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.

If there was a way to give Howard a 10/5, I would. He is the most knowledgeable tour guide on Caddo…read moreLake and he customizes each tour to your needs. He knows where the spots are to take AMAZING photos and he can tell you the incredible and interesting history of this weird place. I have gone 3 times with him out on Caddo and each time I learn something new and see brand new places that I have never been before. Every season is a good time to go but I would suggest spring or summer for nice weather. I would recommend this tour to everyone! Thanks Howard!!

East Texas is Beautiful Country! If you love the Great Outdoors, you'll enjoy Fishing on Caddo…read moreLake! Did I hear Someone say "FLY FISHING!" .. Talk about Relaxing! Take the Family - Bring the Friends - and Enjoy the Pontoon Boat Tours on Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou! ... The Big Dreamer Tours with Howard Leftwich is indeed a Big Dream to Remember! ... He has Fly and Conventional Fishing with Tours on the Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou! ... And if you aren't up-to-speed, he offers Fly casting Lessons provided at no charge! ... Big Dreamer Tours! Big Dreamer Fishing! A Vacation to Enjoy for Years to Come!

Awesome 1-hour tour. Two minutes from Jefferson's downtown, this is a must-do boat tour for locals…read moreand tourists alike. My family loves taking this tour every time we visit Jefferson, especially when bringing family and friends who are visiting. The boat is covered and the captain of the boat provides history of the area and river during the boat ride, all at a fair price. Definitely recommended for all!

Great time! John was fabulous. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. A fabulous way to see a slice…read moreof Texas history. We had fun!

RBO is where we rented our kayaks. $50 a day gets you a kayak, life jacket, and a laminated map…read morewith all the kayaking trails in the area. It's yours from 8 am till 6 pm. That's a lot of paddling! We had a BLAST! The weather was perfect. They delivered the kayaks to the cabins we were at, so we just walked out the door and got in the river. Awesome! There were 3 trails upstream, and 2 trails downstream. Caddo lake, and the Big Cypress Bayou and absolutely beautiful. The bald cypress forest is a sight to behold. If you've never been, put it on your bucket list. When we got back in the trees, the only sound is the birds. The water is like glass. The occasional fishing boat will slow down so they don't make waves. If you have never been to Caddo Lake,it's an experience you will never forget!

Fantastic service today. Kristi and crew are top notch and got us all set up for an enjoyable day…read morepaddling, watching the eclipse and a picnic lunch in the middle of the lake. Pro level pictures of us paddling away in the early morning light were an unexpected enjoyable bonus when we got home. We will definitely use them again.

I absolutely love this camp. I have been going here for 3 years. The food is cheap, yes, but it's a…read morebreak from having food that doesn't taste that good and looks fancy, and the dessert is great. Counselors know everybody's name, there are horses, zip lining, ropes course, waterfront, archery, riflery, water front, and a ton of other things that are really entertaining. It's huge but you can find your way pretty easily, the cabins are old but it's fun because it's kind of a throwback and the counselors are super entertaining, and as for the things removed, it's still fun, even without NOLA roasts, Non-Or Campers, etc. It encourages activity and fun and has so many choices of what to do. I have a favorite horse, she's very nice and most of the horses are great too. All in all I love this camp very much (also it's a great break from tech) and it's the one place where I can fall asleep with melatonin (it tires you out in a good way) and my anger issues get a lot better here because it's very calming. As for the price, I think if you can afford it you should DEFINITELY have your kid come here. It's near Shreveport, Louisiana but if you live somewhere too far to drive (i.e. a kid lives in Vegas) then you can fly and they'll pick you up at the airport and get you over on a bus. 10/10 recommend. You make amazing memories and life long friends.

This camp is the same exact thing every year. You spend almost $5,000 which overpriced first of all…read morefor what it is. The people there are not very well trained in the activities they are supposed to teach. The camp looks as if it hasn't been updated since the 60's. The cabins are falling apart and have many cracks where bugs find their way in. Two years in a row my cabin was infested with spiders. The last time I went the cabin flooded with the smallest amount of rain and there was an ant problem. The workers there have a problem with favoriting certain campers. The food is cheap and frankly very bad. You are never able to tell if you are eating fish patties or chicken ones(not an exaggeration). Ever heard of Sysco? Because that is all you eat. The cheapest and lowest quality food I have ever seen/ate. The councilors are very young themselves and are not old enough to be responsible for your 6+ year olds. Don't get me wrong, it used to be okay. Until, they got a new head director who is not one to pass down little traditions that made Camp Fern what it was. Anything that people found joy in was removed; non-honor campers, Nola roasts, some camp songs, ect. If you haven't gone to this camp you wouldn't understand. In conclusion, this camp is not for you unless you want to waste money to get the cheapest quality of everything. These people only care about your money, not your experience.

