (when staffing allows). An annual perch fishing contest is held for children ages 4 to 12 is held first Saturday in September.

• Martin Dies Jr. SP: Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, until 1965 known as the Dam B State Park, is a 705-acre recreational area in Jasper and Tyler Counties between Woodville and Jasper on B. A. Steinhagen Reservoir (15,000 acres). The land for the park was acquired under a 50-year lease from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1964 and was opened in 1965. Visitors can enjoy camping, hiking, boating, canoeing, fishing, swimming, mountain biking and wildlife and bird watching. There are canoes, bicycles, a flat bottom boat, volleyballs and horseshoes for rent.

• Mission Tejas SP: Mission Tejas State Park is a 363.5-acre park in Houston County, 22 miles northeast of Crockett. The park was built in 1934 by Co. 888 of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a commemorative representation of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, the first Spanish mission in the province of Texas, which was established in 1690. Also in the park is the restored Rice Family Log Home, built in 1828 and restored in 1974. The home, which Joseph Redmund Rice, Sr. constructed between 1828 and 1838, is one of the oldest structures in the area and served as a stopover for immigrants, adventurers, and local residents traveling the Old San Antonio Road across pioneer Texas.  Activities include camping; picnicking; hiking; and fishing. A pond located near the picnic area offers an excellent opportunity to explore aquatic life and fish. Hiking and nature trails provide access to the natural beauty of the east Texas Pineywoods. The dogwood are beautiful the last week or so of March, usually around the 25th.

• Tyler SP: Tyler State Park is 985.5 acres in Smith County, north of Tyler. The park includes a 64-acre lake. Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mph speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study.

• Village Creek SP: Village Creek State Park, 1,090 heavily forested acres, is located in the Hardin County community of Lumberton, 10 miles north of Beaumont. Acquired in 1979 and opened April 20, 1994, Village Creek State Park takes its name from Village Creek, a free flowing stream which rises near the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation and meanders in a southeasterly direction 69 miles to a junction with the Neches River. Village Creek is an extremely popular flat water, canoe float stream in what remains as the heart and soul of the Old Texas Big Thicket. Rainfall is abundant and the banks of Village Creek flood severely every 3 or 4 years.  Activities include camping, picnicking, swimming (1 mile hike to sandbar swimming area), hiking, fishing, nature study, and bird watching.

NATIONAL FORESTS AND RECREATION AREAS

WILD ANIMAL WARNING: Our national forests are a refuge for wild animals, including dangerous animals like bears, alligators and venomous snakes. Wild animals can be upset by human presence and can unexpectedly become aggressive. Do not give them a reason or an opportunity to attack. Always keep your distance. Your safety is your responsibility.

• Angelina National Forest: Located in the heart of east Texas, the 153,179-acre Angelina National Forest is located in Angelina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Jasper counties. The forest lies in the Neches River Basin and on the north and south shores of Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a 114,500-acre lake on the Angelina River formed by the construction of Sam Rayburn Dam in the early 1960s. Attractions in Angelina NF include:
• Sam Rayburn Reservoir
• Boykin Springs Rec. Area
• Caney Creek Rec. Area
• Sandy Creek Rec. Area
• Sawmill Hiking Trail
  
• Big Thicket National Preserve: Located in southeast Texas, people have called the Big Thicket an American ark and the biological crossroads of North America. The preserve was established to protect the remnant of its complex biological diversity. What is extraordinary is not the rarity or abundance of its life forms, but how many species coexist here. Once vast, this combination of pine and cypress forest, hardwood forest, meadow, and blackwater swamp is but a remnant. Activities include: Auto Touring, Backpacking, Biking, Bird Watching, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Interpretive Programs, Kayaking, Nature Walks, Swimming, Trapping, and Wildlife Viewing. 
  
• Davy Crockett National Forest: Named for the legendary pioneer, DCNF contains more than 160,000 acres of East Texas woodlands, streams, recreation areas, and wildlife habitat. Located in Houston and Trinity Counties, the forest is centrally located within the Neches and Trinity River basins. Attractions in Davy Crockett NF include:
• Ratcliff Lake Rec. Area
• Four C National Rec. Trail
• Big Slough Wilderness Area
• Piney Creek Horse Trail
• Alabama Creek Wildlife Management Area
  
• Sabine National Forest: Located in the pineywoods of east Texas, the 160,656-acre Sabine National Forest is the easternmost of the four national forests in Texas and forms part of the boundary between Texas and Louisiana. The forest is situated on the western slopes of the Sabine River watershed within Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Jasper, and Newton counties. Attraction in Sabine NF include:
• Toledo Bend Reservoir
• Trail Between the Lakes
• Red Hills Lake: camping, picnicking, swim beach
• Boles Field: camping, picnicking, and day-use shelters
• More camp sites: Boles Field, Haley's Ferry, Ragtown, Indian Mounds, Lakeview, Willow Oak
  
• Sam Houston National Forest: Located 50 miles north of Houston, the forest contains 163, 037 acres between Huntsville, Conroe, Cleveland and Richards, Texas. With land in Montgomery, Walker, and San Jacinto counties, the Sam Houston National Forest is intermingled with privately owned timber lands and small farms. Activities in Sam Houston NF (at designated locations) include swimming, fishing, boating, hunting, camping, horseback riding, biking, hiking, picnicking, and more! Attractions in Sam Houston NF include:
• Lone Star Hiking Trail (128 miles in three sections)
• Little Lake Creek Wilderness
• Big Creek Scenic Area
• Cagle Rec. Area
• Double Lake Rec. Area
• Stubblefield Rec. Area
• Scotts Ridge Day-Use Area
• Kelly Pond Rec Area and Trailhead

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2010 Forest Service Day-Use Passes Now Available

Day-use passes from the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are ready!

The pass entitles visitors to unlimited day use in participating fee areas forest wide and includes such things as access to:

• boat launches
• picnic areas
• swim beaches
• trailheads

A cooperative agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana allows visitors to also use the pass at selected boat launches at Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Town Bluff Reservoir and National Forest recreation sites in Louisiana. In addition, the pass is also honored at Haley's Ferry, East Hamilton Boat Ramp, Ragtown, Lakeview, and Indian Mounds operated by Sabine River Authority.

Passes may be purchased at Ranger District Offices in Zavalla, Milam, Ratcliff, New Waverly and Decatur, or at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Lufkin. For more information, call 936-639-8501.