We loved Choke Canyon State Park in the South Texas Plains.  The Calliham Unit in McMullen County offers overnight facilities while the South Shore Unit in Live Oak County is for day use only.   Some of the best fishing in Texas for large mouth bass draws tournament anglers as well as the casual fisherman to the huge Choke Canyon Lake Reservoir (26,000 acres), a water source for Corpus Christi.  Trophy fish over 10 lbs are common.  When you arrive at the park ask for a lake map (very basic) with tips of where to find the largemouth bass and crappie and how and when to catch them.  There is also a 90 acre stocked pond for fishing.  (catch and release only)  Choke Canyon State Park is a major destination for “birders.”  When we visited in February there were many people walking the nature trails, binoculars to their eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of the Crested Caracara (Mexican Eagle) thoroughly enjoying the birdwatching.  Many of the birds are Mexican species drawn to their Northern range limit here.  The American Birding Association jointly with the Bureau of Reclamation has declared this area a special place for birds and bird watching. Guided bird walks are conducted seasonally.  Wildlife commonly seen in Choke Canyon State Park include white tail deer, wild turkey, javelina, coyote and even the American Alligator commonly venturing this far west.  Facilities for families at this park are outstanding including a gymnasium, recreation hall, dining hall, group picnic pavilions, basketball court, tennis court, shuffleboard courts, even a baseball diamond.  There are walk-in (50 yards) primitive campsites and 57 trailer or Rv campsites, back in or pull thru with water and electricity.  Many of these are lakeside.  We stayed in site #15 with direct lake access.  Picnic tables are covered and have windbreak on three sides.  Note:  The park gate is closed at 10 PM and opened at 6AM.  If you will be arriving after hours call the park (361-786-3868) before 5PM for the gate combination number.

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1. Purtis Creek State Park, Eustace Texas
2. Huntsville State Park, Huntsville Texas
3. Rusk/Palestine State Park, Texas