Wonderful spot. The bathrooms and showers need some work. Not a lot of trails but the fishing was…read moregood

Nearly $80 for a room , not in fishing season and not on a weekend or holiday, didn't use any…read moreappliances or kitchen... should be a discount for an older hotel with lousy beds...

Great atmosphere and friendly people! Excellent place to board and ride! Happy horses and happy…read morepeople make a great day! Thank you Dylan for taking great care of my horses, plus helped me get my forever horse!

Wonderful place to get get lessons, get a colt started, or get your horse (and yourself) a tune up…read more Dylan really knows what he's doing and is a great teacher for both the horses and the humans taking lessons. Prices are reasonable and lesson times are flexible. You can trust your horse to receive outstanding care and training and you can visit your horse anytime and even watch the training. I've had both of my green horses go here for their tune ups and am very pleased with the results. S. Whitaker Vixen and Ares mom

The ethereal beauty of Caddo Lake, with all its bald cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss, is…read morehaunting and remarkable to say the least. Autumn is a popular time to visit as the cypress needles turn a deep rust color, making for a striking contrast against the dark trunks and silver moss.  But my favorite has always been winter when the trees have gone dormant. They lose all their needles, causing the steely, eerie mosses to take on a ghostly glow when the sun is low, clashing drastically with the shadowy trunks and murky swamp waters. It's dramatic, it's spooky, and it stays with you long after you leave. The trees have "knees" in this swampy bayou ecosystem - they are actually part of the root system and their minion-like appearance as they surround the trees adds to the creepiness of it all.  And did you know that the Spanish moss isn't moss or lichen? It's actually in the same family as pineapple (they're both bromeliads) and they even bloom!  These murky waters and creepy forests are home to so much wildlife - including Bigfoot apparently lol! There are many sightings reported and they hold festivals here.  On my last visit, I saw so many birds, including several bald eagles and an osprey doing a high dive off a cypress to catch his lunch. There are over 75 species of fish in these waters, as well as alligators, though I've never seen any floating around - probably too cold when I visit. The lake itself spans over 25,000 acres and straddles the border between east Texas and Louisiana - and the bald cypress trees are the state tree of Louisiana. It's the only natural lake in Texas and the largest. I was born and raised in these swampy lowlands - and Caddo Lake is, by far, the gem of the region. My favorite spot on the lake to rent a boat or take a cruise is Johnson Ranch Marina - the oldest inland marina in Texas. They have wonderful captains on call to take you out when the light is right for photography and they run regular trips throughout the day as well. They also offer canoe and kayak rentals.  In the surrounding area you'll find Caddo Lake state park which is excellent for hiking and they also rent canoes but you can only access Big Cypress Bayou and not get out into the main lake since it's further out. There's also a wildlife management area owned by The Nature Conservancy that offers hiking as well. Not to mention tons of campgrounds in the state park and surrounding areas (privately owned) with tent sites and cabins too. If you're at all into nature and the great outdoors and water sports of all sorts - this is a perfect family friendly location for you.

This is a real gem of a lake an is actually the only naturally formed lake in Texas.; it was formed…read moreby a large log jam in the 1700's. The lake is known for it's thick groves of bald cypress trees with huge trunks at the base near the water and lace like green needles that turn bright orange in the fall. The lake is split between Texas and Louisiana with the more open area of the lake on the Louisiana side. There are many canals and winding waterways within the cypress groves so it's best to go out with a guide who knows the lake. In the fall when the trees turn orange, photographers from all over the world come to take pictures of the beautiful lake. This was the reason my wife and I went to see the lake. While I am not a fisherman, I've heard it is a good lake for fishing and has catfish, perch, bass and crappy. Be forewarned, like many of the lakes in Texas and Louisiana there are a lot of alligators in the water so only swim in designated places. There are several towns on the lake, Uncertain Texas, and in Louisiana there is Morningsport and Oil City. The town of Jefferson, Texas is nearby as is the Caddo Lake State Park.