Fort Boggy State Park is a nice little state park. It would get 5 stars but for the rude family who…read morechose to blare their music like they were the only ones at the park. The hike around the lake is an easy one but a little muddy with the rain recently. Not busy even on a Saturday.

The star of the show here is the cabins, although if we lived within an hour driving distance we…read moremight also periodically visit for the day to swim in the lake. The cabins are one large room with a queen bed and a bunk bed. Apparently there used to be a trundle under the bunk bed but they were removed at some point. The cabins have great working AC - much better than the cabins we have previously stayed in at Inks Lake State Park. There was a record breaking heat wave the weekend we stayed there and the cabin stayed cool. The cabins have a mini fridge (with a tiny freezer section in it), a microwave, and a coffee pot. You will need to supply your own coffee filters and all the bedding, including pillows. The cabins do have a broom and dustpan, as well as a door mat to keep some of the dirt out. There is a table with 4 chairs. The best part of the cabins are the two porches: one screened in and one open. They are LARGE porches, fully covered, and each one has 2 wooden chairs and a small table. Each porch has a ceiling fan, although neither fan spun fast enough to create much airflow. We tried pulling the chain to see if we could get the blades spinning faster without luck. If we were to return in the summer again, I would bring along our own fan. Even in the heat of an August heat wave, it was absolutely glorious to sit out on the porch in the morning with a cup of coffee. The cabins do not have their own bathrooms, but the bathroom nearby is exclusively for the 5 cabins and is cleaned every day. Between the limited use and the frequent cleaning, these were the nicest state park bathrooms we have ever used. Plenty of hot water, and a cold drinking fountain and water bottle filling station outside. The only complaint was that the toilets were INCREDIBLY difficult to flush, to the point where 4 of my 6 kids were physically unable to do it. I walked into the bathroom to find a poop sitting in the toilet multiple times and I have to assume it's because the guest before me was unable to push the button hard enough to get the toilet to flush. The park itself is tiny. There are two main trails; the one around the lake is roughly a mile and the one that leads to the primitive campsites is around 1.5 miles. The trails are pretty rough, with lots of holes, branches, and sandy areas, offering many opportunities for runners to sprain their ankle (which sadly, happened). I would plan on walking (not running) the trails, and even then only if you have strong ankles. The trails are shaded and pretty. I almost ran into a wild hog one morning on the trail out to the primitive campsites. The main attraction of the park is the lake, which is small, but fun for swimmers. There is a swim beach and a floating dock. The sand is soft and you do not need water shoes. The lake is apparently spring fed, but it's been hot enough for long enough with no rain here in Texas that the water was warmer than any spring I've ever felt. Still, on a 110 degree day it sure felt nice to float out there. The water is relatively clear, for a lake. You can fish on the lake and there are kayaks to rent, although they are ridiculously expensive (in my opinion) and have a complicated rental process. Forget the Kayaks... just bring your own inner tubes and float around. If you're looking to camp in the summer without sweating at night and you like to swim, Fort Boggy is a great spot. The cabins are $85 a night plus hotel tax. Calling this a hotel when you have to bring your own linens and there's no bathroom is kind of a stretch, but taxes are taxes I guess. Overall it's a fun weekend in a beautiful cabin by a nice lake. Great family time. I wish all the state parks had cabins this nice!

I had to come back and update my love of this park. We recently came and just really enjoyed every…read moreaspect of it. The roads and trails are clean and easily able to ride bikes on. The park hosts were out cleaning the empty lots.The grounds are all kept well and they have ample boat docks for boaters to enjoy. The park store ha anything you would need and reasonably priced with a nature center inside. We will be spending man days here this summer.

Lake Livingston was most certainly a gem !!! I would have never known about this place if my friend…read morewouldn't have told me about it! This was a camping trip with some friends of mine and my family. The spot was really nice and it came with a lake view of lake Livingston. They have trails around this park that lead to a cabin center in which you can rent. My friend had an RV and rented two spots which has running water and a fire pit! The views are dope. Weekends are pretty busy for people glamping and camping, so definitely book in advance ! This will most definitely be a go to spot!

