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