Really nice and quiet park close to the highway so it was a quick but fun stop…read moreTo play out here. Small parking lot but no restrooms.

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.

Always love! So clean and big and plenty of picnic areas! Just wish they had more a toddler…read morefriendly area but it was still pretty good in spit of that!

Went for my God daughter's First Birthday party. Nice layout and equipment. Park was clean and…read moresafe. Would recommend visiting it.

They keep their bathrooms locked here! They have 3 bathroom facilities here and they're all locked!…read moreIf they had bathrooms here, it would be a nice place, but we need to use the restroom every now and then, wash our hands before we eat, and have a private place to change into swimming suits so my kids can play on the splash pad.

Cute playground and splashpad in a hidden spot. The splash pad is touch operated and is still on…read moretoday, October 13. The playground is good for kids age 2 and up. There are wood chips so a hazard for the younger ones who still put everything in their mouth.

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.

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

I came to the small city of Kilgore, Texas, to visit my family, so when they took me to the…read moredowntown area, I saw this park!! This park pays homage to the oil boom here in the 1930s. On this 1.2 acres, once stood the greatest concentration of oil wells in the world, producing more than 2.5 million barrels of oil!! It's free, and easy to spot because of all the oil derricks!! The history on the plaque was definitely an interesting read, I did see one oil pump here also. There's paths to walk under the oil Derricks along with places to sit down. A very nice historical place in the middle of the town!!

It's a massive structure. But during the day it's, just that: big. Probably cooler lit up at night…read more Funner during an event or festival, maybe? But I was in town to eat at the Jalapeño Tree, and stopped by to check it out. So no lights. No celebration. It is an impressive sight. So I recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

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.