Mission Tejas State Park is a quiet scenic spot that is perfect for a low key outdoor escape. The…read morepark blends history and nature well with a replica mission peaceful hiking trails and tall pines that create a calm East Texas atmosphere. It is not huge or packed with amenities but that is part of its charm making it great for picnics short hikes or simply unplugging for a while.

Park is nice and has a lot of good hiking trails. The first night we were there a bad storm blew…read morethrough and knocked the power out. After several hours with no power called headquarters to see if they had any idea when the power would be back on. The guy on the phone informed me "he doesn't own a power company or generate power". We go to state parks all over Texas and this was our first negative experience with park staff. I understand they can't control the power but a little courtesy would have went a long way.

Great place to chill with your family. Grill post to put up volleyball, theres pavilion there,…read more great for kids playing, and to hang out, clean restrooms, pretty good park overall.

Really fun little park. Weren't many people there so we kind of had it to ourselves but it was…read morestill a good time.

It's a beautiful park to take the kids to. It's well maintained and is nice to walk around. They…read morehave a dog park, a pool and a playground!

Finally made it out to Blue Lagoon in Huntsville, Texas. Vis was 10-15ft due to recent rain. 68° at…read morethe surface and 64° bottom temp at 25ft. They have an underwater rope course you can use to navigate from one side to the other. The waters color and clarity come from its origin. It was originally a Limestone Rock Quarry. Spring water has filled it up making this a good dive location. Another feature I found to be very cool for instructors is the large underwater decks. These are part of the course and make a great place to perform dive skills without disturbing the silt on the bottom. My dive site had an easy entry and exit. The depth ranges depending on the amount of rain throughout the year. This is a great place to teach new students, practice your skills, or train as a dive team. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Being this was my first time here they answered all of my questions.

You can find your next relaxation at a natural spring fed lagoon in East Texas just 1.5 hours from…read moreHouston. Bring the whole family for an all-day experience of floating, swimming and even learning to scuba dive at this beautiful blue lagoon.

This is a nice, pretty easy out and back trail of about 4 miles. The first portion follows the…read morecreek pretty intimately and is very well shaded. I loved this part! It was peaceful, a little bit of a terrain but still well maintained. We saw several walkers and trail runners along the way. Very safe for kids too. But the back portion crossed through a disc golf field and then onto part of the SFA campus and just wasn't as pretty to go through. Great trail running place, and definitely a trail or recommend walking if you're wanting to see Pine Country, but I probably would stop before the disc golf area and head back.

This is a lovely city trail following the Lanana Creek that runs right past Stephen F. Austin.read more

Wide open spaces. Tons of space to run, walk and frisbee golf. It is also full of pecan trees- yes,…read morethat means the ground is full of pecans ready to eat at various times of the year. How cool is that? It also has a lot of shade and trail-routes. So only three stars because: the grass is dried up and the ground is dusty dirt; the playground is rusty and there isn't much signage.

Caddo Mounds is a peaceful and meaningful place to explore history. The trails and ancient mounds…read moregive a strong sense of the past, and the visitor center explains the Caddo culture clearly. It is quiet, well kept, and worth a visit if you enjoy history and nature.

But I truly remarkable experience. Many years ago the Caddo people lived and worked on this land…read more They were resourceful and used their knowledge to make this part of Texas home. I was amazed seeing the different mounds with different purposes. Each mound was constructed by hand out of mud that they collected from a mud pit on site. The burial mound was used to bury the bodies of their people and family. The low platform mound was where they went to have important political discussions. And the amount of separated by the highway was religious purposes. On the vast land that's where they grew crop for food. And unlike other villages the men weren't so much in charge. It was the women that built the mounds grew the food took care of the children they ran the show! It is a beautiful thing that women were able to put their best foot forward and take the lead! I do wonder why did the Caddo people abandon this village? And I also wonder why did the US government force them to move to Binger, Oklahoma? I also wonder do the cuddle people living in contemporary Oklahoma come back to visit where their ancestors lived and worked? Also fun fact: Caddo Lake State Park is a region of where the Caddo people also lived before going to Oklahoma. This historical site cost $5 admission and pets are free! It is very dog friendly museum that you can bring your dog on the inside to watch the small 9-minute video that they have also they have little treats for your pup as well. Sneakers and I had a very fun time! It is a lot of walking but well worth it.