Topic · Page 12
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Palo Pinto County · State Park
Possum Kingdom State Park: Camping and Fishing on a Clear-Water Lake
Possum Kingdom State Park sits on a large lake in Palo Pinto County and offers camping, fishing, boating, and swimming about an hour west of DFW.
Palo Pinto County · State Park
Strawn Has 4,871 Acres of State Park Country
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park opens former ranchland, rocky hills, and a quiet lake near Strawn to hikers, riders, campers, paddlers, and anglers.
Palo Pinto County · Cross Timbers
The Palo Pinto Mountains Change Terrain in a Hurry
In the Western Cross Timbers, creek-cut limestone, juniper hillsides, hardwood bottoms, and pocket prairies crowd into the same rugged landscape.
Panola County · Fishing Access
Free Public Fishing on the Sabine River in Panola County
TPWD leases the Grand Bluff Boat Ramp on the Sabine River near Carthage, giving the public free access to launch a boat or fish from the bank.
Panola County · Lake Murvaul
Lake Murvaul Is Bass Water with Timber Still in It
Lake Murvaul covers 3,397 acres on Murvaul Bayou, with bass water, creek channels, aquatic plants, and old timber structure west of Carthage.
Panola County · Paddling
Paddling the Sabine Sandbar Trail Near Panola County
The Sabine Sandbar Paddling Trail offers 4, 15, or 19-mile canoe and kayak routes on the Sabine River through the Piney Woods.
Panola County · Piney Woods
Panola County Reads Like Pine, Creek Bottoms, and Sabine Drainage
Panola County's identity is written into sandy loam, small hills, pine-hardwood woods, and the Sabine River drainage.
Parker County · City Park
Cartwright Park gives Weatherford a lake inside a working city park
At 204 Cartwright Park Road, Sunshine Lake, fields, open space, and wildlife make Weatherford's city park feel more like a county edge than a ballfield complex.
Parker County · Garden & Trail
Chandor Gardens puts formal design beside Cross Timbers ground
At 711 West Lee Avenue, a half-mile nature trail sits beside Douglas Chandor's old garden rooms in Weatherford's historic district.
Parker County · Hunting
Deer hunting rules in Parker County follow the North Zone
Parker County is in the Texas North Zone for deer, with a bag limit of four deer per season and a specific legal buck definition.
Parker County · City Park
Holland Lake Park puts a small lake into Weatherford's daily map
Holland Lake Park gives Weatherford 40 acres of trails, ballfields, lake edge, and a Town Creek trailhead at 1419 Holland Lake Road.
Parker County · Lakes & Recreation
Lake Weatherford supplies city water and local recreation
Lake Weatherford sits inside Parker County and serves as both the city's water supply and a spot for fishing and boating.
Parker County · Hunting
Parker County has good seasons for turkey, dove, and quail
Hunters in Parker County can pursue wild turkey, dove, quail, and other upland game through most of the year.
Parker County · State Parks
Possum Kingdom State Park is about an hour away
Parker County has no state park of its own, but Possum Kingdom State Park in neighboring Palo Pinto County is a short drive west.
Parker County · Trail Terrain
Quanah Hill is Weatherford's hand-built rough trail
The 7-plus-mile Quanah Hill trail trades pavement for rock, roots, creek crossings, steep grades, and volunteer-built trail work.
Parker County · Trailway
The Lake Mineral Wells Trailway starts on Parker County ground
A reclaimed rail bed heads west from northwest Weatherford, crossing the quiet edge between the Brazos and Trinity country.
Parker County · Urban Trail
Town Creek gives Weatherford an in-town green line
Weatherford's 4.34-mile Town Creek trail follows the creek tree line without asking you to leave the city.
Parmer County · City Parks
Friona's city park puts festivals right on Main Street
At 700 Main, Friona City Park joins parades, Maze Days, the Cheeseburger Festival, a gazebo, and a playground on one downtown block.
Parmer County · High Plains
Parmer County rain often settles into playas
Parmer lies in a High Plains water region where shallow, rain-fed playas catch surface flow and become temporary habitat for birds.
Pecos County · State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park: What to Know Before You Go
Big Bend Ranch State Park sits along the Rio Grande near Pecos County and offers rugged hiking, paddling, and stargazing with very few services.
