Topic · Page 3
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Camp County · Fishing / State Park
Lake Bob Sandlin Touches Camp County — and Offers Good Fishing
Lake Bob Sandlin spans Titus, Camp, and Franklin counties, and the state park on the lake's north shore is just outside Pittsburg.
Cass County · Lakes & Recreation
Wright Patman Lake: fishing and camping on Cass County's western edge
Wright Patman Lake sits on the Sulphur River and stretches across Bowie and Cass counties, offering fishing, camping, and boating managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Castro County · Public Hunting
The Playa Lakes WMA near Dimmitt offers public waterfowl and pheasant hunting
Texas Parks and Wildlife manages a public hunting unit near Dimmitt, with limited access and seasonal drawn hunts for waterfowl and pheasant.
Chambers County · Wildlife refuge
A Major Coastal Refuge Sits on the Chambers County Shoreline
The Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, renamed in March 2025 from Anahuac NWR, protects coastal marshes in Chambers County. It is open for wildlife viewing, birding, and waterfowl hunting.
Chambers County · Hunting
Chambers County Is Prime Waterfowl Country
Chambers County's coastal marshes along Trinity Bay draw large numbers of ducks and geese each fall and winter. It is one of the top waterfowl hunting areas on the Texas coast.
Chambers County · Birding and wildlife
The Anahuac Loop Is a Key Texas Birding Stop
TPWD's Anahuac Loop strings together marsh, bayou, park, and bayfront birding stops across Chambers County.
Cherokee County · Deer Hunting
Cherokee County Has Antler Restrictions for Deer Hunters
Cherokee County is in the TPWD North Zone and has specific antler restrictions that limit which bucks are legal to harvest.
Cherokee County · Local Lake
Lake Jacksonville Is Working Water Close to Home
Three miles from town, Jacksonville's 1,320-acre municipal reservoir also supports fishing and three city-run public ramps.
Cherokee County · Fishing
Lake Palestine Offers Year-Round Fishing in Cherokee County
Lake Palestine is a 25,560-acre reservoir on the Neches River with strong populations of bass, catfish, crappie, and hybrid striped bass.
Childress County · Public Access
Hunting Public Land in and Near Childress County
Most hunting in Childress County requires access to private land, but a TPWD Annual Public Hunting Permit opens access to public hunting areas across Texas for a set fee.
Childress County · Hunting
Hunting Seasons in Childress County
Deer, turkey, quail, pheasant, and dove all run through this corner of the Rolling Plains, but each one keeps its own calendar, bag limit, and endorsement.
Clay County · State park / Recreation
Lake Arrowhead State Park offers camping, fishing, and trails in Clay County
Lake Arrowhead State Park sits on a large reservoir in Clay County and offers fishing, camping, hiking, and equestrian trails about 15 minutes south of Wichita Falls.
Coke County · Lake Recreation
E.V. Spence Reservoir offers fishing and camping near Robert Lee
E.V. Spence Reservoir, about 2 miles west of Robert Lee, has more than 14,000 surface acres and provides camping, fishing, and boat ramps managed by the Colorado River Municipal Water District.
Coke County · Lake Recreation
Oak Creek Reservoir is a fishing lake north of Bronte
Oak Creek Reservoir is a 2,375-acre lake about 8 miles north of Bronte on Highway 70 with fishing for catfish, crappie, and white bass, managed under TPWD statewide regulations.
Coleman County · Public Hunting
TPWD offers a drawn public hunt on a Coleman County ranch
Texas Parks and Wildlife runs a drawn hunt on a ranch in Coleman County, giving hunters without private land access a chance to hunt here.
Collin County · Nature Preserve
Arbor Hills Gives West Plano a 200-Acre Nature Preserve
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a 200-acre City of Plano park on the county's western edge, with trails through prairie, woodland, and creek-bottom landscape.
Collin County · Allen Park
Bethany Lakes Park Gives Allen Ponds, Trails, and Fishing
Bethany Lakes Park is a 47-acre Allen park with walking trails, ponds, fishing, biking, and disc golf.
Collin County · City Park
Bonnie Wenk Park Connects McKinney Play Space With Wilson Creek Trails
Bonnie Wenk Park in McKinney combines playgrounds, a pond, dog areas, sports space, and a link into the Wilson Creek Trail system.
