Life at the Lake
Fish, hike and camp in the pines at Lake Livingston State Park.
By Morgan O'Hanlon
Overview
At Lake Livingston State Park, the shady canopy of East Texas' tall loblolly pines offers a glimpse into what these woods looked like centuries before the sprawling lake for which the park is named even existed. This naturally bountiful area along the banks of the Trinity River attracted several Native American tribes, including the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, which has a reservation with several hundred residents elsewhere in Polk County. Later, it became a forestry hub in part thanks to the riches of timber.
Although visitors usually come for the lake — the state's fifth largest, and one that longtime park host Jimmie Ballard says is more relaxed and less heavily trafficked than Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn reservoirs — they keep on returning for the variety and convenience the park has to offer. Whether you're a birder, an angler, a campfire chef or simply one who enjoys lakeside life, this park packs a heavy punch into its relatively small acreage. Hardly more than an hour's drive from downtown Houston, the park offers a glimpse behind the pine curtain without losing yourself deep in the wilderness.
At a Glance
| Size: 635.5 acres |
| Closest Town: Livingston |
| Year Opened: 1977 |
| Busy Season: Spring, Summer and Fall |
| Fun Fact: Loblolly pines are native to East Texas, but the ones you'll see Lake Livingston State Park are not original to the park. According to Green, the land was clear-cut by the timber industry (loblolly is popularly used for furniture and construction). The Trinity River was dammed in the late 1960s to create the lake, and the towering loblolly pines you'll see in the park these days were planted as part of reforestation before the park opening in 1977. |
Three Hikes
Easy: Oak Flat Trail (0.3 miles)
East Texas is known as the Pineywoods, but Lake Livingston State Park is also home to more than a dozen oak species for which this trail is named. This short walk begins right as you enter the Lake Livingston State Park, with the trailhead sitting right across from the visitors center. Along the trail, you can read more about the area's industrial history, including the once bustling, and now submerged, town of Swartwout.
Moderate: Pineywoods Boardwalk Trail (0.9 miles)
Meander along a mile-long, mossy wood boardwalk that will guide you over creeks, near a bird blind and past a duck pond. In addition to shortleaf, longleaf and loblolly pine trees, you may also spot groves of palmettos and catbriars that thrive in the swampy bottomlands where the thicket opens up. Listen for the sound of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, which is known to live in the canopy overhead. This trail is ADA accessible and mostly flat so you can focus on taking in the lush landscape.
Challenging: Trinity Trace Trail (2.1 miles)
See all of what the park has to offer on this long park trail. The Trinity Trace Trail connects all campsites and day-use areas at the park so you can ditch your car and opt to get around Lake Livingston State Park by foot or bike instead. This trail is a mix of wide, crushed gravel walkways, narrow, single-track dirt paths and wooden bridges to cross the lake's coves.
Plan your state park visit
Mix and match these activities to make the most of your trip, whether you're there for a full weekend or only a day.
Rent a kayak
The sprawling, 83,030-acre Lake Livingston beckons state park visitors to come explore its waters. If you feel compelled to answer that call, a self-service kayaking company offers rentals from the day use areas of the state park. However, Bright reminds visitors that the lake demands respect. “It's a gigantic creature,” she said. And, like a living creature, it can get quite temperamental. She recommends paddlers stick to the main cove by the park store to avoid Lake Livingston's sometimes impressive waves.
Swim in the lake
Although there is no designated swimming area at Lake Livingston State Park, Bright says swimming is allowed off the bulkheads that line much of the state park's shoreline. Although alligators do live in the lake, she said it's unlikely you'll see one in the highly trafficked, deep area near the park store. “I've only ever seen one in the year and a half that I've been here,” she says. “If you do see one, you should consider that a special treat.
See snakes on display at the park store
Nearly one dozen live native snakes slither inside enclosures in the park store. Most of these snakes were collected by interpretive park ranger Eric Rosenthal near the park. If you swing by his office, you might also peek your head in to see his collection of snakes preserved in isopropyl alcohol. Occasionally, he'll bring put these on display for outreach or special programs. Snake lovers never fear: all these specimens died of natural causes or were found as roadkill. Rosenthal also keeps two baby alligators in a tank, which park guests have the opportunity to touch during special programming.
Attend a ranger program
Besides Rosenthal's programs with herptiles — the scientific word for reptiles and amphibians — one of his more popular events is an evening hike along the Pineywoods Boardwalk Trail, where he guides park visitors through the thicket at the sun sets and cicadas buzz.
Pack a fishing pole
Park guests Kenneth and Arlyene McGarrahan attended nearby Livingston High School and have loved the area since childhood. Every summer, they set up camp at Lake Livingston State Park to make the most of the bountiful, and huge, catfish that live there. For two weeks, they fish until they have enough to throw a fish fry for all the current park hosts. Kenneth McGarrahan recommends anglers cast their lines off the paved sidewalk that lines many of the park's bulkheads.
Overnight Stays
The park features 75 full-hookup campsites along with 52 sites with water and electricity and 16 water-only sites. All are nestled in the pines, and some offer commanding lake views.
The park's screened shelters sit at the quiet, far south end of park, overlooking one of the many coves along Lake Livingston's shoreline. As you sit on the patio of your shelter and cook up dinner on your designated fire pit, you might glance over the shoreline and see tall, bare tree trunks sticking out of the lake. These are the remnants of the forest that was flooded after Lake Livingston was dammed in the late 1960s. Today, the lost world beneath the surface provides many hiding places for fish. As a result, campers at the shelters will often see double-crested cormorants or other birds perched on these dead trunks in search of their next meal.
The screened shelters allow you to leave your tent at home and feel the evening breeze on your face. As an added bonus, you'll have great protection from mosquitoes — which come out in droves on hot summer evenings.
Tip: If you want a waterfront campsite, plan far in advance. Assistant Park Superintendent Joseph Green says these desirable spots often book up as soon as they open — a full five months in advance.
Park Staff Story
“The birds here are really cool. I'm from Tyler, Texas, and although ospreys are native to our area, I'd never seen one before. In fact, I'd never seen any bird that big until I started living and working in the park. They're huge; they have like a 4-foot wingspan. And I didn't
just see it flying, I saw it like a stone's throw away. We also have bald eagles and owls that nest in the park — I'm getting used to spending time with large birds of prey.” -Ranger Joseph Green
Selfie Spots
Lookout Tower
Get a better sense of the size of Lake Livingston by climbing to the top of Lake Livingston's lookout tower, which sits just next to the park store and above the park's main pier.
Bird Blind
Head to the bird blind (about halfway through the Pineywoods Boardwalk Trail) to take a picture with some of the park's native and migratory birds.
Fish Cleaning Station
Take a picture with your fresh catch at one of the park's two fish cleaning stations before you prepare it for a delicious campfire dinner.
Pro Packing List
Aside from the necessities, these items can make your trip to Lake Livingston State Park even more enjoyable.
Lunatec Gear
Portable shower, mist and drink spray lid
Transforms Hydroflask, Takeya and Thermoflask bottles into a camp shower, cool mist, camp faucet and hydration bottle.
MSRP: $24.99
lunatecgear.com
Supergoop
Play Everday Lotion SPF 50
Keep your skin safe from the sun with Texas-made, fast-absorbing, non-greasy sunscreen that hydrates skin and is water-and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes.
MSRP: $24
supergoop.com
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