I first heard about Mineola years ago when I came here for a yoga retreat on my birthday. This is a…read moretown you would never expect has its own charm to it. Since then it holds a special place in my heart! Love that they have a nature preserve to showcase the beauty that is east Texas. If you are seeking quiet and serenity and all the nature views come here. Lots of options as well in the area if you are looking to hike or run. Also not too far from Tyler State Park but this is lovely if you are looking for something more on the smaller scale. Check online for hours of the park. They do events here as well. Awesome views to catch the sunrise. And best of all not too far of a drive from DFW if you are seeking a little oasis of a place. Take pics and enjoy.

Such a beautiful place to walk around, I would just be careful since there are snakes and…read morealligators.

Great place to visit. Quiet and petty. Found a secret waterfall too. Towns people are super nice…read moreand the lake has lots of places to picnic

Beautiful lake and waterfall. It's a great place to bring small boats, go fishing, and even to…read moreswim. The waterfall is the real hidden gem here though. It is quite a scene to see.

Looking for a place to hike? Bike? Kayak? Bird? Bring horses for a trail ride?…read moreThis is it. Several marked trails, about 65 miles of paved and unpaved roads with old concrete ruins rising out of the forest. This was once the Longhorn Ammunition Plant and has a lot of history that you can read about in the visitor center (if you can find it!). The visitor center is behind the Refuge offices. Take the first right after you enter the gates, then the first left to find it.

This was a great find by accident. We found out about it while at the state park and it was…read moredefinitely worth the stop. It is an old army ammunition factory that was turned over to the wildlife and fisheries department. Shells of some of the old buildings still stand. Lots of birds and wildlife, but very, very few people.

Went camping with my mom and my kids for a weekends trip. We stayed in one of the 2 cabins because…read moremy mom needs her sleeping machine. It was a nice little trip. I took a hike with my little man to see the pine trees lined up and then the next morning took my daughter the short way. The kids loved the lake and my mom loved the fishing. The power plant across the lake lights up pretty but the constant hum coming from it is a bit strange. All and all it was a nice little trip and I'm looking forward to going back. I didn't get a chance to go on the island and I'd really like to go back to do that trail.

Fairly small park with not much to offer. I was supposed to do a campout here with my hiking group…read morelast year in December, but I was moving. So, after Thanksgiving, I was already in East TX and decided to drive to the park to check it out. Checkin was easy at the ranger headquarters. I went inside to purchase a magnet. Their stickers selection was limited and the designs were unappealing. My first impression with the creek lake that it was very beautiful and reminded me of Lake Catherine State Park in Arkansas. The beach portion doesn't allow dogs, so I just viewed it from the park. There's a total of three trails. I found one, but not the other. I searched high and low to find it, but was unsuccessful. I ended up going on the Island Trail. The view of the power plant was nice. The plant was loud. The Island trail was a smooth hike. The path is covered in pine needles and if you look closely, you can find armadillos, rabbits, and field mice. Now the camping portion was very crowded and the sites were close to each other. I didn't see any private sites. It reminded me of Blanco State Park; where you're just close enough to your neighbors where you can see and hear them. How fun! This park isn't worth coming back to explore. I didn't like it much.

Buituful scenery park staff is super kind and the shower facilities are really really awesome…read more This place is so peaceful I love it there!!

Good park the fishing is not that good I think it's over fished good to walk and swim.read more

Awesome park Great…read moresites Lovely trees and water Nice park employees Canoes Boat ramps Hiking trails

This place is surreal. Extremely peaceful and well worth the drive. We stopped here on the way back…read morefrom Mississippi to take some pictures of the trees. The admission to the park is really affordable (like $4 per adult) and free for prior military. They have cute little cabins for rent and even canoes if you'd like to paddle around the lake. This place is a great day trip from DFW.

