January 2020 in Review - State Parks Quest
A new year means a new calendar and new days to start exploring. January has been an interesting month for me, with not nearly as much time exploring the state as I had hoped. Work sent me to New Mexico for ten days and I went to Baltimore the weekend before and after that, so it was January 20th before I could even sleep in my own bed! While in New Mexico, I managed to sneak off and visit a few Texas NPS sites one afternoon. That same afternoon, I tried to visit Hueco Tanks State Historic Site and State Park but it was a good rock climbing day and there was a line ten vans-full-of-people deep and I didn’t have that kind of time. I’ll have to attempt a re-visit when I get back to El Paso for state parks or back to Guadalupe Mountains just for fun.
Two parks I did manage to get into and explore were Cooper Lake State Park - Doctors Creek Unit and Bonham State Park. I’d been to Cooper Lake before, but it was the south side Sulphur Unit. These two were close enough to one another to visit in one afternoon, and I managed to get a couple hikes in to boot.
Bonham State Park
Bonham State Park was okay, but I don’t think I need to revisit. The trails were a bit hard to follow and the bathrooms were locked, which was not ideal. I’m sure it’s a great place, but it is similar to many of the other parks I have visited in terrain and setup. I can drive half the distance for the same atmosphere, so I’ll just keep it local if I need some trail therapy.
Highlights: beautiful Lake Loop trail, tall trees, very quiet, and of course the lake
Low Points: poor trail signage
Cooper Lake State Park - Doctors Creek Unit
Cooper Lake, though, was a real treat. The trail there was through the woods and prairie, much like any other park in Texas, but it just felt different. Peaceful and fresh are my two main adjectives when I describe the trails at this state park. My hike at this unit was relaxed and truly an escape from the city. There was no ambient noise and very few people around the day I visited. The lake area had a cute pavilion and family gathering space, plenty of neat little campsites, and clean bathrooms.
Highlights: The trails, the lake, pavilion/day use area, very quiet
Low Points: A little soggy, but probably not all year
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, February is a bit more open for exploration. I hope to get a few more state parks ticked off the list as well as another NPS site. The more I can see before summer, the better. Where are your quests taking you this month? Answer in the comments! Happy Questing.