Texas Park – Texans Travel Life

Choke Canyon consists of two branches: South Shore (day-use only) and Calliham (full-service side of the park). We planned our visit as part of a Labor Day extended weekend trip since the area is nowhere near close to where we live in North Texas. We arrived midday. In August. It was a blistering 97 degrees by the time we arrived – the kind of heat that makes the very air itself feel like it’s suffocating you. Because the weather wasn’t working in its favor, Choke Canyon State Park was a hard sell while we were there. Nevertheless, we pushed ourselves to experience a sampling of what CCSP offered and here’s what we found.

Cons: Let’s just go ahead and get them out of the way.

Heat. Hot as Hades comes to mind. Seriously. With no breeze. Stifling hot. The kind of hot that makes you keenly aware that even the environment is thirsty for water and your body is the current source of this precious commodity. But we were there in August, so that’s on us. Can’t really fault the park for the weather. Just a consideration when timing your visit.

Drought. The effects were pretty dramatic as there were concrete jetties that were clearly meant as walkways “into the water” that were a whopping 29 feet above the actual water level at the time of our visit. Everywhere you looked the land was parched. Dry. Thirsty. Brown was the predominant color of the landscape. The sound of dead vegetation crunching under your footfalls was part of the soundtrack of the day. But again, you cannot fault CCSP for natural disasters.

Pros: On to the Good Stuff!

Fishing. Apparently Choke Canyon Reservoir is great for fishing – especially if you have a boat. Catfish Marv, whom we met at the HQ, routinely takes groups out on his 24′ pontoon boat between 7am-1pm, and his latest expedition at the time of our introduction yielded a whopping 125 fish! We met a married couple at the fish cleaning station in the early afternoon of our visit that had caught 26 crappie in the span of 4 hours, also from their boat.

Bird Center. Many species of birds can be spotted at CCSP. In fact, one thing we appreciated about our visit was our songbird soundtrack. We heard the beautiful songs of birds during our entire visit. In addition, we crossed paths with a couple of roadrunners on the South Shore side of the park, our first up-close encounter with that speedy species.

Rec Hall. Tennis anyone? How about basketball? Are you more into soccer? CCSP has you covered as it has the facilities for all of these in or around the Rec Hall. Didn’t bring equipment? No problem! They have loaners you can borrow during your visit.

Shaded Parking. This is a serious consideration when the temps are soaring, yet not many Texas State Parks have much of it. CCSP has it in spades and you will appreciate it if you time your visit during the hottest months of the year like we did.

Shelters. CCSP offers screened shelters and shelters with air conditioning, a must-have in the summer in Texas. Situated on their own street within the park, these shelters look like a community of adorable Tiny Houses complete with front porches.

Insects. I think it’s worth noting that CCSP wasn’t buggy. We didn’t experience a single mosquito, which is unusual for us! In fact, the place appeared delightfully bug-free (though we know this is unrealistic).

Trails. They were wide. Well-maintained. Clearly marked. Level. Teeming with deer.

Alligators. There are signs, which is why we didn’t fish on the shore. We were told that alligators sunned in this spot, or that spot. The Manling even heard one enter the water, saw the splash, but just missed actually sighting one. The fact that they are there and that we didn’t have a dangerous close encounter is a Pro. (A Park Staffer pointed out that they have never had a visitor experience a disastrous encounter with one of their resident reptiles, and I am happy we were able to continue that streak on our visit.)

Why We Love Choke Canyon State Park

Wildlife. Amazingly, even during a drought, CCSP is home to deer, alligators, many species of birds, javelina, and many more!
Water. Summer in Texas = Water. Bring or rent a boat and enjoy a day on the Choke Canyon Reservoir. We hear the fishing is amazing! (And if you hire out Catfish Marv, tell him Texans Travel says hello!)

Must Do’s

Water. Look, with Catfish Marv willing and able, there’s no reason not to enjoy some time on the reservoir, especially with a rod in hand. Give the man a call (Capt. Marvin “Catfish Marv” Elledge at 210-365-7967).
Tiny House Community. There is no more affordable way to stay in the area than CCSP, and since they have accommodations with a/c, you can even enjoy a summer visit! Come on. You know you want to.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Choke Canyon State Parks! Please leave your comments on this resilient State Park in the comments below.

*In all natural areas, you are a guest. Educate yourself on what lives in the areas before your visits, always talk to the Park Rangers upon arrival and take precautions so that your experiences end as positively as ours.

