Boles Field keeps a fox-hound cemetery in the forest

Boles Field sits about eight miles east of Shelbyville inside Sabine National Forest. The recreation area centers on a cemetery for fox hounds established around the turn of the twentieth century. The graves give this forest campground a local history that is easy to miss on a recreation map.

Recreation.gov lists 20 campsites with water and electric hookups. The Forest Service also lists potable water, flush toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern posts. It does not list showers. Individual campsites cannot be reserved and are assigned in arrival order; the shelter and amphitheater use a separate reservation system.

As checked July 31, 2026, Boles Field was listed open year-round. Current fees, closures, and facility conditions can change, so check the Forest Service page before a special trip. The Sabine National Forest office number is 409-625-1940.

From Center, the Forest Service route runs south on Highway 87 for four miles and then east on FM 2694 for eight miles. The drive joins two Shelby County scenes: courthouse square behind you, then pine woods, camp loops, and a fox-hound cemetery ahead.