Nice place w/restrooms and picnic area. Good fishing.It was really clean outdoors. I did not go into the facilities, so I can't comment on the condition inside restrooms. Nice trail. It had been mowed.(you can tell. Didn't have to worry about running upon a snake or some critter. I did not see where to pay the $7 though, so I decided to see if I could find it online. No ATM's etc. There was a metal box it seemed, but I wouldn't deposit any cash into that. They need a better means of collecting the $7. maybe at the entrance? Maybe they are working on that. (smile) Overall, it was a great experience and I did catch some buffalo fish. My neighbors caught a nice channel catfish using cut bait. read more

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great spot on the lake. there was a pier for fishing. also a good network of nice walking paths. read more

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It is so beautiful here. We came at a perfect time and got to see a beautiful sunset. read more

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PROS -beach area for the kids if you like that sorta thing -nice mostly-shaded hiking trail(s) -can observe deer -playground for the kiddos allbeit small CONS -those annoying trees with the spiky balls that are just havoc and painful -ant piles galore -ridiculous getting in to begin with but getting back in with day pass, even more ridiculous. Only one lane open and there should be enough staff to open another lane. Please do it or else there's no point in coming back. read more

This is my personal favorite happy place: A very well run bio-diverse section of property maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Ray Roberts, a huge man made lake in the area that is a relaxing drive from the hubbub of living in the Home of Happiness, Denton, Texas U.S.A. I am a quadrilateral amputee from meningitis who is an observer of the frictions of public health policies and its negative consequences for the American, and especially Native Texans who have lived here faithfully and give credit where it is due. Let us keep our natural resources safe from abusers and let average families to enjoy the peaceful land and waterways. Keep public lands open to the general public, who live nearby. Cheers, Mark C. Fearing, Ph.D. read more

Really love this park... Great for families too! First time I've seen a park that also has a place for your horses right next to your camp site! That was cool... The beach though is really nice... large swimming area with a soft sand beach and a roped off area. There are also covered and uncovered picnic tables with grills close to the beach area. Bonus for a really nice updated park with lots of activity areas for kids. On the opposite side were some people on stand up paddle boards, another sandy beach area and a huge covered picnic pavilion. Impressed with this park and beach area! I haven't camped yet, but looking forward to booking one! read more

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Pretty huge lake. There are hiking trails, area for camping and other fun activities. You can also rent a canoe to go on the lake. When we visited the lake, it was very windy and the water was choppy so I wasn't trying to get on a canoe. Restrooms are ok but some toilet doesn't wanna flush and sinks tend to get clogged. I'd love to come back on a nice summer day and enjoy the water more. read more

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Well maintained. Main beach area is very crowded you are better off going to a camping area to go into the lake where there are less people

We had a great time day hiking at the Isle du Bois unit! We went online to make a reservation the day before and printed off our receipt. When we arrived we showed the attendant the printed receipt and he scanned it and we were checked in so quickly! We just placed our receipt on the dash of our car and we were all set. We have an annual Texas State Park pass, so admission is free (you save $7 per person!) for the entire car. If you are camping overnight you would need to pay for your site fee. We did a day hike with the grandkids and ended up walking about 3 miles! Part of the paths are concrete sidewalks which would be great for someone in a wheelchair! We walked on some nice sandy trails and even went off the trail to find the lake. Hubby had a free app called Gaia GPS and once we turned it on, it tracked where we walked so we could find our way back and see how far we hiked. We also drove around the entire park to check out the trails and campsites, boat launch and picnic/playground areas. The bathrooms were clean and the showers looked nice. There were some pavilions you could reserve ahead of time for larger gatherings. This is a beautiful state park not too far from the city. We enjoyed being outside together in nature. read more

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The first time we went here on a weekend we had to turn back because they only allow 25% occupancy out of the max capacity of 700 people per day. They recommended we reserve a day pass in the future, which we did. If you don't have a state pass it's $7 per day per person. It's not a very large state park but it's nice with a good size lake and plenty of trails and cabins you can stay at overnight. You can book picnic tables by the lake or throughout trails. The restrooms was nice and clean. Many people were fishing when we were here. We just walked a 2.5 mile trail. We brought enough water but they also have fossets at places along this trail where you can refill if you need to. We saw different kinds of birds, deer and a large turtle along the way. This trail was a concrete trail so you can ride a bike if you prefer. Most seem to walk when we were here. I didn't see any restaurants which I didn't expect either. The ask you to use mask when you can't social distance (this was before the governor's order that you have to mask in public places where social distancing isn't possible). It was a neat place, we'll likely come back in the fall when it's not so hot. read more

