Welcome to Daingerfield State Park In the great state of Texas.
Kendra at our campsite
Daingerfield State Park is located just southwest of Texarkana. Daingerfield is comprised of a 500+ acre recreational area which includes an 80 acre lake. Originally it was privately owned but was deeded in 1935 to the state; then opened as a State Park in 1938.
This park, like many others was constructed during the depression era. The original construction of the park was undertaken by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); a depression era work program designed to get the economy moving again. You can still see their craftsmanship as you walk through the park. The shelter house at the beach, shown below, is one example of the CCC program. There are cabins on the property that were also constructed by the CCC.
The Beach House – one of the CCC projects you will see at Daingerfield State Park
This Park is beautiful, and the vegetation reminded us of a state park in Wisconsin. The Park is clean and really well maintained; but from a camping perspective it is very small. The Big Pine camping area provides full hook up sites; there are ten spots in total but probably only six that would work for a travel trailer over thirty feet long. Whatever site you manage to reserve in this loop should make you happy. The site will either provide you with a view of the lake or a view of the forest…basically a win/win in our book. There are some other camping areas in the park for travel trailers but the rigs would need to be smaller to fit. Beyond travel trailer camping there are quite a few nice tent sites throughout the park. Some of these have pretty decent separation from the adjoining sites.
The RV sites are not what I would consider grassy, so you will want to put a mat outside your entry door to get the dirt and sand off your shoes. We have some very large mats that we would have put out if rain was not in the forecast later in the week.
Plenty of privacy at each campsite!
As you can see from the picture above, there’s more than enough room and privacy to sit outside with your puppies tethered at your site. That is not something you are going to be able to do at a national campground chain!
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to go for a stroll at night, is that this campground is dark. You will need a flashlight to keep from wandering off of the road. Don’t think that you can rely on the light inside the camping loop; you cannot. Beyond the how dark it is, you will be amazed how quiet it is.
Another great thing about this park is that it isn’t on the list of the Texas Parks that are infested with argentine ants. I would strongly recommend that before you stay in any of the state parks you call in advance (because the list of parks infested may increase) and ask about any possible ant infestations. These ants are invasive and it is almost impossible to keep them out of your trailer. It is much harder to kill them once they get in. The following excerpt is from the Texas Parks Website:
New non-native species are found in Texas State Parks every day. But recently two species of invasive ants have moved in to some parks, damaging park facilities and harming wildlife. Tawny crazy ants and Argentine ants have infested six Texas state parks to date (November 2016):
Buescher State Park (Smithville)
Cedar Hill State Park (Cedar Hill)
Estero Llano Grande State Park (Mercedes)
Lake Tawakoni State Park (Wills Point)
Martin Creek State Park (Tatum)
Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center (Houston)
Parks around Lake Somerville (but not the state park, yet)
Although control is difficult, park employees are using best practices to treat these infestations.
Quiet time in the park is from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Public consumption (or any display of an alcoholic beverage) is prohibited. We’ve found this to be the rule at all the Texas State Parks that we have visited. There is nothing to prevent you from enjoying a beer inside your trailer.
This Parks General Store is very small so don’t depend on it for groceries but the park is not far from town so in a pinch you can drive to a nearby store for supplies. The Park does have boat rental if you want to get out on the lake and do some fishing, or just paddle around.
The Beach area is easy to access and well maintained. Near the lakes shore you will find Picnic tables spread out under a number of trees. There is a large floating platform just off shore. The swimming area is nice. We thought the water probably wasn’t quite as clear as Tyler State Park but still very nice.
You will need to swim at your own risk as there are no lifeguards and there is no glass or family pets allowed in the beach area. You can see that much of the 1930s stonework still exists at the park.
The Beach and Swim Platform
There are trails throughout the park and a trail that runs around the lake. Tammy and I walked the entire trail and it took about an hour to cover the approximately three mile trail from our campsite. The trail is not smooth, there are many trip hazards on the way ranging from tree roots to rocks, so be careful. This is not a trail that anyone in their right mind would think about running. The trail provides great views of the lake and there are benches along the way if you would like to take a break.
The Trail around the lake
Kendra, our least adventurous “puppy” even enjoyed part of the trail which ran from our camper to the beach area. The next day she took me to that same trail when we were walking; then veered off onto a completely different trail for about a half of a mile. She is the stereotypical German Shepherd; protective, affectionate, and a mommies girl.
Hannah, our very inquisitive white shepherd dog loved the trails; and anyone she would happen to meet along the way.
I can’t say enough good things about Daingerfield State Park. If your looking to do some hiking, just relax, or just enjoy some peace and quiet; this park may just be what you are looking for.
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