I started June off by visiting two units of the same state park. Ray Roberts Lake State Park has a north and a south unit on Lake Ray Roberts. I don’t get it either, shouldn’t it be Ray Roberts Lake or the park be Lake Ray Roberts State Park? Either way, I visited each half and enjoyed them both enough to want to camp there in the future. Since the park is divided, it does technically count as two on the list of 104 I’m tackling.
Currently, I’m at 15/104 and it’ll likely stay that way until July when I return to the state. I’ll be working remotely the rest of June, and hopefully visiting some Michigan State Parks in my free time.
Johnson Branch Unit
Wooded, lakeside park with plenty of shady spots to hide out on a hot day
Great paved trail ideal for walking or running (wooded/shaded in many parts)
When it’s not flooded, the beach area looks fun
Several cool looking walk-in camp sites along previously mentioned paved path - some along the beach
Probably gets very busy since it’s water in Texas
Because of flooding, the biking trails were closed so I did not get to investigate. There are roughly 18 miles of those, though.
There is one main hiking path, the 2.6 mile Dogwood Canyon Trail. Again, it was a sloppy day and I was only able to enjoy the paved path.
Will revisit someday, maybe, if there’s time
Isle Du Bois Unit
Similar in wooded nature to the Johnson Branch Unit, the paved Randy Bell Scenic trail is enjoyable but was flooded
Most of this park was closed to my nosy eyes due to flooding
Over 15 miles of biking trails, a few hiking trails, and a 10 mile multi-use equestrian trail
From the Isle Du Bois Unit one can take a greenbelt corridor south for about 4-5 miles one-way. There is a hard surface trail and a horse trail, both follow the river. All maps and park information can be found here. It is best to call the park to get up to date closures that may not be listed on the website. I’ve found that most parks have a Facebook page that will be updated with more relevant information if you want to try that before making a call. Stay safe out there and enjoy the state parks wherever you are.
