This is a great park. My family has been coming here for years. The amenities are good and the…read morestaff has always been very friendly and helpful.

Just got back from a camping trip here. We stayed in a screened shelter on the hen house side. We…read morewere there for 2.5 days and we managed to finish ALL of the (walkable) trails in the whole park. The park is small but gorgeous and has lots of things to do. Camping, swimming, fish, kayak/canoe... we did two evening swims, and one where it was completely secluded. Absolutely magical. Sadly didn't spot any gators during this trip, but we saw lots of deer and armadillos! The mosquitoes are wicked tho so be sure to pack loooots of bug spray. Our bug spray had DEET in it and although it detered them a bit, it didn't stop them fully. It also rained twice for a little bit over the span of two days so that was really nice considering we come from austin and we haven't seen rain in a few months. Our first shelter actually ended up flooding so staff allowed us to love our things into another available and dry shelter. So anyway - overall we had the most amazing camping trip here. Pros: everything Cons: mosquitos We definitely left here covered head to toe in bites! Haha.

Very pretty park. Pay for the deluxe back in on the lake spots - worth it! Beautiful. Very safe,…read moreall just families camping. We stayed in the RV spots but the tent spots look nice too - but there are lots of trees so I bet mosquitos could get bad in the tent spots.

Great level sights, beautiful scenery, trails,bike paths,clean public bathrooms. Dog friendly,…read morestaff are wondeeful,happy,helpful. Park is well played out,the flow,walk around lake, is user friendly,wheel chair friendly. Lots of even ground on trails both walking hiking. Just a really nice must see,stay park. Has tent sites too that are level well maintained.

Full of comfortable walking trails it would be easy to spend all day here. The visitors center (now…read moreclosed for Covid) looks like it's full of fun useful information. But so are the walking trails. Plenty of opportunities to read and educate yourself. Paved biking trails are available as well as unpaved hiking. Currently no wash rooms. Plenty of parking. A little history for ya- The Visitor Center, Headquarters Offices and Education Center opened in January 2012.  The refuge is important to waterfowl, wading birds and songbirds especially. The first land purchase was made in August 2002 consisting of 1,377 acres. Red River NWR is comprised of a headquarters unit and four additional focus units.  Once 50,000 acres has been acquired, the refuge will connect with other conservation areas reducing habitat fragmentation and providing wildlife corridors and stop-over areas for migrating waterfowl and songbirds.

The refuge is the perfect spot for a walk, hike, run, or biking adventure! Each of the trails offer…read morea different perspective of the refuge and there's amazing birds and wildlife that you could see along the way! I love taking my puppy here to hike and enjoy the lake and river. It is pet and kid friendly! Please sign in at the visitors center when you first come! Signatures keep the refuge open and able to enjoy :)

I love this place! It is so quiet and such a great place to have a picnic or just sit and watch the…read moreturtles. Wish that Harvey wouldn't have displaced most of them, but still a clean and well taken care of oasis.

The Big Creek Scenic Area, Latitude : 30.5027 Longitude : -95.0833,…read more is an USDA Forest Service designated area of special scenic quality. The Big Creek Scenic Area is named after the perennial Big Creek which runs through the area. The 98.6 mile long, Lone Star Hiking Trail, travels West and North through the Scenic Area and has three concentric trails that make easy and short loops for families, bird watchers, and outdoor enthusiast. The Lone Star Hiking Trail has a white rectangular marker on trees, the Pine Trail has a silver marker with yellow stripe, White Oak Trail has a silver marker with green stripe, and Big Creek Trail has a silver marker with orange stripe. There are benches along several of the trails to allow you to sit quietly to listen. Come out on a overcast day or have a night hike to hear Barred Owls hooting back and forth to each other. Evenings or nights you might see Beavers working on their dams on Big Creek. You can hike for 5 miles on the Lone Star Hiking Trail to the Double Lake Recreation Area (Campground) and back for a 10 mile hike. Find maps at lshtcsonservancy.org

Great food. Lovely service. Quaint. Very helpful. Desserts are delicious. Lunch foods are…read moreabsolutely fantastic. LOVE IT!​

We came to scout out the park prior to our vacation and glad we did because it is not for us. We…read moreare in our 40s and 50s with no children at home and we tent camping with 3 big dogs. The campsites offer no sense of privacy. There's no tent pads to put down tents at any site that we saw. Our dogs would be on high alert the whole time. We didnt find many spots that our dogs would even be able to get in the water, and they all love to swim and romp. No privacy for a couple to be playful or private without all your neighbors seeing. The personnel were friendly. The place has many handicap amenities that looked great for someone in a wheelchair. The lake itself was very beautiful. However I dont see us coming back, on to our next state park.

