Topic · Page 13
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Rockwall County · Nature trails
The Reserve Nature Trails keep 70-plus acres of Heath wild on purpose
The Reserve Nature Trails keep more than 70 acres of Heath open for natural trails, trailheads, benches, wildlife, and wildflowers.
Rockwall County · Signature park
Towne Center Park is Heath's bet on a real town center
At 200 Laurence Drive, Towne Center Park adds an event lawn, pickleball courts, a splashpad, sports fields, and food-truck space to Heath's center.
Runnels County · Hunting
Hunting in Runnels County: Deer, Dove, and Turkey
Runnels County sits in solid hunting country for white-tailed deer, mourning dove, and wild turkey, but seasons and limits change yearly, so always check TPWD before you go.
Runnels County · Fishing
Winters-Elm Creek Reservoir: A Quiet Place to Fish
Winters-Elm Creek Reservoir is a 337-acre lake in Runnels County with largemouth bass, blue catfish, and white crappie — plus public access from a city park.
Rusk County · Bayou Headwaters
Attoyac Bayou Starts Near Mount Enterprise
Attoyac Bayou rises near Mount Enterprise before running southeast toward the Angelina River and Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Rusk County · Hunting Regulations
Deer, Dove, and Duck Hunting Follow Specific Rusk County Rules
Rusk County falls in the North Zone for deer and Central Zone for dove, which sets the season dates and bag limits that apply here.
Rusk County · Lake Landscape
Lake Cherokee Puts Rusk County on the Sabine Water Map
Lake Cherokee spreads into northeastern Rusk County on Cherokee Bayou, tying shoreline, water supply, power, and recreation into one Sabine River basin reservoir.
Rusk County · State Park
Martin Creek Lake State Park Is the County's Main Outdoor Destination
Martin Creek Lake State Park near Tatum offers year-round fishing, camping, and trails on a warm-water lake in East Texas Piney Woods.
Sabine County · Lake Fishing
Fishing Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend is a 181,600-acre reservoir on the Texas-Louisiana border, and a large part of it runs along Sabine County's eastern edge.
Sabine County · National Forest
Sabine National Forest: Public Land in the Piney Woods
The Sabine National Forest covers more than 160,000 acres across several East Texas counties and gives the public access to camping, fishing, and boat ramps on Toledo Bend.
San Augustine County · Hunting
Deer Hunting in San Augustine County: Public Land and Rules
San Augustine County is in the Texas North Zone for deer and includes parts of the Sabine National Forest where public hunting is allowed with required permits.
San Jacinto County · Scenic Area
Big Creek Is a Quiet Forest Walk Near Shepherd
Six miles west of Shepherd, Big Creek Scenic Area gives San Jacinto County a clear forest pleasure: a walk through varied Piney Woods habitat.
San Jacinto County · Forest Recreation
Double Lake Still Carries Its CCC Bones
Double Lake Recreation Area began as a 1937 Civilian Conservation Corps project and still reads like an old forest getaway.
San Jacinto County · Fishing & Boating
Lake Livingston Covers Part of San Jacinto County
Lake Livingston, a large reservoir on the Trinity River, spans San Jacinto County and offers fishing, boating, and camping.
San Jacinto County · Piney Woods
The Forest Is the Shape of San Jacinto County
San Jacinto County is Piney Woods all the way down: longleaf, loblolly, small farms, private timber, and a big share of Sam Houston National Forest.
San Jacinto County · Trail Conditions
Wet Weather Can Close the Forest Trails
Sam Houston National Forest is built for trail days, but rain and soft soil can shut routes down until they can handle traffic again.
San Patricio County · Wildlife Refuge
A 7,800-Acre Private Wildlife Refuge Sits Near Sinton
The Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation runs a 7,800-acre refuge eight miles northeast of Sinton. It is open for public tours and supports major wildlife research.
San Patricio County · Fishing
Lake Corpus Christi Offers Good Fishing Year-Round
Lake Corpus Christi spans parts of San Patricio, Live Oak, and Jim Wells counties and is known for bass, catfish, crappie, and alligator gar.
San Patricio County · State Park
Lake Corpus Christi State Park Has Camping, Swimming, and Over 200 Bird Species
Lake Corpus Christi State Park near Mathis offers camping, water activities, hiking, and exceptional bird watching in one of the last stretches of South Texas brush country.