Pecos County · Reservoir
Imperial Reservoir Puts a Working Lake in Dry Country
Four miles south of Grandfalls, an off-channel irrigation reservoir brings open water and a state wildlife-trail stop to northern Pecos County.
Pecos County · Hunting Access
Public Hunting in and Around Pecos County
TPWD offers drawn hunts on public land near Pecos County, but you need a special permit on top of your regular hunting license.
Polk County · National Preserve
Big Sandy Creek is Polk County's piece of the Big Thicket
The 14,343-acre Big Sandy Creek Unit carries a visitor from upland pine into slope forest, sloughs, and creek-bottom floodplain.
Polk County · Big Thicket
Big Sandy Creek shifts from pine slopes to cypress sloughs
In one Polk County unit of Big Thicket, pine uplands, beech-magnolia slopes, floodplain woods, cypress sloughs, and sandylands sit close together.
Polk County · Fishing
Lake Livingston Is a Major Fishing Lake in East Texas
Lake Livingston covers about 90,000 surface acres on the Trinity River and is rated excellent for blue catfish and white bass.
Polk County · State Park
Lake Livingston State Park sits where river travel became reservoir life
The 635-acre park pairs campsites, trails, ramps, and a fishing pier with a shoreline shaped by the Trinity River's working history.
Potter County · Hunting
Cross Bar Hunts Use a Separate Drawing
The Annual Public Hunting Permit covers only listed walk-in units; Potter County's Cross Bar Management Area uses the separate drawn-hunt system.
Potter County · Recreation
Lake Meredith Offers Boating, Fishing, and Camping Near Amarillo
About 40 miles north of Amarillo, Lake Meredith spreads through the Canadian River breaks with boat ramps, campgrounds, trails, and fishing access.
Potter County · State Park
Palo Duro Canyon Opens Below the High Plains
South of Amarillo, the level plains give way to a state park that protects the country's second-largest canyon.
Potter County · National Monument
The Alibates Quarry Hike Goes Beyond the Visitor Center
You can explore the Alibates museum and short walks on your own, but reaching the ancient quarry pits takes a reserved ranger hike.
Potter County · Geography
The Canadian River Cuts Through Northern Potter County
The Canadian River breaks the High Plains open across northern Potter County, while Sanford Dam turns part of that river corridor into Lake Meredith.
Presidio County · State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park: What to Know Before You Go
Big Bend Ranch State Park sits mostly in Presidio County along the Rio Grande and requires permits for backcountry use.
Rains County · Freshwater Fishing
Lake Fork Is a Trophy Bass Lake That Touches Rains County
Lake Fork spans three counties including Rains and is one of the most closely regulated bass lakes in Texas.
Rains County · State Park Access
Lake Tawakoni State Park Sits on the Rains County Border
The 376-acre state park on Lake Tawakoni offers camping, boat access, and shore fishing without a license.
Rains County · Birding Identity
Two Reservoirs Made Rains County the Eagle Capital
The Legislature tied Rains County's Eagle Capital title to wintering bald eagles at Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni.
Randall County · Wildlife Refuge
Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge Near Umbarger
Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,664-acre federal refuge about 10 miles west of Canyon that now hosts grassland wildlife, though the lake itself has been dry for decades.
Randall County · Playgrounds
Canyon Built an Accessible Playground in Kylie Hiner's Memory
Two years of fundraising turned more than $1.2 million in public-private support into a fully accessible playground at Conner Park.
Randall County · Hunting Regulations
Deer, Pheasant, and Quail Hunting in Randall County
Randall County sits in Texas Panhandle hunting territory with seasons for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pheasant, quail, dove, and waterfowl.
Randall County · Park Hunting
Drawn Hunts Inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park
TPWD offers limited, drawn hunts inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park for exotic species like aoudad sheep and feral hogs.
Randall County · State Park
Palo Duro Canyon State Park: The County's Crown Outdoor Feature
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, located just east of Canyon in Randall County, is a massive canyon that offers hiking, camping, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Randall County · Palo Duro Trails
The Lighthouse Trail Leads 2.8 Miles to Palo Duro's Symbol
TPWD rates the 2.8-mile one-way trail as moderate and calls the rock formation at its end the symbol of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Randall County · Wildlife
What Wildlife Lives in Palo Duro Canyon?