Martin Dies State Park employees are always so friendly, they always give great advice and know how…read moreto make your trip memorable. The park is pretty vast and spread over quite a few areas, always want to make sure you get your park permits, good news is they are affordable and usually easy enough to obtain. Since I live locally i almost always take visitors out to this park to explore and make a day of it always live stopping in the little rangers store front area and purchasing souvenirs for our visitors as well a keep sake and they have quite a few to choose from all in all always a pleasant experience!!!

I'd say this is an average state park for Texas. It's got LOTS of water. We stayed on the south…read morepart and only went to the north part for the interpretive center. Campsites are large, but its open between them, so might be a little weird if crowded. There is water at every third campsite (also may be weird if crowded). Bathrooms vary: ours was above average, but one further down was old and creepy. The area we were in had lakefront camping, but there was a 6 ft bulkhead down to the water. Scary with kids to be sure. The small swimming area was uninviting. The trails are nothing spectacular. One was closed, when I asked why, the park host told me a hunter had set up a deer blind that could shoot towards the trail. Hope they get that worked out. The interpretive center is very nice and a surprise to see highly recommended for kids. This lake is very nice for canoeing as it is shallow in many areas and they rent canoes and have "canoe trails".

The preserve itself is fascinating enough...but my destination inside the preserve is supposedly…read morethe most haunted road in Texas! The preserve is seriously huge. I only visited a small part in particular but spent about 30-40 minutes driving THROUGH the preserve to get to the part I visited lol! But it's a gorgeous drive regardless! The preserve is really a fascinating phenomenon in and of itself...biologists have identified at least 8-10 different ecosystems existing all within the preserve....harmoniously! Of particular interest to me was the Ghost Road Scenic Drive (AKA Bragg Rd). It's an 8 mile stretch of dirt road that falls between Hwy 787 in Saratoga, Tx and Hwy 1293 in Bragg, Tx. It's famous for the haunting Saratoga Mystery Lights, among other ghostly and mysterious sightings and is reportedly the most haunted road in Texas! It's actually a "public park" in Hardin County...but this is no "park"...it's a surreal dirt road that's like driving through a creepy, never-ending tunnel surrounded by swamps and clearings. I saw an abandoned wheelchair and flashes of lights that made my stomach swim with butterflies! But they all turned out to be cars haha! So I didn't end up seeing any spirits or ghosties...but it was an interesting experience! I highly recommend you have a decent set of tires for it though bc there are lots of potholes and mud...Tropical Storm Hanna had just been through and it was nasty weather!

Big Thicket National Preserve is an American treasure. It is a beautifully serene area of the…read morecountry located in East Texas that fully deserves all the attention it's due. The many ecosystems that this park encompasses is a geological mystery that starts millions of years ago with the movement of glaciers. We only had a short 2 hour time window to enjoy the exhibits at the visitors center, the short film in the theatre, and a quick hike close to the visitors center. The film is the same one you can view on their website, so if you are short on time, skip it and watch it at home. The gift shop is stocked with amazing items, so definitely save 5 minutes to browse around. My kids enjoyed speaking to Ranger Scott about his favorite animal in the preserve, the American alligator, and completing the Junior Ranger booklet for the badges. This program is targeted for 14 and under but adults can participate as well.

Great hiking trails and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful! Had a great day fishing at the…read morepond as well.

As an outdoors goer, I love visiting this park with the exception that the people around there wait…read morefor others to pick up trash if they see it. So guess who ends up picking up trash all the time? That's right, me! Sadly, I see more and more trash every time I go, and that is a disgrace. A clean park lies on the citizens like us. If you see trash, please pick it up. Bring a bag with you. Every lit but that we do, will. Ake a big difference collectively. Don't expect others to pick up trash, please help and pick it up!

The park is now under the management of Red River Wildlife Refuge. Big improvements have been made…read more This park is always prone to flooding because of its proximity to the nearby Red River. Nice hiking trail when it is dry. You may see deer and other wildlife. This is a great park for younger children's first hiking experience. This is definitely a hidden gem in the city.

Honestly not much of a park; more like a beat up dirt parking lot with limited access to the body…read moreof water and a short wooden pier. The interior of the "park" was paved roads but now overgrown with vegetation. Pretty sad state of disrepair but as expected for Shreveport.

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.