Boat access shapes a trip into the Dam B wildlife area

Dam B looks close on a map, but it does not work like a roadside park. Access to the majority of the Angelina-Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area is by boat. Public boat ramps and information stations are at Bevilport, the Walnut Ridge and Cherokee units of Martin Dies Jr. State Park, and Magnolia Ridge Army Corps of Engineers Park.

A couple of rules are worth knowing before you trailer anything down there. Airboats are prohibited on the area. If you use the Corps park, you need a permit from the Corps of Engineers office at the dam site. Hunters age 17 and older need both an Annual Public Hunting Permit and a valid hunting license. Non-consumptive use, such as hiking, wildlife watching, or photography, does not require that public hunting permit.

That mix is why the WMA deserves a little planning. It is public land and water, but it is not casual curbside access. Bring the right boat, the right permit if you are hunting, and enough water for a humid bottomland day. A paper map or offline map is smart too, because slough country can make a short outing feel larger once you are on the water.