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We made a reservation Pavillion 2 for a sunday. Place was clean and well maintained. It could definitely use better directions on the road. This pavillion is good choice if you have kids, with a play area close by , water view and beach area too. Will definitely go back in spring read more

Went to the Johnson branch side for swimming because the other side was full. But the whole park is clean and well maintained, and if you're lucky you'll definitely see some wildlife. As for the swimming area, it's extremely well taken care of and clean. The area itself isn't huge but was also not overcrowded on a Saturday, which was pleasant. The water is beautiful and the view is nice. There's a playground and sand volleyball court as well, nice additions to attract people. Will definitely be coming back here for some summer swim time read more

Specifically....Isle Du Bois. Great park! We tent camped in April with our kids. There's several great tent spots as well as RV hookups. Toilets and sinks in the community bathrooms (no showers). Lots of space to fish. The beach spot is really nice with a great playground, boat ramp with parking, sand volleyball, several covered picnic tables and grills. It's becoming a popular place and getting more crowded. I love all the trails great for mountain biking or walking. read more

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Get away from it all with this well kept local secret. Only about an hour north of Dallas. Friendly staff and well maintained facilities. Most sites, especially out on the point, are spaced out far from each other. Affordably priced. Books up 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Remember that the farther down the path you camp, the longer you'll be going back and forth with your gear. I got quite the work-out this weekend. Great family fun and father daughter bonding... "Hey dad, can we come back here some time?" "Yeah sure, when would you like to come back?" "Well, I was thinking maybe next weekend?" It's been 20 years since I've been back and it's just as natural and rustic as it was back then. Highly recommended for a weekend hiatus from the busy city life. read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Can you find the doe? - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

We love the place! Clean, quiet, off the beaten path....perfect! Oh, and the entry staff have ALWAYS been great! read more

My daughter, grandsons and I visited Ray Roberts Lake on Labor Day. The Park Ranger we worked with was very informative and friendly. We picked up our Texas State Parks Junior Ranger books and the Texas State Parks Passport Books. We are excited to start collecting our stamps for this passport!! We hiked two of the trails: the Lost Pines Trail and the Randy Bell Scenic Trail. The Lost Pines trail was very sandy, but good views of the lake! We really enjoyed the Randy Bell trail since it was paved the whole way, but there were not really good views of the lake! I would definitely recommend either trail and will return again sometime! read more

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Fantastic state park very clean and grate trails the beach area is very nice that have grills and Biggs palapas with electricity and big grill I love this park and my friends love it to we will definitely came back soon nos encantó este parque está muy limpio y tiene techos con asadores y palapas grandes con luz y asador grande el area de la playa está fantástica nos escaneo a mi y mis amigos definitivamente regresaremos pronto read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Nice lake - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

Awesome park!! Great clean sites to camp. Friendly staff. Grounds are kept very tidy. The lake it's great!! read more

Clean beach to go and have fun with the family. Beautiful park with an abundance of trails to experience. Our family likes to get together and have picnics there. read more

My friends and I went camping at the park. People peed in the lake where our camp site was at and it's stink there. Do not get in the water where the camp ground is because your clothes will smell like urine. We didn't enjoyed our trip because in the middle of the night around 2AM, our car got broken into. We caught them in time and left in the middle of the night, leaving our belongings behind because frighten for our life. There's absolutely no security cameras in placed. read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Lake smells like pee. - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

We were supposed to hike the Johnson Branch Trail but instead accidentally ended up at the Isle du Bois unit which worked out as we were open to an adventure. The cost is $7 per adult for all day hiking/parking pass. We ended up choosing to hike along the Randy Bell Scenic Trail (2.2 mile) as well as the Equestrian Trail but did not complete the whole 10 mile. A little unsure if it was really meant for hikers or mostly horses since the path was intermittently sandy and muddy. read more