Gorgeous park! Came here for the first time this year for our first day hike. Then I made a pact to…read morecome back and camp here, which I just accomplished over the weekend. Can't speak much on the staff bc we barely interacted with them, they seemed mostly unbothered and nonchalant. We rent a screened shelter for 2 nights, Fri - Sunday. We actually got the last open shelter for the weekend, so we got lucky! We stayed in section 9. Very pretty area. Most of our fellow campers were courteous, although on our first night we heard music blaring from another part of section 9. For us to be able to hear it from where we were, they must have been LOUD so I can only imagine how their actual neighbors felt. And even though quiet hours are at 10, this music went on until probably around 11:30ish range. I also heard screaming and very loud laughing. Sounded like teenagers maybe. Remember people.... We all came out here to enjoy nature. Be courteous if you're sharing the space with other campers. Leave no trace ALSO includes noise pollution. It's ok to play some music and have a good time - I know I did! But I kept my music very low, and made sure to keep my voice down or at least not at such a volume that I could be heard across the camp ground. Anyway aside from that we had a wonderful time. The shelter was clean, the surrounding area was free of litter. We hiked, swam, made campsites, cooked, played games, rested in the grass, and had a grand time. I'd have to put this park up there on my list of top 5 parks. It's has everything! It definitely gave me *summer camp* vibes. The only thing I probably wouldn't recommend is the boat rentals. They are quite pricey. If you can swing it, bring your own!

On Sunday morning while in Tyler, my girlfriend and I made a drive up to Tyler State Park to…read moreadventure through the piney woods and explore another great state park together. What's really great about Tyler State Park is that it is not too far off of I-20 and the heart of downtown Tyler. It's actually kind of mesmerizing how close this preserved state park is from the city and how many people don't take that quick drive on a spring day. There's plenty of hiking to do on the almost one thousand acres of land. My girlfriend and I hiked the B Loop hiking trail, which is a little over 3 miles and was a very easy adventure for us. I wanted us to do more, but our legs were tired, so we called it there. Instead, we went to the Northside Day-Use Area to get our feet in the water and enjoy the view of the lake. Overall, it's a really fantastic park and I hope to return to do all A through D on the hiking trail. RIYL: Adventuring through the trees

Great place for picnic, fishing and grandkids love swimming just wish it wasn't so mossy when you…read moreswim but love that you have life jackets for the kids to use we love it here also the new floating deck need more of them and long piers to fish from.

This is such a beautiful spot just a few minutes from my home. It's so peaceful out here. There are…read moreno motorized boats allowed on the lake. You can bring a kayak/ canoe etc. and throughout the lake are life vests for the kiddos. So please be sure to utilize them. Keep the kids safe.

It's worth the few extra miles of driving from the center of Tyler to see these winding trails. A…read morenice pine forest and minimalist tracks to walk, run, or ride on.

I have rode this trail since it was first cut through these woods. So much has changed through the…read moreyears. This mountain bike trail is one of many in this great city. Designed and built by local riders and businesses, the intent is to open up cycling to everyone. That's exactly what has been done. This trail system can be enjoyed by all skill levels. It is essentially split into three sections that can be entered or exited off of a granite loop that can also be iced for a warm up or down loop as well as for runners or walkers or those with children. The trail is constantly being maintained and improved. The one thing I'm not happy with are that some of the trail in the last section is not marked well and you can find yourself riding a few loops over again or even riding the wrong direction! So be careful of this. The system has At least 6 miles of trails, this number may not be accurate anymore with the additions and in fact, my ride today ended up being 7 miles and I know I coulda pulled more out of it. Attached to the park are tennis courts, a splash pad, playground equipment, baseball fields, a small pound that is stocked yearly, and miles of hiking, biking, and jogging trails. Also, you can access the South Tyler trail system from here which is an excellent trail system that will take you all over the southern part of the city. The trail system is growing every day. Also located here is Tyler's newest Police Station so there's no shortage of police presence. I always enjoy coming to this park to run, ride, practice yoga, or just relax.

Fantastic park within the city limits. Wildlife all around- ducks, deer, squirrels. Love the…read morewalking and bike trails

A series of sports fields just south of town with an extension in the back that feeds into some…read morelovely trails.