There is literally so much to do here. We came today and took a short hike at Veterans Lake while…read moreexploring. We also visited the Nature Center to get our National Park stamp. One highlight was clearly Little Niagara, because the place was packed with locals and visitors all enjoying the cool springs, the waterfalls, etc. Can't wait to come back and explore a bit more.

We took a ride down here today to check it out it's been several years. Upon entering the area we…read morenoticed a mineral springs area. Wasn't much water in the spring but the creek was flowing with a heavy smell of sulpher. Also stopped by the Buson viewing area but did not see any. Not sure how many are left here. We drove around thru the park nd seen a deer eating along the road. Wasn't scared at all. There are several swimming holes and small waterfall/rapids areas with plenty of camping spots. There were a lot of folks out and camping. The park is about 10k acres sitting in the start of the Arbuckle Mountains. Great day trip.

I just realized I forgot to add the prices so I was lazy and copied this. Sorry…read more * Adults (13+ years), Weekday: $9 * Adults (13+ years), Weekend: $12 * Children (6-12 years), Weekday: $6 * Children (6-12 years), Weekend: $9 * Children (5 years & under), Weekday: Free * Children (5 years & under), Weekend: Free * Seniors (55+ years), Weekday: $6 * Seniors (55+ years), Weekend: $9 * Active Military (with ID), Weekday: $6 * Active Military (with ID), Weekend: $9 Note: Fees are subject to sales tax and may include additional charges for activities like fishing. For camping or cabins, extra vehicle and per-person fees apply.

The reviews of this place were so confusing. We decided to give it a go and I'm torn honestly. The…read morefalls are beautiful. There's a lot of nature. But it could be so much more than it is. You're a bit at the mercy of whoever is there. A lot of people were there for the day backed up to a covered spot and blaring music. There was a depressing amount of trash around. The castles are neat and after doing some web searching we found some history about them (not offered by the park itself which is odd). Some areas feel pretty unsafe. The store just sells towels, $2 water shoes for $20 and life vests. No swimming allowed today (it's still winter and because of flooding) but a lot of people were in various areas of the river. The bathrooms were spread around the upper areas and I think mostly for campers and cabin folks. No one is policing anything though. The ports potties were rank.

fun place to vist. To fish, and swim. Love going there for a break from dallas.read more

Had the weirdest experience there as first time visitors and we will not be going back. It's 7…read moredollars for people older than 7, so my family paid 21 dollars. Then as soon as we got to the parking lot we realized that it was very full and it sounded like there was a DJ or something there playing Latin pop music and Cumbias. We parked in the gravel parking lot and made sure to back in because we would not have been able to pullout to leave because of how many cars were cramped in. On the way down the path we saw that it was not an actual Dj but rather a party of people sitting under the trees with the large Dj speakers that stand on the tripod poles. We walked to the farthest place on the beach to get away from the loud party. On our way across the beach there were a few other groups with radios, but they were playing them at a much more respectable level only able to be heard for 10-15 ft or so. Once we picked out our spot the sand on the beach is great and it has a really nice slope so you can swim out pretty far before it gets deep. I did make my kids keep their water shoes on the whole time because we picked up over ten pieces of broken brown and green glass. We left around 7 after a lot of people had already left. The craziest part is what happened up in the changing area. They have around 5 portapotties out in the parking lot, then down on the grass, a water cleaning area with three spigots and two changing rooms that are just stalls on wood that you can change in, but you can see peoples feet from the outside. As I was walking up a young girl maybe 10-12 walked up already in dry jean shorts and a dry shirt she walked into the changing stall but didn't have anything with her. She looked confused but closed the door. I stood there waiting in line as the other one was taken. The young girl started URINATING on the floor in the changing stall! Like I just see her feet and a stream of Pee. Insane! Her parents were no where to be seen. They obviously told her to go up and use the restroom and didn't watch her. Either she didn't know the porta-potties were the toilets, or she didn't want to use them. It's really sad that the people there were acting so inappropriately because the beach is really nice. They should have a code of conduct or something, and ranger type people that are monitoring. There are two large dumpsters for trash in the parking lot, but there was still trash all over in the parking lot. As far as staff that we saw there was only the woman in the ticket booth and one worker in a cart probably picking up trash. My husband overheard the worker say that there was 800 people that came thru that day. With people paying 7 dollars a piece for next to no amenities they really need more staff.

We camped 2 nights in our RV and hiked the trails. The RV spot we had was very unlevel and…read moreunfortunately didn't have enough leveling blocks. Had to add buying more to the growing RV needs list. The park was well maintained. The trailheads have limited parking. We drove around until we found one on trail 9. There are 14 or more trails and they seem to create a loop. We hiked 3 miles and called it a day. The trails sometimes needed better signage. I liked the vast amount of picnic areas. This park is well off the main steers creating a quiet place to enjoy. I mean, I heard speed boats during our hike, but that didn't spoil my solitude.

