Honestly Disappointed, was wanting to go fishing couldn't find a good place because there was no water where the dock is. We ended finding an okay spot in the south of choke canyon state park however, we had to walk through the tall dead grass was getting thorns in my shoes went to my feet. Just was a huge disappointment to me in my opinion. read more

Great camping spot. Sad to see the lake disappearing. Lots of birds and wild life to see. Large camping sites and very quiet. Covered picnic table, clean bathrooms. read more

Camped here with a group over Veterans Day weekend. Starting with the pros.. our campsite was huge! We had enough space for three tents, plus could have fit at least one more. The bathrooms were clean, and each campsite had a nice cover over the table. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. However, the hiking trails were really just walking trails and weren't that exciting. We were also woken up every morning at 5am because the duck hunters would unload near our site and walk down to the lake. If you did manage to fall asleep you were soon woken up to gunshots starting around 6:30 for hunting. The first night, right at dusk, we were attacked by some sort of nasty flying bug.. I think maybe industrial terminates because they came from the ground. It was terrorizing. But didn't happen the second night. And the Javelina's were really cool to see, but an absolute nightmare for our guardian dog. They do get close to the campsite, even if people are out, and our dog declared them as public enemy number one. So we were always on edge and looking for them before he caught wind of them. If you are looking for a chill spot to just hang and camp, I recommend. But if you are looking for more activities in a park, this honestly wasn't the place. The kids activities that were scheduled for the Saturday were cancelled, which was disappointing. read more

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Really cool place to fish and hangout. Don't camp during the summer it is brutal. It's very hot but it's very natural. It's a great place to take the family and look at the wildlife in the morning. It is hard to fish from the bank there is a seaweed moss type thing going on edge. But if you have a boat there are plenty of places to hunt fish. They are in abundance there. They also have bass tournaments there. We saw turkeys, rabbits, deer, javalina, gators, and other bugs and fish. It is really nice and plenty of things to do. read more

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I went in the middle of the week and even though online it said it was pretty fully-booked I only found a few people staying within the park. The amount of privacy because of that is really nice. The amenities are not the cleanest, wasps nests infested all of the picnic areas around the tenting spots. The water doesn't look very clean. While I did not spot any gators from the sure, the multiple signs, reviews and sounds I've heard from the water at night does not sound like any water I would want to get close to. The birds around the area are VERY noisy at all times at night (not really the park's fault, but just an observation). Overall, the stay was relaxing to just sit in the shade during the day reading a book, making s'mores at night and having no expectations of anything! But if you are looking to get active at a spot with a lot more to offer I would look elsewhere. read more

Choke Canyon State Park - Tenting area - Parks Near Me - Calliham, Texas

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I went for a Duck Hunt. The property is kept very natural, and the birds came in just as we needed them, too. Moose Out read more

Wife and I are state park pass members... so we go to a lot of state parks. On a rv trip back from South Padre Island we stayed one night. The park itself is very beautiful, rv camping spots are very spacious. Our first ominous sign was seeing the park located fairly close to a Federal prison. There are numerous signs posted to beware of alligators (why would anyone go swimming here?) There really are not many hiking trails. Our camp site had numerous wild javelina on it. We tried to sit out at our camp site during the day but the place is run by a protected species of leaf gathering ants. They are literally coating the grounds and trees around our site. In an attempt to sit by our fire at night, we were dive bombed by a large number of aggressive bats. The water in our rv, even after filtering is pretty rough and cloudy. This is a beautiful place, but just not our cup of tea. read more

Cell service is very sketchy. Park is scenic and spacious. A very nice spot but definitely off the grid.

Choke Canyon State Park consists of two parks that are about 14 miles apart. For the South Shore Unit, there is no overnight camping. This is a better spot for fishing, I'd say, because of the bigger boat dock. It also isn't as busy. The Calliham Unit is the bigger of the two with the overnight camping and cabins. There are a few hiking trails going through the park. It was completely booked when I was there, on a holiday weekend, and I'd recommend booking in advance. The toilets and showers by the camping area didn't smell great, like they hadn't been cleaned in a bit. I saw lots of wildlife here including a mama javelina and her two piglets, deer, rabbits, turkey, but sadly no alligators. read more

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This park is probably better suited for those that want to hunt or fish. We just wanted to get out of the house during the pandemic so we rented a cabin for three nights during New Years. The visit didn't start off great since I received a voicemail telling me that if we arrived after 4pm then the cabin would be unlocked with the key inside. We drove to the cabin and it was locked so we had to drive back to the entrance only to be told that it had just been dropped off. The cabin is very bare bones - three twin beds with not so comfortable mattresses (then again, I'm like The Princess and the Pea), some shelves, and a/c only, no heat. Thank goodness we brought a portable heater especially since night temps dropped into the 30s! Some of the cabins are located by the lake and have scenic views. If you're wanting to sleep in late you will probably be awakened by hunters shooting and the roar of fishing boats. We didn't spot any alligators but did see turkeys, some deer came by our cabin, we heard coyotes at night while walking to the restroom, and a javelina came by to get a drink from a leaky outdoor faucet. There was a nice bird watch in the tent/RV camping area. The bathrooms had a rather unappealing odor like dirty water. I know this is not typical of all Texas State parks because I have visited others. We only did one walking trail since I don't think there were any others. Several facilities were closed due to the pandemic. There isn't a store inside to buy supplies but Three Rivers is minutes away if you need anything. I think i was spoiled by a stay at one of Garner State Park's cabins a couple of weeks before visiting Choke Canyon. We ended up leaving after two nights since it was just too cold and the bed was uncomfortable. Roughing it certainly gives me an appreciation for the comforts of home! read more