For my 500th review I'm glad I still have a special place left to share. We've been coming here for years and this is my husband's favorite spot for camping and fishing near home. Just north of Denton, and east of Sanger, is Lake Ray Roberts. There are two major units, Isle du Bois and Johnson, with several satellite, self pay units nearby. The satellite units are nice and secluded and share the same hours of 6am to 10pm as the main units. They allow dogs, but they have to be on a leash no longer than six feet long. However, with Isle du Bois being my personal favorite as well, this review will focus on what this location offers. My opinion is that this is the most family friendly, and it has the widest variety of scenery and activities. I like my state parks peaceful, and while it can get crowded, there are so many spots that still give you that isolated feeling with a beautiful view. Entrance fees are free for children 12 and under and are $7 for everyone else. Since this is a state park, you do not need a fishing license to fish. Camping ranges from $15 for single tent sites to $35 for larger RV sites with more amps. Checkout for camping is at 2pm. Personally, I recommend you get the annual state park pass. It allows you to enter any state park free for everyone in your vehicle and it gives you discounts on camping. It's $70, but we got our full use of it by our fourth visit this year. This makes a day of fishing and grilling a cheap outing. From the main entrance where you check in (the lines can get long during nice weekends, holidays and summers, so arrive early) the different units within Isle du Bois are Hawthorn on the left, Bluestem on your right, Deer Ridge on your left, Quail Run on your right, Wild Plum on your left and then at the end is the boat launch and the beach. Hawthorn is popular with families and troop camping trips. There is a multi-person restroom and there is water on the trail to the sites. These sites are for tent camping and some of them are right on the water! There are also several paved trails for hiking and biking and a playground on this site. This unit also has more shaded areas. This location can get crowded on the weekends and people always seem really irritable during check out in this area. Anyone who has been camping with loved ones knows what I mean, lol. If you go camping with your family, try to remind yourselves that you love them and focus on the fun activities more than the pain of the setup and breakdown. :) The only negative to Hawthorn, if you bring your pets, is you tend to run across more pets off leash in this area. Bluestem is an equestrian unit and each site has two stalls! This unit has a single use restroom and shower. The coolest part about this unit is that there is a trail for the horses. Directly to the left of the start of the trail is a hiking trail to a kiddie pond that is educational for those new to fishing and has a decent amount of shade. There is an additional, non paved, hiking trail as well for those who are more experienced. If you hike, be careful of snakes! Deer Ridge is the most popular section for RV campsites, though Quail Run has some as well. Deer Ridge is more compact for the sites and they are closest to the restroom facilities. You see a lot more of the larger campers at this location and fewer sites are closer to the water. This location also has a small playground. Quail Run is more scenic and some of the sites are right on the water, including some parking spots for those stopping to fish. Plenty of secluded trails and several ponds in this area as well. You are most likely to see multiple deer in this area. Wild Plum is only a picnic area, so there is a small parking lot and a paved path to different spread out, picnic tables. When you get to the end, you can either go to the left where the boat launch area is or to the right where the beach is. These areas are set up for the masses with multiple restrooms, showers and plenty of parking. They are perfect for day trips, but also have the least amount of shaded spots so don't forget sunscreen and a hat! There are several big group pavilions you can reserve. The beach side is very family friendly and I have seen some people fishing, but it's mostly playing in the water and sand. There is also a volleyball court. The other side is a bit rocky, but makes for good fishing if it's not too windy. There are a ton of covered picnic tables and all of them have a grill. Please note, check the water is running before you get started on your grilling. On one of our April visits, both nearby water spigots were off and we had to get water from the lake to fully put out the fire in our grill. Other than that, it's a very large area with plenty of setup points for you and your pets. The only downside is that birds setup nests in the covered picnic tables so sometimes it's quite filthy. The view of the water is fantastic though. I hope you have a blast like we do! read more

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Always pretty, no matter what time of the year. Fun for the whole family! Play land for the kids, beach for the teens, gathering facilities for families and campers. read more

Nice lake. Seems like it's gets full fast though. I'd be interested in camping there sometime, but it gets crowded. I couldn't imagine having to camp 50 ft near some strangers. read more