Palo Duro Canyon's varied habitats support a surprising range of wildlife, including two threatened species found only in this area.
Reagan County · Hunting & Outdoors
Hunting in Reagan County is mostly on private land
There are no public Wildlife Management Areas in Reagan County, so hunters rely on leases and private landowner access.
Real County · River Access
Floating the Frio: What the Law Says About River Access
The Frio River rises in Real County and much of it is a public waterway, but you cannot cross private land to reach it without permission.
Real County · State Park
Garner State Park: Hill Country Swimming on the Frio
Garner State Park sits along 2.9 miles of the Frio River and draws large crowds in summer — reservations are essential.
Red River County · Hunting Regulations
Deer Hunting in Red River County Has a Specific Antler Rule
White-tailed deer hunters in Red River County can take up to four deer per season, but only one buck can have an inside antler spread of 13 inches or more.
Reeves County · State Park
Balmorhea State Park has a large spring-fed pool open to swimmers
Balmorhea State Park in Toyahvale features a spring-fed pool fed by San Solomon Springs, open year-round for swimming and scuba diving.
Reeves County · Pecos River
Red Bluff Was Working Water Before It Was Fishing Water
Built on the Pecos River for hydroelectric power and irrigation, Red Bluff also carries a fishery shaped by water swings and golden algae.
Reeves County · Desert Landscape
Toyah Lake Can Fill After Rain and Then Disappear
Toyah Lake is a shallow playa whose water can spread after a West Texas downpour, then shrink or vanish between storms.
Refugio County · Hunting
Refugio County sits in TPWD's South Zone for deer and dove hunting
Refugio County hunters work from TPWD's South Zone table, where deer, dove, turkey, and reporting rules sit on one county page.
Roberts County · Hunting
Roberts County is in the Panhandle and North zones for hunting seasons
Hunters in Roberts County can go after white-tailed deer, mule deer, wild turkey, quail, pheasant, and pronghorn. Different zone rules apply. Almost all land here is private, so you need permission from the landowner.
Robertson County · Public Hunting
Over 1,000 Acres of Public Hunting Land in Robertson County
TPWD's Annual Public Hunting Permit gives access to the Luminant Texas Unit in Robertson County, a 1,071-acre tract open for hunting and other outdoor use.
Robertson County · Lake Limestone
Sterling C. Robertson Dam Made Lake Limestone
An 8,395-foot dam across the upper Navasota created a water-supply reservoir whose stained coves and flooded timber now hold a fishing life of their own.
Rockwall County · Lake & Recreation
Lake Ray Hubbard borders Rockwall County and offers public access
Lake Ray Hubbard is a large reservoir that forms the western edge of Rockwall County and provides fishing, boating, and shoreline access close to the DFW metro.
Rockwall County · Water Supply
Lake Ray Hubbard is a Dallas water supply reservoir, not just a recreation lake
Lake Ray Hubbard was built by the City of Dallas to supply drinking water, and Dallas Water Utilities still owns and operates the dam today.
Rockwall County · Fishing structure
On Lake Ray Hubbard, the fishing follows bridges and old timber
Ray Hubbard was flooded over old river bottom and laced with road crossings, so the fish stack up on standing timber, riprap, and submerged brush rather than open water.
Rockwall County · Trail network
Rockwall's 20-plus miles of trails are the everyday outdoors here
The lake gets the postcards, but Rockwall's more than 20 miles of stitched-together trails are what people actually use to walk the dog, run before work, and bike to a park.
Rockwall County · Mountain bike trail
Squabble Creek is Rockwall's real mountain-bike trail system
Off Dickson Lane, Squabble Creek packs six miles of connected single-track into one trailhead, with hills, tight switchbacks, and rollers along the creek, open to bikes, runners, and dog-walkers alike.
Rockwall County · Lakefront park
Terry Park is Heath's public window onto Lake Ray Hubbard
Terry Park gives Heath a public Lake Ray Hubbard access point with a boat ramp, docks, picnic space, and a sunset-facing bench.
Rockwall County · Lake access
The free Highway 66 boat ramp puts Rockwall on the water
On the Rockwall shore of Lake Ray Hubbard, the city-run Highway 66 ramp launches boats for free, year-round, with three ramps and parking for about 40 rigs.