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Such a peaceful spot. If you don't mind the alligators. This is a sort of canyon that they turned into a big lake out the middle of Texas. There's a large dam on the south east side of the lake that shores everything up. You can drive out to the start of the dam, where they have an observation hut with some shade, parking, and a lot of bird nests. From there, you can survey the peacefulness of the lake and take it all in. Further down, you can go launch a boat but no swimming, due to the number of alligators out there. Please don't feed the alligators! I went out and looked at the area where you could sit on a picnic table under a structure on a concrete slab and take in the view of the lake. However, a bunch were closed due to wasps. But, the place was deserted when I went, so that wasn't much of a problem. The park is clean, and quiet. You could hear distant far off gun shots, but I'm sure those are hunters, and not Three Rivers going crazy! It's a good place to go if you have a boat with a motor that's fast enough to get away from gators. Admission to the park is $5, but the State Parks system is offering a deal where you can get a year of free entry into the parks for a flat fee. read more

Great place in Winter to Go Birding However I do have a Concern about the 18 ft Alligators in the Lake And yet People are allowed to Swim. read more

Choke Canyon State Park - Alligator - Parks Near Me - Calliham, Texas

Wonderful, clean and quiet park!! Beware of the alligators! They're here!! We saw none in the campground area though.

This is the most run down, unkept Texas State Park that I've been to.. This park is supposed to be one of the top "birder" sites, but it feels like the rangers there haven't got the memo. We went first weekend in August specifically to see a Green Jay.. The young lady at the check in desk told me to "walk the trails and keep my eyes open", when I asked the best place to see those birds. I walked the trails for 3 1/2 hours, it was 94 degrees, almost 100% humidity, and I didn't see any birds, other than Cardinals. I stopped in at the docks, and asked two park rangers about the Green Jays.. the first guy was very young, he didn't know what a Green Jay was.. the second told me that "this wasn't the season for green jays, they're here during the winter". Of course, Green Jays don't migrate, they stay year round, once they find a place to live. As I was leaving the park, I drove to where the electric/water hookups were, and guess what.. a sign saying "Bird Sanctuary", right there hidden between camping sights. That was about 5:30pm, I sat there for an hour, got a picture of an Audubon's Oriole, and some other things.. came back the next morning, and there were the Green Jays. There are other cool birds there, too, like the Great Kiskadee, Olive Sparrow, etc, but the Green Jays are the star of the show. The bird sanctuary was NOT on the map, and as already mentioned, none of the rangers seemed to know it was there. There are no vending machines to get water, the check in Ranger station doesn't have water, I didn't see any drinking fountains anywhere, either, so be sure to bring your own. Maybe our trip there was not "in season", but there was nobody there, buildings looked closed (for good), it looked like a ghost town. There were some people fishing on the lake, and some people in the camping sites, nobody on the trails (but me). Very disappointing that this is advertised as a birding hotspot, and yet the people working there seem oblivious, especially when people (like us) come in from a distance, specifically for that reason. I would have given this park a one star rating, had I not found the bird sanctuary, but because I did see several really unusual/rare birds there, I gave it a two. Still, the park is terribly run down, and the rangers were uninformed, that's what it deserves. read more

Choke Canyon State Park - Parks Near Me - Calliham, Texas

Very nice state park we stayed in rv site 108 perfect!! We'll maintained & pleasant staff

I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. We came for a day trip 3/19/16. There were many fishing areas, this park is surrounded by water and it's pretty. The fish were not biting in the areas we tried (worms for bait) unfortunately. I assume you'd have better luck fishing from a boat here. Many times our line got tangled in sticks by the shore. Don't park near fish cleaning stations (so stinky and many flies). We didn't see any gators (but saw warning signs) anywhere but did see turkeys, egrets, vultures, a bunny, and deer in one afternoon. We enjoyed biking around the park. Be careful of thorn plants hidden among the grass. The trails we biked were nice and we didn't get to explore them all. The park was large and peaceful. Shelter areas have a/c units so would be useful in the summer. Restrooms were not the nicest. read more

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I love state parks, and go to them a few times a year for camping. I've always had a positive experience, but this one was different. The staff wasn't very friendly. I'm not sure if it was because it was a busy weekend, or just how they are. The camping sites are spacious and sunsets are beautiful, our group enjoyed themselves even though the staff wasn't so friendly. The restrooms could be cleaner too, but that's expected at a public park during peak times. read more

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This is a really interesting place, however their trails are very short. It is good for fishing and it is cold because they have a fish cleaning station. You can drive in your car and boat and fish till your hearts desire. There are facilities like a tennis court and some small cabins you can rent. It is nice because it doesn't seem like the park get busy. We went and only one cabin had people. We saw one boat. There are alligators so be careful. This is a great site for birding and seeing some wildlife however this place looks like a swamp. While we were here, we saw some very pretty birds, wild turkeys, rabbits everywhere, and some snakes. It is a state park so passes are accepted. On your way here, there is a small town Three Rivers where there are lots of gas trucks that come to load. read more

Choke Canyon State Park - Gobble gobble! - Parks Near Me - Calliham, Texas

On Tuesday, December 29th, my husband and I found ourselves parked in the 75 Acre Lake parking area with a dead battery. My husband was able to wave down 2 of the park rangers and ask for their help. The park rangers drove back to their maintenance department, picked up some jumper cables, came back and after having us sign a release (explaining that jumping a dead battery is all that they are allowed to do when a visitor's vehicle had broken down in the park) jumped our dead battery and got us back on the road. We really appreciate their help and their wonderful attitudes while helping us! read more