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.

They have 2 lakes, they do not tell you until after you pay whether you will go into the promised…read moreblue lake or into their backup green lake. They also do not offer a way to switch out the people from the green lake into the blue lake once more people leave.

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!

This is such a great Texas State Park. All of the facilities were clean and the staff were…read morepleasant. Nice hiking trails with a little elevation, excellent birding, a playground for the kiddos and a lake to fish or splash around in. We came last July when it was sweltering. We rented a cheap cabin with A/C and mostly stayed on the water in our cheap inflatable. Today we tent camped and were able to hike the trails. It was beautiful with all the wildflowers. Very peaceful especially in the primitive camping area.

Not crowded at all! Landscaping is very up-kept and clean. Kids had a blast and we didn't have to…read moreworry about stickers in the grass!

This park has a trail for walking, jogging, running, biking and walking pets. The trail goes all…read morethe way to lemon Tree park. The trial connects to Anderson park and The College Station Cemetery. Bee creek park has play ground for children, basket ball, baseball and parking lot. There is also water fun for children and adults that remains open during summer. There are seat in the park by the trail and it is clean and always green. People walk, run, or bike hear all the time and it is safe.

One of the best (if not the best) parks in College Station…read more It has the best playground for small kids: the ground is covered with a bouncy substance that is much better than gravel or grass. Also, it has plenty of shade at and around the playground even in the middle of the day.

This park is substantial in size! It has two boat ramps (north and south), at least three fishing…read morepiers, hike/bike trails, one of the largest swim areas I've seen at a State Park, at least twenty picnic tables in the day use area, a picture-perfect swing set by the swim area, three camping loops (each includes a restroom with at least two showers per restroom), a cemetery, historic well, amphitheater - the park covers so much area that it takes around 15-20 minutes to travel from one end to the other following the park speed limits. Our first visit to this park included a first-time, somewhat terrifying spotting of a feral hog on Bird Blind trail which was creepily overgrown, eerily vacant (reminiscent of a "ghost town"- it gave us a spidey-sense...not to mention a few cobwebs we stepped through) and full of rutted dried ground. The reason this was a bit terrifying is that a park ranger at another park had recently elaborated to me just how dangerous feral hogs can be--especially if you accidentally come between them and their young! Thankfully, we were able to keep a respectfully fearful distance from the hog we spotted and must not have come between it and its young cause we survived! Following Bird Blind loop, we took a short hike on the nature trail where I was relentlessly harassed by a horsefly which regularly buzzed by my ears and then landing on me--I fully grabbed the bug at one point trying to swat her away which freaked me out more. That night I learned that female horseflies diet on mammal (including human) blood which helped me to feel justified in my drop of spirits and frightened outburst on the hike. Despite having bug spray on, my sweat, bright shirt, movement, exposed skin, breath and simply being a living being with blood in my veins...made me a prime target for that lady horsefly's advances--she wanted to slice my tender skin and have my blood for her dinner. Thankfully we were able to redeem our first visit with a mother deer and baby fawn sighting (seeing that feral hog was pretty cool too), alligator gar spotting, sunset float and picnic dinner, and refreshingly cold showers before our drive back to Dallas! On our second visit, we did not return to either trail (maybe worth a try in cooler, less COVIDy weather/times) and instead stuck to the water as our main activity which made for a much more pleasant experience. I was even able to paddle over to the swim area buoys and observe a few terns and one double-created cormorant closer than I think I've been to most any wild birds in my life! We were then treated to sightings of a white egret and two great blue herons just before and after sunset which flew to the nearly-vacant swim area to hunt! To top all of that off, we took a small, post-sunset walk from one fishing pier (south boat ramp to the other-in day use area) which was enhanced by friendly small talk with fisherpeople on that South Boat Ramp pier/dock, a random, psychedelic arrow in the middle of the woods, a tribe of adorable scavenging trash pandas and two little boys exuberant over their dad's catch of a sizable catfish just as it got dark! This warmed my heart more than I can say--seeing a family making these precious memories and making me long to fish with my far-away dad again like old times!

What a great place. I tried this because it was the only park we could get into. The reviews were…read morego so we booked. Awesome place. Camp grounds are nice, spread out and you have plenty of seclusion. Playground for kids, volleyball court and swim beach. We kayaked and fished, hiked and hit the store. Staff were all super. Highly recommended- we pull a 30' trailer. Side note - one dump station lines take too long. Go the loves at I-45 pay $10 much quicker.

