An uncrowded state park with two units on Cooper Lake in Northeast Texas. The South Sulphur Unit has a swim beach and screened shelters that are perfect for family camping. The Doctor’s Creek Unit offers equestrian camping and longer hiking trails through bottomland forest. The park rarely hits capacity which means you can often get a campsite on short notice when other parks are full.
A charming CCC-era park with a small lake surrounded by limestone bluffs and juniper forest. Kids can fish from the shore or rent paddleboats and the Bosque Trail loops through varied terrain with creek crossings that are fun to navigate. The screened shelters are a comfortable camping option for families not ready for full tent camping. Birders come here specifically for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler in spring.
A catch-and-release lake stocked so well that kids are practically guaranteed to reel something in on every visit. The 355-acre lake has a no-wake rule so it stays peaceful for bank fishing and kayaking. Easy trails loop through the pine and hardwood forest around the lake and the screened shelters offer a bug-free camping experience.