We really enjoyed a marvelous weekend at Eisenhower State park not long ago!! I definitely…read morerecommend visiting, before it gets too crazy hot. We came here in late spring. They have really nice nearby cabins along the peninsula where we stayed. There's a lot to do for the entire family, trail running, hiking, fishing etc. Plus it is a short drive up north offering the "we are not in DFW" vibe. It is worth checking out for sure!

Looking for a short getaway to bask in some beautiful hiking, biking and/or running trails?! Bonham…read moreis a great option for this, bring family and friends or come solo! The park itself is fairly small with several trail loops to explore. Go thru the gate and grab a pass from the main area where you may also park. They will give you a trail map as well as tell you a bit about the trails in terms of where to start, etc! They also had a really fun cooking class in the morning right on the lake. Super unexpected but awesome! Apparently they do lots of trail events often to check online to see what is going on. Bring your tent or RV and you can camp out right on the water. Cheap kayaks are available for rent as well. Since it is so hot you need to start early and/or bring plenty of hydration for your adventure. This was a great way for me to start my weekend and really set the tone for a serenity kind of Saturday! Go check out downtown Bonham for shopping and lunch right after. Rangers are always on duty and they truly take pride in this incredible park.

Overall, Bonham is a great spot for a weekend camping trip, hiking, and doing miscellaneous water…read moreactivities IF you don't mind a ridiculous amount of daddy long leg spiders. I don't know if it was because of the hot and humid weather (end of September) -- we'd set up camp at the end of a major shower -- or if that's just the norm but if you rent a campsite in the upper teens (16, 17, etc.) expect to see dozens if not hundreds of spiders on a regular basis. If you rent the lower number sites (12, 11, etc.), you won't see hardly any "wildlife." My group of 5 rented 2 sites (5 adults, 4 dogs, 3 cars, 2 nights, and 1 "oh Lawd, why" moment) so I had the pleasure of experiencing both extremes. Restrooms and showers are a short 3min walk from the camp sites and are very well maintained. My only complaint is there's very little airflow in the women's room so expect to sweat even while watering the pool. The campsites are even better. There's an outlet box to plug in all of your necessities and a water spigot. Picnic table and little hanging poles to dry your towels. Everything you need is right there. Our neighbors were quiet for the most part with the occasional "too loud after 10pm" moment and 1 neighbor who wouldn't answer his 4am alarm until it had gone off for a good 5min haha! Some activities include swimming in the lake, renting paddle boats, renting fishing gear, and hiking. We hiked the "Gnarly Root Trail" and boy the only thing gnarly about it was again, the spiders. The ground looked like it was moving and the path is 1-person wide so if you're with friends, don't expect to carry on a conversation. The trail markers were a bit confusing and we had to double back once to make the correct turn but it was a pretty decent and simple 1.5mi hike. My friends had a great experience with the paddle boat rentals and it wasn't until we were leaving that we realized we could've rented fishing gear, too (darn!). Other factors, there was a burn ban that weekend and we didn't realize it until the park manager told us (it was pouring rain when we arrived so we didn't see the sign). But he was super cool about it and let us extinguish it without penalty. That's another great thing: the park managers truly care and make sure everyone is having a great time and are safe. The evening of our check in, he stopped by and gave us the lowdown on how things work, some tips, and answered any questions we had. Overall, this is a great park and I'd definitely return for another camping trip when the weather cools off.

Great community park. Clean, safe & ideally located near several neighborhoods & schools.read more

It's such a beautiful setting. The lake is alive with all types of wildlife. The city keeps it…read moreclean. My only complaint is the overgrowth of the small island that the ducks stay on at night. Wish they (the city) would clean that up. It's becoming a part of the land instead of an island of safety for the ducks. Glad they are keeping the backfield mowed more. It looks nice.

We didn't spend a ton of time here, but it looks like a nice park. They've got more horseshoe pits…read morethan anyplace else I've ever seen. The dog park is split into separate areas for large and small dogs. We let our dog run around for a few minutes and play with other dogs. Everyone seemed to be responsible about keeping an eye on their dogs.

I haven't really stayed at this park, but this is where we parked our cars to start our hike on the…read moreCross Timbers Hiking Trail. The trail head is located on the far west part of the park. There's a craptastic map of the hiking trail at the trail head, but here's a link for good one. http://www.cedarbayou.com/cross_timbers.asp The trail has a lot of inclines and declines and you can camp along the trail where where possible.

Be careful which campsite you pick, there's one or two right across the place where RVs empty their…read morewaste...ugh. I had the misfortune of standing down wind. Thank God we weren't staying there. Like Joseph B., I came to hike. I mistakenly assumed this whole area is flat, and that's what I told the 9 other people in my party. I should have looked at a few more links because almost immediately there were short but steep hills - about 10 in succession just for the first 5 miles. And that's about as far as we got before we turned back. We were exhausted, but it was worth it. Even the three marathon runners in our group said it was a good workout. Start at the W. Juniper Point trailhead, not Cedar Bayou Marina, or you will miss some of the better lake views from the trail. You can follow the trail markers to Lost Loop or cut through the Marina and continue on the Loop on the west side of the Marina. Start early because it gets pretty hot mid-day in March. I'm so excited to find good hikes in N. Texas.