Collin County · Prairie Park
Erwin Park Brings Prairie Restoration and Trail Riding to McKinney
Erwin Park is a 212-acre McKinney park with mountain-bike trails, pavilions, campfire sites, and active Blackland Prairie restoration.
Collin County · Community Park
Frisco Commons Park Shows the Family-Park Side of Frisco
Frisco Commons Park is a 63-acre city park with trails, a pond, fishing, playgrounds, a splash pad, and picnic space.
Collin County · Fishing
Lake Lavon Offers Year-Round Fishing Right Inside Collin County
Lake Lavon is a 21,400-acre reservoir in Collin County managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, known especially for crappie fishing in winter and spring.
Collin County · County Park
Myers Park Keeps Collin County's Rural Side Close to McKinney
Myers Park and Event Center is a 158-acre Collin County park with preserved nature, gardens, countryside, and county event spaces.
Collin County · Nature Preserve
Oak Point Is Plano's Big Nature Preserve on Rowlett Creek
Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve is an 800-acre Plano park with paved and soft-surface trails along Rowlett Creek.
Collin County · Prairie Preserve
Parkhill Prairie Preserves a Relic of Collin County's Blackland Grassland
Parkhill Prairie is a Collin County preserve holding a 52-acre relic of Blackland tall-grass prairie inside a larger county park.
Collin County · City Trail
Plano's Chisholm Trail Follows a Creek Through the City
Plano's Chisholm Trail is a city hike-and-bike route that follows a scenic creek through central Plano.
Collin County · Public Recreation
The Army Corps of Engineers Runs Parks All Around Lake Lavon
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages more than a dozen parks and boat ramps around Lake Lavon. Most are free and open to the public.
Collin County · Nature & Museum
The Heard Natural Science Museum Is a 289-Acre Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney
Bessie Heard founded the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary south of McKinney. It covers 289 acres with trails and nature exhibits.
Collin County · City Lake
Towne Lake Park Adds Water, Trails, and Disc Golf in Central McKinney
Towne Lake Park in McKinney gives central Collin County a small lake, a trail loop, and an 18-basket disc golf course.
Collin County · Lake Lavon Trail
Trinity Trail at Lavon Lake Is for Hiking and Horses
The Trinity Trail along Lavon Lake is a long equestrian and hiking trail, with wet-weather closures and a permit rule for large riding groups.
Collin County · Invasive Species
Zebra Mussels Are in Lake Lavon — Clean Your Boat Before Leaving
Zebra mussels have invaded Lake Lavon, and Texas law requires boaters to drain all water and clean gear before moving to any other water body.
Collingsworth County · Hunting Regulations
Hunting in Collingsworth County: Deer, Quail, and More
Collingsworth County has TPWD county rules for white-tailed deer, mule deer, quail, dove, turkey, and pheasant.
Colorado County · Hunting & Wildlife
Hunting in Colorado County: What Seasons Apply
IH-10 splits Colorado County dove rules: north of the highway is Central Zone, south is South Zone, while deer and turkey have their own county listings.
Comal County · Lake Recreation
Canyon Lake Put Recreation Around a Working Reservoir
Parks, ramps, campgrounds, and coves grew around a reservoir built first for flood control and water storage.
Comal County · Recreation District
Comal County Built a District Around River Weekends
WORD is a voter-created recreation district serving Canyon Lake and more than 30 miles of the Guadalupe River.
Comal County · State Park
Guadalupe River State Park Is Close to New Braunfels
Guadalupe River State Park near Spring Branch offers camping, swimming, tubing, hiking, and mountain biking along four miles of river frontage.
Comal County · Fishing
Rainbow Trout Are Stocked Below Canyon Dam Each Winter
TPWD stocks rainbow and brown trout in the Guadalupe River between Canyon Dam and New Braunfels each winter.
Comal County · Natural Springs
The Comal Springs Feed the Comal River in New Braunfels
Texas's largest spring rises from the Edwards Aquifer in New Braunfels and gives the short Comal River its flow.
Comal County · River Recreation
Tubing the Guadalupe River Runs Through Comal County
The Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam is a popular spot for tubing, kayaking, and whitewater paddling.
Comanche County · Fishing
Proctor Lake Offers Public Fishing and Boat Ramps
Proctor Lake in Comanche County is a public reservoir known for hybrid striped bass, with four public access points run by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Concho County · Hunting
Hunting Seasons in Concho County
Concho County sits in the North Zone for deer and turkey and the Central Zone for dove, a split that catches hunters who figure one zone covers everything.