My birds eye view atop the observation tower was stunning at sunrise, but I would imagine it would be spectacular as the sun set across the water on the other end of the day.

As a kid, I loved watching The Parent Trap. The whole idea of going to camp for the entire summer seemed like Heaven on Earth. The myriad of activities available to all the campers at Miss Inch’s Summer Camp for Girls always looked so fun! And the camp itself looked like the most picture-perfect place on Earth to my young eyes.

Separately, The Manling and I conquered our fears of height to gain a higher perspective of the beautiful lake and the spectacular surrounding areas.

As a teenager, I was all about Dirty Dancing – but not because of Patrick Swayze. Kellerman’s Resort held the irresistible draw to my teenaged self that Miss Inch’s Summer Camp for Girls did to the younger me. It was a magical place that offered good, clean fun for it’s guests like the talent show where the accordion players among us finally got their fifteen minutes of fame. There were log cabins (like the one Baby’s family rented) and beautiful lakes in the background and a variety of activities designed to bring people together in wholesome ways. (I would argue that the resort played a pivotal role in the movie, for the idyllic setting captured my attention more than any of the main characters.)

My amazing view as the sun greeted the day.

As an adult, I discovered Lake Livingston State Park during the Summer of 2018, a place that was like stepping back into the absolutely best parts of yesteryear. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that LLSP has somehow captured all of the greatest moments of childhood and nestled them under towering East Texas trees, and then tossed in an absolutely perfect campy vibe that leaves you wistful for bygone days.

My fondest childhood memories apparently live on at LLSP, most especially at the screened shelters area. Little House on the Prairie, anyone? Those adorable wooden shelters on the shores of Lake Livingston State Park made me want to exchange the luxury & convenience of city life for the quaint simplicity beckoning from within those tiny houses right then and there. (Honestly, I texted The Man while I was walking around that area to inform him that I believed I could live my best life RIGHT. THERE. And I meant it.)

See what I mean?!?! My heart aches to call that place home.

Or this one. I’m not picky. I could live my best life in either of these one room shelters. I promise.

While I was off fantasizing about living my best life in one of those Tiny Houses, The Manling was – drum roll please – fishing. And for all you anglers out there, the fishing is good at Lake Livingston State Park, even from the shoreline.

A sampling of the little guys that called the area around the boat launch home.

I even landed a wee little fella when I took a break from my nostalgia to live in the moment with The Manling.

What else is there to do at Lake Livingston State Park if you’re not into reliving yesteryear or fishing? Rent a canoe and spend some time on the lake. Geocache. Go hiking – there’s about 5 miles of trail. Mountain bike. Go on a nature hunt for birds, or rabbits, or armadillos, or flying squirrels…even alligators! The point is, there is something for everyone at LLSP. What are you waiting for?

Why We Love Lake Livingston State Park

Nostalgia. If your best childhood memories could be packaged into a State Park, that State Park would be Lake Livingston.
Water. This is an irresistible draw during the summer heat in Texas. LLSP offers affordable canoe and kayak rentals. They loan good ole fashioned cane fishing poles. And you can swim in the lake, to boot!
Shelters. Scroll back up to those pictures. They speak for themselves, but I gushed over them anyway. #bestlifeever
Forest. We love trees. Tall ones. The kind that offer real shade. The kind under which the temperature is noticeably lower. We want to look at them. We want to walk in their shade. We want to see the impossibly blue sky peeping through their towering, green limbs. If you do, too, LLSP is your utopia.

Must Do’s

Sunset. Go to the tip-top of the Observation Tower about an hour before sunset and just enjoy the show over Lake Livingston.
Stay. Reader, you can request specific campsites and shelters, which is unusual within the State Park system because the norm is “first come, first served.” Take advantage of that awesomeness and rent shelter #7 or #3. Trust me.
Hike. While we didn’t hike on our visit (the shoreline fishing was too good!), reading about the nite hike to Frog Pond is calling my name! And rumor has it that the most popular trail (the Pineywoods Boardwalk Trail) happens to be the means to get to Frog Pond, so you totally score a twofer with this hike. Don’t forget a flashlight.
Make Memories. In my opinion, this isn’t the place to be alone. Grab those you love and go make some memories at LLSP. The place is rich with opportunities!

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Lake Livingston State Park! Please leave your comments on this State Park that is nothing short of a delicious slice of yesteryear below.

*In all natural areas, you are a guest. Educate yourself on what lives in the areas before your visits, always talk to the Park Rangers upon arrival and take precautions so that your experiences end as positively as ours.