Texas State Parks

[RenFaire Camper]

middle of week camping trip to Lake Bob Sandlin state park. Great park we had the whole camping loop to ourself Weds and Thrusday. The slot we were in was about 20 yards from the lake with a nice path right down to the lake to go fishing. Very quiet could not even hear any road noise most of the time. Lots of old growth trees give plenty of shade and all the privacy you could wish. Good hiking trails, park was very well maintained, fishing at the lake and they also have a small trout pond for the kids to fish at. Lots of wild life had deer come within 20 ft of the camper while going to the lake for water. will post pictures later.

[Dovetail]

Make sure you put tyler state park on your list. Great place
First sat of month a group of dutch oven cookers there Free lunch.

Some of the ceramic heaters will shut off if disturbed. Good around dogs

[RenFaire Camper]

Tyler is on our list to do this summer special because we lover Caldwell Zoo so we'll get to both camp and visit the zoo at the same time.

[Dovetail]

Originally Posted by RenFaire Camper

Tyler is on our list to do this summer special because we lover Caldwell Zoo so we'll get to both camp and visit the zoo at the same time.

Caldwell is a pretty nic zoo for a town the size of Tyler.

Just north of the state park a few miles is a tiger refuge place.
Worth the time. Very well done.

[ddschuman]

If you make it down to the Hill Country, Inks Lake State Park is really nice.

[Red Wolf]

Originally Posted by ddschuman

If you make it down to the Hill Country, Inks Lake State Park is really nice.

But get reservations in advance! It is the second most popular park in Texas, after Garner. If you do go to Inks, be sure to stop at nearby Longhorn Caverns State Park, too! (And keep an eye to the left of the road for the big castle on the way to the caverns. Seriously)

[ddschuman]

Yes, reservations are a must at Inks but it is a really nice park and pretty lake (constant level). Very pretty area and lots of spacious sights with many of them backing up to the lake. I personally haven't visited Longhorn Caverns....I need to do that.

[RenFaire Camper]

Caprock Canyon State Park. huge park with several hiking trails, a small lake for swimming or fishing, lots of wild life for viewing including a herd of wild southern plains Bison.

We arrived Monday with the temps near 100, and very windy with gusts up to 30 miles. Monday night Tuesday morning rain heavy to light lasted till around 9am. Cool temp around 66 never got above the mid 90's The bison herd came right down to the lake within a few feet of the road. Afternoon hike along the canyon rim saw a small herd of mule dear grazing on the canyon wall.

Big prairie dog colony never the rest/shower rooms lots of fun to watch.

Tuesday night Wed. morning more rain light this time lasting till 10 or so. again temp mid 60s in the morning to mid 80s .

Temp rest of week never got over the low 90's managed to hike three of the trails and clime to the top of the canyon rim, great view.

Monday thru Weds only a couple of other campers in the park, Thursday the park started to fill for the fourth but never felt crowned.

[RenFaire Camper]

[Prothos]

wont be long before its time to head back to trf

[Zhanna]

Originally Posted by Prothos

wont be long before its time to head back to trf

We're already making our plans!!!!

[RenFaire Camper]

Three months all ready have tickets thanks to there May special still time for a couple more trips to state parks

[raspivey]

Picked up a handful myself during the sale a little while back.

[Pooneil]

Great report. I always thought it would be hotter out there in the summer. I need to get there this year.

[Red Wolf]

Originally Posted by RenFaire Camper

Caprock Canyon State Park.

Temp rest of week never got over the low 90's managed to hike three of the trails and clime to the top of the canyon rim, great view.

Our first trip there we didn't take nearly enough water for summer hiking, and were borderlined heat stroked by the time we got back to camp. After that we bought camelbacks!

Love Caprock and Palo Duro Canyon SP's. Your trail pics had me smiling.

We're heading out to Ft. Parker SP near Waco in the near future, it's been a few years since our last visit.

[thehamguy1]

Interesting strata in those pics. What made those nearly evenly spaced white layers?

The red and white layers would remind me of a red velvet cake if I were camped there. But then *everything* reminds me of some kind of food lately... Need more self control than I have.


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[Pooneil]

I can't say for sure about that rock, but there is a lot of tuff in that area of Texas. Some places in the region have small "dunes" of the soft rock. It is typically white or light colored, sometimes specked with aggregates.

From Wikipedia

"Tuff (from the Italian tufo) is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption."


Tuff - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[RenFaire Camper]

Here is what the park web site says

With a downcutting action, tributary drainages of the Little Red River have exposed geologic layers in the park down to the Permian age Quartermaster formation, formed approximately 280-250 million years ago. These layers are commonly referred to as “red beds” because of the red coloration of their constituent shales, sandstones, siltstones and mudstones. Each of the geologic ages exposed by this headwater drainage erosion is characterized by different colorations including shades of red, orange and white. The park’s steep and colorful canyons and bluffs are the breathtaking result of this powerful natural process

To me the white bands appeared to be a type of very soft white sand stone but could easly been ash I'm no geologist, very brittle with very definded grain up close it was very pretty white with red streaks running through it. The river bed was covered in pieces that had broken off and were very easly to break with your hands. Thought they would look very nice cleaned up and sealed with sometype of clear polymer and made into a paper wieght.

Had to be carefull on the Haynes Ridge overlook trail as the stone easly broke under foot and hand making the hike more challenging that it first appeared.

The area is far enough away from cities and towns that there is very little light polution and made for some wonderfull star and moon glazing through my telescope.

[Pooneil]

I'd go with what the park says then vs a lowland forest dweller.

[RenFaire Camper]

Just back from Cleburne state park a short over night trip got there around 11:30 Monday and left 11:10 today. short hike but even that my knee did not like. Swimming in Cedar lake was fine Jake really gets his lab on in the water worries me he might swim to far out. Lots of wild life the deer came right down in to the camping area.

The park is small built by the CCC in the 1930's labor day it was pretty packed not only with campers by day trips being only half hour from both Dallas and Fort Worth. But by 7 it had pretty much thinned out. very quiet for being so close to the metroplex.