Lone Star Travelers Blog

Visit our Fort Parker State Park Photo Gallery 

Fort Parker State Park is named for Fort Parker, a nearby historic settlement established in 1833 and site of the well known Comanche Indian raid of May 1836 during which Cynthia Ann Parker was captured.  One of the largest remaining tall grass prairies in Limestone County mingles into dense woodlands providing a pleasant, shady respite from Dallas 80 miles to the north or Waco 47 miles to the west.   In 1939 the CCC built a 729 ft dam across the Navasota River creating the 7oo acre Fort Parker Lake.  Canoe rentals are available seasonally at $25 for 8 hours or $15 for a 3 hour minimum.  Swimming is unsupervised from a small beach or you may fish from the banks of the lake, the dam or from one of the two fishing piers.  Common catches include crappie, bass, catfish or trout in season.  The Springfield 1.5 mile multi-use loop trail is for hiking or biking.  The .5 mile one way Bur Oak nature trail through the woods rewards the bird watcher as many different species swoop through the trees.  We observed bluebirds, cardinals, an indigo bunting and a red-tailed hawk.  The 1.5 mile each way Bainscreek Trail brings you up close to the herons and other shorebirds and wading birds frequenting the park.  The trailer camping loop (sites #1-25 water & electric) is well situated along the lake shore however most of the sites are close together and smaller suited for small trailers or pop-ups.  If your trailer is 25 ft or longer call ahead to see if one of the few larger spaces is vacant.  10 inviting shelters are set into a hillside overlooking the lake.  Primitive car camping sites #40-49 are a short drive down River Rd.  A vault toilet is in the area.  Tip:  You may paddle 3 miles on the Navasota River to the Confederate Reunion Grounds.  Allow 3-4 hours.  Call the park 254-562-5751 to inquire about the availability of shuttles.

We drove out to Big Bend National Park for the day while we were camped at Fort Davis State Park.  You may ask what you can do in Big Bend National Park if you are only going to be there for the day and the drive to get there is 150 miles each way.  The answer is not a whole lot however we did have a purpose for the side trip.  We have signed up to volunteer at Chisos Basin Visitor Center for three months in the summer of 2009 so we wanted to check out where we would be working and living.  We drove from Fort Davis on Hwy 118, through Alpine and on to Terlingua and Study Butte to the entrance on the west side of Big Bend National Park.  We stopped in at the Panther Junction Visitor Center first then headed up the 6 mile narrow windy road to Chisos Basin with it’s sharp curves and steep grades.  The visitor center is small but interesting with exhibits and items for sale.  The campground is nothing more than a rocky outcrop.  At 5,400 ft above sea level the summer weather is pleasant and it is of course surrounded by the magnificent Chisos Mountains however the camping spaces are small, not level and have no amenities.  (By this I mean water and or electricity.)  There is a comfort station with flush toilets but no showers.  There is a sink for dishwashing only. Trailers up to 20 ft are allowed however this campground is really best suited for the tent camper.  There is a campground host site with full hook ups (they frequently have openings for campground hosts) however this site was also rocky, not level and no shade.

Visit our Davis Mountains State Park photo gallery 

At a mile above sea level Davis Mountains State Park is the coolest place to be in the hot Texas summer.  The Davis Mountains, the most extensive mountain range in Texas were formed by volcanic activity 65 million years ago.  Located in Jeff Davis County, 1 mile north of the town of Fort Davis on Texas 17 then 3 miles west on Texas 118 the 2,700 acres of the Davis Mountains State Park offers great family fun.  There are 9 miles of hiking and nature trails, one of which connects with a trail to the Fort Davis National Historic Site, a mountain bike trail, an equestrian trail as well as Skyline Drive, a scenic mile high drive especially popular for star gazing.  (more…)

A photo gallery of Petrified Forest and Painted Desert including the Wilderness Area will be posted soon.  We are back in Texas, currently at Davis Mountains State Park in West Texas.  We will be posting on this state park as well as others that we visit as we make our way back home to the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.  

There are no campgrounds in Petrified Forest National Park.  If you want to camp in the back country wilderness you must obtain a free permit (for up to 14 days) at Painted Desert Visitor Center, Painted Desert Inn or Rainbow Forest Museum at least one hour before the park closes.  At the north side of the park the entrance to the 43,000 acres of wilderness area is at Kachina Point adjacent to the Painted Desert Inn.  300 ft of steep switch back trail will take you to the desert floor.  You may set up camp once you have crossed the Lithodendrom Wash approximately one mile in a westerly direction.   On the south side of the park the wilderness area is located at mile marker 24 known as The Flats.  Head west into the 7,000 acres for at least one mile before you set up camp.  You must pack in everything you need and pack it all out.  There is no water in the wilderness areas.  Carry all the water you will need.  Recommended is one gallon per person per day.