Lake Somerville State Park Is an Outdoor Escape in the Heart of Texas

After hearing about bald eagle sightings during our stay at Lake Somerville State Park, we were hoping we'd get lucky and see one, too. We decided to head out along the Beautyberry Trail toward Eagle Point, figuring a destination with a name like that might produce the results we wanted. We hadn't quite made it to Eagle Point when, sure enough, a bald eagle surprised us by taking off from a tree in front of us, the magnificent bird of prey swooping across grasslands next to the trail.

Lake Somerville is a haven for wildlife, and for people, too.

“We think of ourselves as the ‘Escape for Texas,’” says Birch Creek Unit Superintendent Thomas Milone. “We are right in the triangle of Houston, Austin and DFW. We've got all the recreation you can imagine - hiking, fishing, boating, paddling, horseback riding.”

Lake Somerville consists of several parts. The Birch Creek Unit is on the north side of the lake, and the Nails Creek Unit is on the southwest side. The 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway connects the two units. The Somerville Public Hunting Land is nearby, too. The Trailway currently has a couple of washed-out bridges, so you can't go from one unit to the other by trail, but funding is in place for bridge replacements.

Size: 8,700 acres

Closest Town: Somerville

Year Opened: 1970

Busy Season: Spring and summer

Fun Fact: The spiky native plant yaupon holly grows all over the park, and is one of the two plants in the U.S. that contain caffeine. Native people made tea from the plant's leaves.

Birch Creek Unit: Beautyberry Trail (0.9 miles one way)

Located along the lake in the park's Birch Creek Unit, this 0.9-mile trail meanders through dense woods dotted with the bright purple berries from which it gets its name (they're a favorite food of bobwhite quail). The gentle terrain makes for a relaxing and scenic hike. To extend your walk, you can make a 1-mile detour along Bluestem Bend, or continue out to Eagle Point for views of the water, and likely some waterbirds.

Nails Creek Unit: Overlook Trail (0.7 miles)

On this short trail, head up a gentle incline to a wooden platform overlooking Lake Somerville. This trail and the nearby Rocky Point Trail are good places to catch a sunrise over the lake. Along the way, keep an eye out for leafcutter ants carrying their cuttings back to their colony. The Nails Creek Unit is a 30-minute drive from the Birch Creek Unit.

Lake Somerville Trailway (13 miles)

The 13-mile Lake Somerville Trailway connects the two units of Lake Somerville State Park. Ride your horse, bike or backpack, staying at a wooded campsite along the way. Be sure to check the park webpage to make sure the trail is open. Two bridges washed out in a flood, and the park is currently working to rebuild them.

Hunting

Waterfowl hunters are active on the lake and Flag Pond in the fall and winter months. Lake Somerville also draws bowhunters with archery-only, walk-in deer and hog hunts on 3,180 acres reserved for hunters.

Kayaking

Rent a kayak or canoe from the park and get out on the water!

Fishing

Bass is king in Texas, but Lake Somerville shines with its stock of crappie. A structure submerged off the point near the restrooms in the day-use area offers cover for the shy species. Anglers can also try their luck at the mouths of the lake's many creeks. The lake is also popular with white bass anglers during the spring spawning run.

Hiking

Choose from 40 miles of trails (often connecting) that crisscross both units of the park.

Boating

Lake Somerville has over 11,000 acres of water to explore by motorized boat. Both Birch Creek and Nails Creek have boat ramps.

Attend a Ranger Program

The park offers a variety of programs such as night hikes, natural history and Dutch oven cooking.

Horseback Riding

Horses are allowed on the Trailway, and on most trails at Nails Creek.

The views from Lake Somerville's shoreline campsites are a sunset-watcher's delight. The best spots to settle in and watch the sky are in the Birch Creek Unit's Post Oak Camping Area. In particular, campsites 44 and 45 offer scenic accommodations for both tent campers and RVs up to 50 feet.

After the trailway reopens later this year (dependent on bridge construction), guests who want to make the full 13-mile trek can break up their hike with a night of camping at one of several primitive campsites along the way. The Wolf Pond and Flag Pond campsites both have composting toilets and features for equestrian users to hitch and water their horses. (Wolf Pond is four miles from the Birch Creek Unit and Flag Pond is a four-mile hike from Nails Creek). This trip is great for both novice backpackers and those training for an even longer journey.

Bald eagles: The park provides the best opportunity in the area to see the majestic bald eagle. Head out to Eagle Point, walk the Cardinal Loop or drop by the day-use area to try to catch a glimpse of the giant birds of prey.

Turkey vultures: In fall, dozens of turkey vultures roost in the park's trees. Turkey vultures are super-smellers, able to detect a scent from just a few molecules, which allows them to find dead animals to eat.

Bobcats: Bobcats are shy creatures, and you're lucky if you see one in person. You're more likely to see their tracks, so check the dirt of the trails for signs of these wild cats, which are around twice the size of a house cat.

River otters: These playful mammals, once hunted for their fur, are now making their way back across Texas. Keep an eye out for their tracks, which resemble tiny human hands and feet with webbed fingers and toes!

“I was sitting at my desk one day doing budget and spreadsheets. I was thinking to myself, ‘I didn't become a park superintendent to do spreadsheets.’ I got in my truck and started patrolling. As I was driving I saw something moving and I was trying to figure it out. I saw a kitten come out, and these kittens started playing. They were bobcats! Eventually the mom came out, too. That was a special moment.”
- Complex Superintendent John Rorie

Trailway Entrance

Make a grand entrance you can brag about at the trailway's official entrance in the park's Nails Creek Unit. Take a picture under the grand log archway.

Springtime Flowers

Come March and April, a sea of blue flowers mirrors the water at Lake Somerville's day use area. The bluebonnets provide a perfect backdrop for your annual wildflower photo shoot.

Water Elm

A tangle of branches stretches over Flag Pond on the western edge of the park. They belong to a tree that holds the title of Texas' state champion water elm. Go hug a tree — and snap a picture while you're at it!