Exploring Tyler State Park in Texas
Tyler State Park in Texas is a great place to spend an afternoon or even a weekend exploring and enjoying what nature has to offer us. With the lake being the centerpiece, various trails, camping spots, and multiple places to cast a fishing line all make this place an ultimate getaway for anyone in the area!
THE TRAILS AT TYLER STATE PARK
Tyler State Park has 8 hiking trails varying between less than a mile to a little over 3 miles in length. Although this area of Texas isn’t mountainous, some of these trails do offer a bit more difficulty than others, so I recommend checking out the trail map and descriptions before taking any of them on.
LAKESHORE TRAIL
Deanna and I decided to take on the Lakeshore Trail because it was relatively easy and we wanted to be able to take our greyhound Blaze with us. We soon found out that the beach area didn’t allow dogs, so really only about 3/4 of this trail is truly dog friendly depending if you hike along the shoreline or the road.
The trail itself is pretty easy with only very slight elevation gains here and there. The trail is still rugged enough to not be wheelchair accessible, but perfect to acclimate the kiddos to some nature trails without them complaining too much about being tired.
TYLER STATE PARK LAKE
Tyler State Park Lake is definitely one of the main features of this state park that really makes the area beautiful. Along with any lake there are quite a few activities you can do around it. While hiking the Lakeshore Trail we noticed you can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats in order to enjoy the calm beauty of this lake.
Another activity we noticed quite a few people partaking in was fishing. Whether fishing out of a boat, or fishing along the lengthy shoreline, there are lots of places to cast a line into this lake.
WILDLIFE & WILD FLOWERS
While hiking the lakeshore trail towards the end of March, we didn’t really come across a TON of wildlife roaming through the woods, probably because it was still in the lower 50s as the high. We did see your typical ground squirrels and various birds that roam throughout the area.
However, some animals you may spot scurrying through this area include white-tailed deer, opossums, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, armadillos, and hopefully not a skunk. There are some snakes, lizards, and toads that like to make this area their home as well.
COST & OTHER HELPFUL TIPS
Since we were just passing through the area, we didn’t find it worth our while to buy the $70 Texas State Parks Pass, so we ended up paying $6 each (adult price) to get into Tyler State Park. Kids 12 and under to get into this park for free though. It was a bit expensive for what we had planned for the day, but if you planned on hiking a few trails or wanted to take a boat out it is definitely worth it.
After reading a ton of reviews before traveling through the area, Tyler State Park seemed to get the best ratings in the area so I imagine the campgrounds do fill up fairly quickly during peak season.
If you do work remotely like us, the cell signal (at least Verizon) is definitely usable despite OpenSignal showing weak signals throughout the area.
OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES
One Day to Explore New Orleans
Valentine Lake Recreation Complex
NOTE FROM WRITER
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Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