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This is a review for the Isle of Dubois unit only. *SAFETY WARNING* I am a state park pass holder and frequent many state parks. I have had two back to back negative trips to this unit recently. My first began with my wife and I looking for a swimming hole and place to grill for us and 3 of our 5 kiddos. Started out great. Beautiful area, swimming hole seemed maintained well. It was super crowded but we still had plenty of room to swim and set up our chairs and grill. We spent time till dark there. Now here is where it got very frustrating. Only one light was functioning in the parking lot. And only one light was functioning in the group pavilion which was probably at least 60 yards from where we had set up. Funny thing is, is that there are plenty of lights in the area and the parking lot but none of them were working. We finally had to pull the car up and load 2 kayaks on a trailer and all our gear with the vehicle head lights being the our only source of light. Made for a crummy finish to what was a decent day. Second experience happened at the boat ramp 2 months later. Basically the same experience. Only one small light on the boat ramp. We have Supernova LED lights on our two kayaks and still could not see the boat dock only 20 feet in front of us. And we fish alot at night, so we come prepared. The three main lights that were working at the boat ramp the last time I was there, were all out and not working. We got what we could loaded up and drove up to only one light working in a huge parking lot. Its a shame that such a nice park would not find a way to have safety lighting for its guests. All the other state parks I have been to are not like this at all. I can't say that during the day I might not return there for the parks nice water and beautiful scenery. But I will refuse to attend this park anytime at night for my and my family's safety. read more

I really enjoyed this park! I couldn't believe it was in my backyard close to home. I'll definitely be back for camping. Today we hiked, ran some miles and picnicked. There's plenty ways to get some miles in. It's really neat seeing the lake. Go early to get a good spot it gets so packed on Saturdays. The park was fairly clean. The trails were pretty technical so be careful if you're not used to trails. The pavement allows you to get about 12 miles in. read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Entrance sign - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

This is a smaller state park than what I'm used to but it's very quaint. The RV sites aren't right on top of each other like other camping areas. The tent camping sites are well spaced and in the summer should give pretty good privacy. We've been twice now for day hikes. The staff is wonderfully polite and give advice freely. The park is well maintained and very clean. The bathrooms were in good repair and don't stink! We've gotten a lot of rain so the fishing pier is currently closed. Can't wait to see it this summer. read more

Just driving around through the wooded grasslands here is a treat. The hiking trails and the lakeside parts of the park are the frosting on top. Even if you're not big into hiking, go off-road to some of the dirt paths, the views are pleasant. read more

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Apparently others who posted here encountered the same "power-trip" ranger we did at the Isle du Bois area at Ray Roberts (see review below): We have had our little family-reunion campouts at various Texas State Parks for more than 20 years, and were shocked by the treatment we received from a ranger at Isle du Bois in Ray Roberts Lake State Park. We always book five campsites for our group of about 20 people, so we have a lot of room to spread out and not bother neighboring sites. On our first night in, we were talking and laughing and some people had just arrived. It was about 11 p.m., which is of course past the "quiet hour" of 10 p.m. A ranger approached my husband on the way back from the bathroom and said our group was too loud. My husband said he would tell everyone, but the ranger said, "No, that's not good enough-- I need to talk to them." The ranger came into the site where we were all sitting, shined his flashlight on us and said "I am an officer" as if we didn't know that and were supposed to be scared. He then proceeded to lecture our educated group of taxpaying campers, ages 25 to 68, like we were either children or drunken rednecks. Instead of politely reminding us to quiet down, he lectured us for at least five minutes, using the same words and phrases over and over. We stared in disbelief as he said "congratulations, you are the loudest group here, " "it's not all about you," and "we will give you one warning and then 'something else' will happen." It was almost like he was trying to pick a fight. We of course apologized and did tell him we had five sites, and he took the name of the person who made the reservations as if he was already planning his 'something else' threat. The experience was an insult to us and an embarrassment to the Texas State Park system. Checking this park off the list. read more

Awesome place to go camping! Restrooms are always clean, and the park is in fantastic shape... Plenty of wildlife to see! Great boat, watching area, and a beautiful fishing pier! read more

We made the trek here for the Texasman triathlon. It's the first opportunity I've had to actually camp IN the same park where the race was, and it was INCREDIBLY convenient. The staff was super friendly, they had firewood available for purchase, and the bathrooms were reasonably clean and decent for camping bathrooms. The race went really well, and I always love swimming at the lake in this area, and the beach makes a nice end of the race. As for the camping, we ended up getting there late, which meant not a lot of spaces left (you pay for a reservation, and then you pick it when you get there), but we were lucky enough to get one with a shaded pavilion and picnic table. The spaces were incredibly roomy, unlike some other camp sites where you're ten feet from the next RV, and while ours overlooked a parking lot and a field, some of the spots backed right up to the water. Apparently, they're working on a reservation system - I hope it's ready for next year as I'd love to return and be able to stake my claim to one of those nice spots on the water! read more