San Saba County · State Park
Colorado Bend State Park: What to Know Before You Go
Colorado Bend State Park sits in San Saba County along the Colorado River and offers hiking, fishing, caving, and a 70-foot waterfall.
San Saba County · Hunting & Wildlife
Hunting and Wildlife Resources in San Saba County
TPWD has San Saba pages for hunting seasons, wildlife contacts, and landowner help.
Scurry County · Lake & Water
A 14,500-Foot Dam Made Lake J.B. Thomas
Built for West Texas water supply in the early 1950s, Lake J.B. Thomas pairs a city-serving reservoir with shoreline recreation and a broad Scurry County fishery.
Scurry County · Hunting
Hunting in Scurry County: Deer, Quail, and More
For Scurry County hunts, start with TPWD's county season page, then sort out access before you load the truck.
Shelby County · National Forest
Boles Field keeps a fox-hound cemetery in the forest
East of Shelbyville, a Sabine National Forest campground centers on a fox-hound cemetery established around the turn of the twentieth century.
Shelby County · Lakes & Fishing
Fishing Toledo Bend Reservoir from Shelby County
Toledo Bend Reservoir sits on Shelby County's eastern edge and is one of the largest reservoirs in the South, known for bass, crappie, and catfish.
Shelby County · Wildlife Management Area
Hunting and camping at North Toledo Bend WMA
North Toledo Bend WMA is a 3,650-acre public hunting and camping area in Shelby County, managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Shelby County · Birding & Habitat
North Toledo Bend is swamp bottom, birds, and pine ridges
Swamp bottomland, pine ridges, oxbow lakes, and a 500-acre waterfowl impoundment put several East Texas habitats in one public area.
Shelby County · National Forest
Sabine National Forest: public land in Shelby County
Sabine National Forest covers parts of Shelby County and offers camping, fishing, and hiking on federal land along Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Smith County · Neighborhood park
Bergfeld Park keeps an old Tyler neighborhood gathering place active
Bergfeld Park, in an older part of Tyler off Broadway, pairs an amphitheater and sprayground with tennis, pickleball, and a playground.
Smith County · City park
Faulkner Park mixes ballfields, sprayground, fishing, and nature trails
Faulkner Park in south Tyler packs ballfields, a fishing pond, a sprayground, a skate park, and nine miles of nature trails onto donated land.
Smith County · Fishing
Lake Palestine offers good fishing just outside Tyler
Lake Palestine is a 25,560-acre reservoir on the Neches River with strong populations of bass, catfish, crappie, and striped bass.
Smith County · Local Water Supply
Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East supply water to the city of Tyler
Smith County has two city-owned lakes that serve as Tyler's drinking water source and also provide recreational access.
Smith County · Urban trail
Rose Rudman ties south Tyler parks into a trail system
The paved Rose Rudman trail links up with Southside Park and South Tyler trails to form a connected south-Tyler walking and biking corridor.
Smith County · Timber Land
Smith County sits in the Piney Woods — timber is a major land use
East Texas pine and oak forests cover much of Smith County, and timber production has been a major industry here for over a century.
Smith County · Rivers
Two major rivers border Smith County
The Neches River and the Sabine River border Smith County and feed the county's lakes and wetlands.
Smith County · State park
Tyler State Park gives Smith County a piney lake anchor
Tyler State Park, just north of Tyler, wraps a cool 64-acre spring-fed lake in 100-foot pines, with camping, trails, fishing, and swimming.
Smith County · CCC trails
Tyler State Park trails carry a Civilian Conservation Corps story
Many of Tyler State Park's trails and stonework were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and you can still walk past their handiwork.
Somervell County · State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park protects real tracks in the Paluxy River
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose lets visitors walk in actual dinosaur footprints left in the riverbed.
Starr County · Public Land / Wildlife Management Area
Las Palomas is a string of small public-land units, not one park
Las Palomas spreads 18 wildlife units across the lower valley, including Starr County, and access changes by unit and hunt schedule.
Starr County · Fishing
On the Rio Grande, a road end is not an invitation to fish
Use a lawful public access point or landowner permission, then check current license and harvest rules before fishing the river.
Starr County · Hunting
Starr County's hunt list runs from chachalaca to sandhill crane
Starr County sits in several hunting zones, and the required endorsement changes with the bird or animal on the day's list.