Cooke County · Fishing & Recreation
Moss Lake is Gainesville's city reservoir and a public fishing spot
Moss Lake sits about 10 miles northwest of Gainesville and offers public fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, and white bass — but you need a boat permit from the city.
Cooke County · State Park
Ray Roberts Lake State Park has a unit in Cooke County
The Pecan Creek unit of Ray Roberts Lake State Park sits in Cooke County and offers camping, fishing, hiking, and water access about an hour north of the DFW metroplex.
Coryell County · Municipal recreation
Copperas Cove's City Course Follows the Hills
Hills of Cove is a city-owned course built into northeast Copperas Cove's rolling ground, not just another flat rectangle of municipal open space.
Coryell County · State park
Mother Neff Makes the Leon River Feel Like a Front Porch
A small park on the Leon River carries Coryell County's state-park origin story, with CCC stonework, canyon trails, and floodplain lessons in one place.
Coryell County · Public Land Access
Public Hunting Permit Opens Access to State Land
A state annual hunting permit lets you hunt on TPWD-managed public land across Texas, including areas accessible from Coryell County.
Coryell County · Creek country
Station Creek Keeps an Older Fort Name on the Map
Station Creek is a small Coryell waterway with a big clue in its name: Fort Station came before the county seat stories many people hear.
Coryell County · Water & Recreation
Two Main Rivers Shape the County
The Leon River drains the north and east, while Cowhouse Creek drains the west and south — both are central to the county's landscape.
Cottle County · Hunting
Cottle County Sits in Both Panhandle and North Zone Hunting Areas
Cottle County hunters can pursue white-tailed deer, mule deer, pheasant, quail, dove, and turkey — each with different seasons and endorsement requirements.
Crane County · Hunting & Wildlife
Hunting in Crane County is almost entirely on private land
There is no state wildlife management area or significant block of public hunting land in Crane County, so access depends on private landowner permission or a paid lease.
Crockett County · Hunting
Crockett County Has Both White-Tailed and Mule Deer Seasons
On the rocky western edge of the Edwards Plateau, you can hunt two kinds of deer, and the rules for each are different.
Culberson County · National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park sits partly in Culberson County
Guadalupe Mountains National Park protects the highest peaks in Texas and a vast ancient reef, with trails open to hikers and backpackers.
Dallam County · Public Land
Rita Blanca National Grassland Near Texline
The Rita Blanca National Grassland is federal public land near Texline where people can hunt, hike, and picnic at no charge.
Dallas County · Fishing Regulations
Alligator Gar in the Trinity River Have Strict Bag Limits
On the Trinity River from Dallas downstream, anglers may keep only one alligator gar per day, and it must be under 48 inches.
Dallas County · City Lake
Bachman Lake Sits Beside Love Field with a Trail Around the Water
Bachman Lake is a 205-acre northwest Dallas city lake on the north side of Love Field, ringed by a trail with picnic areas, a pool, and water access.
Dallas County · State Park
Cedar Hill State Park Gives Dallas County Lake and Prairie Space
TPWD describes Cedar Hill State Park as a 1,826-acre state park on Joe Pool Lake with trails, camping, fishing, boating, and Penn Farm history.
Dallas County · Nature Preserve
Cedar Ridge Preserve Brings Escarpment Trails to Southwest Dallas
Cedar Ridge Preserve is a roughly 600-acre natural area in southwest Dallas with about nine miles of trails over hill-country escarpment terrain.
Dallas County · County Preserves
Dallas County Has Its Own Preserve System
Dallas County's Parks and Open Space Program lists 21 preserves totaling 4,166 acres across the county.
Dallas County · County Preserve
Goat Island Preserve Shows the Rural Side of the Trinity
Dallas County lists Goat Island Preserve as a 637-acre preserve in unincorporated southeastern Dallas County along the Trinity River Greenbelt.
Dallas County · County Preserve
Rowlett Creek Preserve Gives Garland a Soft-Trail Network
Dallas County lists Rowlett Creek Preserve as a 94-acre Garland preserve with 16 miles of soft-surface trails.
Dallas County · County Preserve
Spring Creek Forest Preserves an Older Garland Woods
Dallas County describes Lee F. Jackson Spring Creek Forest Preserve as a wooded Garland preserve with paved and soft-surface trails along Spring Creek.