My family stayed at the Quial Run RV #164 area of the park. We visited planing on one day, ended up staying two so we could explore more of the park. The beach, bathrooms, kids areas were clean and very easy to get to and navigate. There happened to be a line when I arrived but picked up my paperwork and was out the door in ten minutes. Everyone was quiet, polite and kept to themselves. There was 30/20 power in my area, but there was other options if you needed larger hook ups. There's a convenient store and a Mexican restraunt right outside the park but that about it so bring what you need. No on site sewage but they had a very convenient dump station. Will visit again read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

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Fantastic we have been going out here for about 5 years now and so much fun with all the open water and coves the camp ground is so nice for being outdoors and it's family friendly we love this park and the lake you should try it out for yourself the lake is beautiful and doesn't even smell bad!! read more

I was told by someone that every single lake in Texas, save for one located somewhere near Ft. Worth, is man made. Not sure if that is an accurate statement, but I like it, so I'm going to use it without doing any research about it. Dad and I had some time to kill so we took a drive over here. It was another warm day, but unfortunately I left my bathing suit back in Oregon. A bit too far to go retrieve it. I stuck my feet in the water and the temp was perfect. If I ever make it back here, I will be sure to bring my suit. read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

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We are huge fans of Ray Roberts Lake. We frequent the beach just about every week in the summer. We've also started kayaking and put it in at the boat ramp on the Johnson Branch side. The campsites are nice & quiet, the bathrooms (albeit old) are very clean, & the rangers are very helpful. read more

We went camping at the Isle Du Bois area this weekend. Entry was a hassle. There was a line of 20 people when I got there at 6:30 on Friday with only 2 cashiers assisting the line. I don't know what they were doing, because it took nearly 20 minutes of waiting to get to the window to pay. By that time, they'd added a third cashier and she had me out of there in just a minute. The other 2 seemed to have been taking 5 minutes with each person. The camp sites are nice, but many are not properly set up for tents. We had a block of several sites and could only setup on 2 of the sites. The bathrooms are actually some of the best I've seen in a state park. They were clean and actually had soap and hot water. Most of the rangers were friendly except for the night ranger that verbally berated my group for talking too loudly for his liking after 10pm on Friday. There were literally no other campers near us since we had reserved a block of sites (to not violate the number of cars per site rules). We apilogized and promised to lower our voices, but the ranger decided to blather on repetitively about us being much too loud for the late hour, tell we were being disrespectful of the rest of the campers and tell us "it's not all about you" and threaten us with unspecified consequences if we didn't comply with his edict. He just came off to everyone as a condescending, rude, and combative jerk. He acted like he was trying to start a fight. We won't be coming back to this park. read more

Drove to Texas Tulips which was a waste of time and drove by the Ray Roberts State Park. On our way back we decided to stop. We enjoyed the trails and bluebonnets, more then the tulip farm. Very beautiful park! Bathrooms were clean and trails were great. read more

Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Pilot Point, Texas

When I visit this lake, I'm usually in the Isle du Bois unit where there is plenty of areas to swim, bike, and run around a bit. My triathlon team often holds practices out here and we usually don't have any issues setting up and getting in our workouts. We do try to carpool though, since there is a $5 entry fee, which isn't too bad considering it's an all-day pass. I especially like the swimming spot because it is kept nice & clean and even has a fairly sizeable beach area. The water can be a bit chilly early in the year, so beware of that. The roads are smooth and make for good riding paths, though you have to mind the cars coming around the corners and such. There are plenty of concrete paths and trails to be explored as well. Oh, and don't forget your picnic gear - there are tons of spaces for cookouts and gatherings! read more

Best lake I have been to in a while. Never even knew about it until coming across it on the map, randomly decided to spend a day on the boat out here. There is a $7 per person entrance fee, lots of picnic and barbecue areas, clean beach, and easy access boat ramps with piers to pickup and unload people. The lake itself is big enough to get lost in, great water temperature for swimming or just floating blissfully. Definitely my new favorite lake in the Dallas area. read more

This place is fantastic to visit especially right now during the summer months. I went with about 15 friends and we rented a pavilion out by the lake which provided some shade whenever we needed it and also a place to store our food and supplies. Overall the lake has a small beach right next to it as well as a beach volleyball court which was great. You can't beat getting out into nature and who knew it's only 45-60 away from Dallas! Be warned though that there is a $7 fee per adult but well worth it if going for a half day excursion. read more