Stephens County · Fishing & Recreation
Hubbard Creek Reservoir Sits Just West of Breckenridge
Hubbard Creek Reservoir is a 14,922-acre lake in Stephens County with public boat ramps and fishing for bass, crappie, and catfish.
Stonewall County · Hunting
Hunting Seasons in Stonewall County
Stonewall County hunting rules are not one simple calendar. TPWD splits the county into several zones by species.
Swisher County · Water / Recreation
Mackenzie Reservoir Supplies Water and Recreation Near Tulia
Mackenzie Reservoir on Tule Creek provides municipal water and outdoor recreation for communities in and near Swisher County.
Tarrant County · Nature Refuge
A Drinking-Water Buffer Became Fort Worth's 3,621-Acre Refuge
Fort Worth bought land around Lake Worth to protect drinking water. It became a 3,621-acre refuge of prairie, woods, marsh, and wildlife.
Tarrant County · Lake Levels
Check Tarrant County Lake Levels Anytime on the TRWD Website
TRWD's daily report puts lake elevation, pumping, releases, and evaporation in one place for the reservoirs tied to Tarrant County's water system.
Tarrant County · Garden
Depression-Era Work Built Fort Worth's Botanic Garden
The 120-acre garden pairs a 1933 sandstone Rose Garden with a Japanese strolling garden that opened in 1973.
Tarrant County · Lake Trails
Eagle Mountain Park Adds Lake-View Trails on TRWD Land
Eagle Mountain Park is a 400-acre TRWD park with hiking trails and bluff views over Eagle Mountain Lake on the northwest side of the county.
Tarrant County · Fishing
Fishing at Benbrook Lake in Tarrant County
Benbrook Lake sits about 10 miles southwest of downtown Fort Worth, with largemouth bass, catfish, hybrid striped bass, crappie, and white bass in a reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Tarrant County · Fishing
Fishing at Eagle Mountain Lake in Tarrant County
Eagle Mountain Lake is an 8,738-acre West Fork reservoir where boat docks, reeds, and open water create several different kinds of fishing.
Tarrant County · River Park
Fort Worth's First Park Purchase Became Trinity Park
Fort Worth bought its first parkland along the Clear Fork in 1892; that modest west-bank park grew into today's 252-acre Trinity Park.
Tarrant County · State Parks
Four State Parks Give Fort Worth Four Different Landscapes
A short drive from Fort Worth can lead to a spring-fed lake, sandstone climbing walls, dinosaur tracks, or rare pockets of Blackland Prairie.
Tarrant County · River Park
Gateway Park Turned Former Treatment-Plant Land Into 791 Acres of River Green
Fort Worth's only metropolitan park grew from 160 acres near a former treatment plant into a broad east-side river landscape with woods, trails, fields, and Fort Woof.
Tarrant County · City Lake
Lake Arlington Gives the County Another Everyday Water Place
Lake Arlington is a city-managed lake with park access, boat ramps, fishing, and shoreline recreation on the county's southwest side.
Tarrant County · Trail Park
Marion Sansom Park Brings Lake Worth Bluffs and Trail Views
Marion Sansom Park is a Fort Worth park on Roberts Cut Off Road near Lake Worth with wooded trails, bluff views, and a rougher outdoor feel than most city parks.
Tarrant County · River Fishing
River Fishing on the Trinity in the Fort Worth Area
The Clear Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River in Tarrant County offer accessible river fishing for catfish and other species.
Tarrant County · Urban Forest
River Legacy Parks Protect Trinity River Woods in Arlington
River Legacy Parks gives Arlington a 1,300-acre Trinity River green space with forest, trails, and a nature science center.
Tarrant County · State Park
The CCC Built Cleburne State Park Around a Spring-Fed Lake
Cedar Lake, its three-level spillway, and much of the park's early stonework came from Civilian Conservation Corps labor in the 1930s.
Tarrant County · Trail Network
The Trinity Trails Tie Fort Worth Parks Together
TRWD's Trinity Trails are a 100-plus-mile river-corridor trail system that links Fort Worth's parks, gardens, and landmarks.
Tarrant County · Downtown Park
The Water Gardens Move 19,000 Gallons a Minute Through Downtown
Fort Worth's 1974 downtown landmark turns concrete terraces, forty spray nozzles, and three very different pools into a park made mostly of moving water.