06/25/19 Nice park…read morewith great wooded trails! Watch out for snakes along the trail since I almost stepped on a copper head.

this is a great park overall. it has some nice walking trails. good amount of parking spots.read more

First time coming here. Small park with a small playground and no parking lot. Lots of street…read moreparking, but you're in a neighborhood so please be respectful. There's a nice peaceful path that goes along the park and stream and you can wrap around into the neighborhood to make a full roundtrip. Overall, peaceful little trail and pet friendly too. Lots of benches and even little book stations. Just can't stand when people don't pickup after their pets poop. I jogged here and it was approximately under 2 miles. Located across Blinn College on East Villa Maria.

A hidden gem in the outdoors. A nice and quiet park, situated in a residential neighborhood. A…read moregreat place for a quick walk and makes for a great spot for photography or photo shoots.

It was very clean and nice. Nice fairy homes decorations. Just very relaxing. A good get away from…read moreelectronics and daily life

Amazing place to let your fur babies run free and play with other fur babies my fur babies have…read moreamazing time here

Our favorite dog park and nearly the only one in Huntsville to begin with. It's not huge, but our…read moredogs live in an apartment so they can run up and down that little fenced in strip of grass for HOURS. There are two benches, a trash can, and a doggy doo disposal can as well. There isn't a lot to it, and I advise you to bring your own bowl for water, as there is a fountain, but there isn't any way for the pups to stay hydrated without you bringing something to put the water in! Anyways, as simple as it is, it's quiet and a nice place to sit and enjoy nature and watch your fur babies have a good time!

Our family rode the Piney Woods Express in the Presidential Car, and it was the perfect finale to…read moreour East Texas vacation. We booked seats in the Presidential Car, "Miss Joyce," and the experience was outstanding from beginning to end. The car features a comfortable mix of couches and chairs, with seating selected when you book your tickets. It created a relaxed atmosphere that made the four-hour excursion feel special without being overly formal. Our train attendant, Miss Joyce, was absolutely wonderful. She was warm, welcoming, and attentive throughout the trip, and it's easy to see why the car proudly bears her name. When we arrived at our seats, each passenger had a complimentary bottle of water and a snack box filled with watermelon, grapes, pretzels, and cheese cubes. The trip began with a champagne toast for the adults and sparkling apple cider for those who preferred it, which was a fun touch that made the experience feel like an occasion. Additional drinks, candy, and popcorn were available for purchase throughout the ride, and the attendants happily took orders and kept a running tab, making everything very convenient. During the stop in Rusk, we had time to stretch our legs and enjoy lunch. A converted railcar serves as a concession stand, offering items like hot dogs, nachos, chicken salad sandwiches, hoagies, and pulled pork sandwiches, with the option to purchase meals that include chips and a drink. There are picnic tables available, or you can take your lunch back to the train while it's parked at the station. We later learned that meal pre-orders are available, although we didn't notice that information when booking our tickets. The return trip to Palestine was a little quicker but just as enjoyable. From departure at 11:00 a.m. until our return around 3:00 p.m., the entire excursion was relaxing, scenic, and very well organized. If you're looking for a unique family outing in East Texas, we highly recommend upgrading to the Presidential Car. Between the comfortable seating, thoughtful amenities, excellent service, and beautiful scenery, it was an experience we'll remember for a long time.

My wife and I drove up from Austin for an overnight trip to Palestine, Texas, to take the evening…read moredinner train ride on the Texas State Railroad. We sat in the skylight car. Our experience was okay, but just okay. The train car was comfortable, though noticeably dated and in need of some freshening up. The bathroom was unpleasant -- no soap, no paper towels -- and it felt like the cars hadn't received any real attention in years. The train ride itself was pleasant enough, but too long for what it offered. The scenery consists mostly of trees lining both sides of the track, with occasional glimpses of meadows. Nothing dramatic. The train crept along at a snail's pace -- more, I suspect, to fill time than for any safety reasons. The midpoint stop was the highlight of the trip. We had dinner with live music in a lovely setting near a small lake -- genuinely enjoyable. However, the scheduled 1¼-hour stop stretched to nearly 1¾ hours, as we sat on the train for almost 30 minutes without moving before heading back. We arrived over 15 minutes later than scheduled. A few other notes: the train has no Wi-Fi, and the entire three-hour ride is accompanied by piped-in 1940s big band music. The first 30 minutes were fine; after that, it became tedious. Overall, I'd give this experience a 3 out of 5 -- and that's being generous, given the price.