Cedar Hill State Park is one of the largest (if not the largest) state parks in North Texas. Living within an easy drive of Cedar Hill, we have visited many times as the kids have grown. It has a ginormous lake, lots of trails to both hike and bike, a fishing pond, a good swimming area and beach with shaded picnic tables, and even an authentic 150 year old farm to tour.

CHSP is so large that for years it hosted a nationally known mud run that our family enjoyed participating in yearly.

What we love about Cedar Hill:

Water. There is certainly plenty of it!
Fishing. This one is a bit controversial in our household because while there are a great many places to fish from the shoreline and there is the beautiful Perch Pond (pictured), not one of us remembers catching anything there. Ever. (And like I pointed out in the Purtis Creek SP blog post, catching is always more fun than just fishing.)
Biking. This place has an incredible mountain bike trail complete with switchbacks, plenty of shade, gorgeous views and a great combo of easy to difficult terrain. Bikers flock here, especially on the weekends, but if you can catch it when it’s not overly crowded, even the kids can enjoy mountain biking the trails.
Hiking. We have been enjoying Duck Pond Trail since our first visit to CHSP. It’s an easy, shaded hike that even my smallest enjoyed as wee folk. The aforementioned DORBA Trail is also available to foot traffic. Same varied terrain. Same gorgeous views. Plenty of shade. Mind the trail directions at the trailhead.
Swimming. There’s a pretty great sandy swim beach surrounded by shaded picnic tables past the boat launch. In the summer, it’s enjoyed by many, so get there early to stake your claim on a picnic table.

Must Do’s:

All of the above! CHSP is an entire day’s worth of adventure so pack up the car and go have one at Cedar Hill State Park!

NOTE: Camping is available in spades at this huge park, but we have no first hand experience to share. Potential campers should know that you can hear road noise at the park due to the nearby roadways.

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Cedar Hill State Park! Please share your thoughts on this Texas State Park nestled in the North Texas suburbs in the comments.

*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.

We love Purtis Creek because…

Trees. They are everywhere and in Texas shade is a savory thing. Plus, they’re pretty. Life is short, so enjoy the view.

Water. Water is always on our radar when traveling in Texas. Not only is it pretty (see #1), it is cooling on 100 degree days and it’s the best element in which to go fishing, which happens to be my manling’s love language. (Side note: We have literally never left Purtis Creek SP without catching* something. Ever. And catching is way more fun than just fishing.)

Uncrowded. Summer months can draw crowds (because of #1 & #2), but weekdays the rest of the year are blissfully uncrowded. You can almost trick yourself into thinking you’ve struck it rich and all this is yours. Love.

Must Do’s:

swim

fish – from the dam, the shoreline on the far side of the dam and the two piers in the camping area; we use canned corn and worms

hike one of the trails through the towering trees or the creative Solar Trail along the dam

interact with the park staff; their love for the park is contagious

camp (our personal picks are lakeside sites #21-24, but truthfully most of the campsites are private with plenty of shade and natural divisions)

enjoy the wildlife – moles, coyotes, birds, fish

We’d love to hear about your experiences at Purtis Creek State Park! Please share your thoughts on this East Texas gem in the comments.

*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.