TX State Parks Quest: End of Summer
State Parks Visited since July 1st
Mother Neff State Park
Meridian State Park
Lake Whitney State Park
Copper Breaks State Park
Lake Arrowhead State Park
Mother Neff State Park
This park is nestled away and offers a variety of features for the hiker. The trails aren’t long, so it’s easy to hike most of the park pretty quickly. I went from expansive prairies to shaded forests with a cave like rock ledge and an observation tower along the way.
Highlights
Cool cave to walk through (under, it’s a ledge style)
Shaded paths (with big trees and a jungle feel)
Observation tower (with a view of trees, better than nothing)
There’s a mini library near the campground (if you’re into reading while camping)
It’s a really fun park to drive through too
Meridian State Park
I didn’t really know what to expect with this park - other the standard Texas State Park with a lake feel. The trail around the lake is wonderful and offers a lot of shade and spots for picnic lunches. The campsites, which I saw during a brief drive through, were nice and set in the woods with privacy.
Highlights
Great lake views, spots of shade, and varied terrain
Plenty of space to enjoy camping with a little privacy
Lily pads everywhere!
Lake Whitney State Park
This is your typical “lake” state park in Texas - the trails are basically non-existent and it’s very much lakeside camping/boating centric. All that being said, I did enjoy finding a semi-private beach area on one of the trails that not one person was at except out in the water.
Highlights
Private (ish) beach area on the Towash Forest Trail
Great if you’re into boating, bad if you like shade
Copper Breaks State Park
As one of my new favorite state parks, I can’t recommend going here enough. The trails are fun, and somewhat hilly, and the red rocks are similar to the parks further west and north. The park was expansive, had interesting trails, and plenty of shaded campsites for tents.
Highlights
Rocky Ledge Loop was well worth it
Check out the Bull Canyon Loop too
Enjoy the Juniper Ridge trail, but stay on the trail
Lake Arrowhead State Park
The park is fine, another one geared towards people who want to boat/fish and not much else. The trails are okay, mowed fields basically, but it is in the middle nowhere so it’s mostly quiet. I’d recommend this place if you have a boat or just want to camp close to town.
Highlights
View of the causeway
Mesquite Ridge trail was “okay”
TX State Parks Quest: Mid-July 2020 Update
State Parks Visited since January
Possum Kingdom State Park
Fort Richardson State Park & Historical Site
Caddo Lake State Park
Martin Creek Lake State Park
Possum Kingdom State Park
I went into this park knowing it was small and mostly made for people to enjoy the lake. The trails were minimal, but the lake amenities and camping were vast. The campsites were nicely laid out, and there were amble restrooms and showers for campers. The beach looked great for swimming, and I’d gladly camp there for a night or two since it is close to the cities. As far as the trails go, they left me wanting more. There was a nice set of trails on the west side of the park that went up the ridge and offered expansive views of the lake. All in all, I’d visit this place again to camp with friends or something - if we can ever do that again.
Highlights
Has a great lake for activities - swimming, fishing, boating, paddling
Excellent campsite setups
Fort Richardson State Park & Historical Site
What a treat this park and trail system were to visit. I had no expectations, except that the trailway between the two sections of park was going to be nine miles. There is an old train depot, an actual preserved historical fort, and plenty of trails. I did not get a look at the campground portion of this park, but I’m sure it’s similar to most other places.
There are two sections of the park - one along the north side of the lake and the other along the creek. You can take a path from the more historical area to the lakeside area. I walked this path, in the middle of the day, under the beating sun and drank nearly three liters of water.
Highlights
Some shade, though few and far between
Variety of things to do and see - can easily explore over a weekend
Caddo Lake State Park
Caddo Lake is one of those dreamy lakes with the cypress trees growing along the edges, and through the middle, and murky swamp water. I felt like I was transported to a movie or something, it was very picturesque in a southern bayou kind of way. The park had a few trails, which were not marked that well, but were shaded and through gorgeous hardwood trees.
The drive in and out of this park will be one of the highlights, beyond the bayou. The trees are tall and it’s very green. I felt transported out of the Texas I’m accustomed to and it was glorious. The launch areas are fine, with ample parking. When not in lock down, you may rent boats to paddle through the bayou. It appears there was great fishing and signs even warned of gators.
Highlights
All of the glorious trees
Bayou feeling, mossy trees, big trees, trails through the trees.. have I mentioned the trees?
Martin Creek Lake State Park
I honestly did not know what to expect at this state park. I was pleasantly surprised that it had a few trails that seems longer than the others on this list. I did a few miles, hiking every trail in the park. I saw an island, a muddy forest, the lake, a power plant, pine trees, oak trees, and everything in between. This park appears to be a family favorite and offers a lot of activities. It would be a great place to launch a kayak!
Highlights
Heavily wooded trails
Lots to do for the family or not a family, whatever!
TX State Parks Quest: May 2020 Update
State Parks Visited since January
Fort Parker State Park
Atlanta State Park
Daingerfield State Park
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
Fort Parker State Park
I was looking through parks one afternoon, planning for the weekend, when I stumbled across Fort Parker. I wanted to stick within a couple hours of DFW and maybe knock two out in one day. When I pulled up the trail map I saw a paddling trail that went right across the lake and up the Navasota River which connects Fort Parker Lake and Lake Mexia. I loaded up the kayak and headed down on a Saturday morning. I had no idea how long it would take to kayak where I wanted to, but I gave myself the afternoon. I paddled about 4-5 miles overall, not quite going all the way up to Lake Mexia. I sat on the still river, enjoying the quiet and the birds. It felt so good to relax and float with nothing really going on besides nature. The park itself looked fine, had a neat lakeside campground and a nature center. The wind was at my back across the lake to the river, but heading to car was another story of getting wet and paddling hard through the waves. I would definitely recommend this place if you want a nice little paddle outside the city.
Highlights
Most main places are lakeside, which is nice
Great paddling river without a current for a peaceful time
Atlanta State Park
This park is a little gem on the northeast corner of the state that I can’t wait to revisit. The trails were dirt, with some roots, and not many rocks - which is a nice change in Texas. Big trees of pine and oak tower over, casting shade and allow for fern and moss to grow below making this place feel a little more “up north” than other Texas State Parks. If you’ve ever been to Tyler State Park, or any of the other ones on the east side, you’ll find it to be similar. I can’t wait for cooler weather so I can bring the tent and hide out for the weekend.
Highlights
Shaded paths with varying foliage
Lake views or forest walks, either way it’s a lot of peace and quiet
Daingerfield State Park
Daingerfield is another smaller park packed with gorgeous trees, lake views, and just enough trail distance to get away from the potential crowds. We enjoyed a walk around the lake, which was shaded and very green. The place smelled of pine and that breeze off a lake you sometimes get. This is another park I can’t wait to revisit, and camp a few nights in the fall to see the colors in the trees.
Highlights
Trails are shaded and gorgeous
Varying terrain and scenery offers great retreat from the cities
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
This park had more towering trees providing much needed shade as the day warmed up and trails with very few people on them thanks to restricted access. On the Homestead trail, look out for an old grave site - pretty cool! Enjoy the shade or the lake and have a good time at this one.
Highlights
Lovely wooded trails with tall pines and towering oaks
Very active lake area - great for boats
Texas State Parks Quest - I have a map now!
I don’t know why it took so long, but I learned about “My Maps” on Google and I’ve been adding places like crazy. All of the plotting has lead to some planning. Many of the state parks are near one another, which will make weekend adventures even more fun.
Some locations are going to be a challenge for me. Devils River State Natural Area is located down a rugged, 22-mile road that may be too jagged for my current tires. A workaround would be to book a kayak trip with one of the several companies that rent equipment and shuttle people to/from. This visit will be an adventure, no matter what happens, and will require the entirety of no less than three days plus travel.
The Wyler Aerial Tramway is located in El Paso, TX and is permanently closed but offers guided hiking on certain days of the month. The social media for the location is updated well, so hopefully the stars align for the perfect visit. I was bummed to learn the tram is shut down, though, as all the photos from it look so cool. Luckily, there are other hiking and historical locations in El Paso so a trip out there will be well worth it.
As I added each location to my Google Maps, I viewed the respective Texas Parks and Wildlife website and learned briefly about the park. Several places are SO popular it’s recommended to purchase a day pass ahead of time, which is fine, and others look like they get very few visitors which is even better. Either way, I am excited for this journey and all of the unique places I get to see throughout this giant state.
If you’d like to adventure/hike/camp, and/or have a Jeep/4x4/sturdy tires, get in touch and we can make a weekend of it sometime!
Introducing Quests With Mike
This space will be devoted to updates related to my brand new adventure quests. Follow along, join me out in the world, and raise a glass to adventure.
I’m currently in the planning phase for two new adventure quests. Here’s the rough ideas for now, more details to come!
Texas State Parks Quest
—Going to visit all 103 state park units and natural areas in the next two years
—Details are rough, but I’m leaning towards only counting state parks that I camp at least one night and/or hike at least one mile (or do any paths/loops)Texas NPS Quest
—Going to visit all National Park Service units (Parks, Monuments, Historical Sites, Seashores, etc)
—Working on the exact details, but it should be
