Lake Livingston State Park

Copyright: Texas State Parks & Historical Sites Lake Livingston State Park - boat

Attractions - Park vegetation includes pine-oak woodlands, dominated by loblolly pine and water oak. Typical wildlife of the pineywoods includes an occasional white-tailed deer, mallard duck, raccoon, armadillo, swamp rabbit, or squirrel. Popular fish include crappie, perch, catfish, and bass.

Park facilities include restrooms with and without showers; campsites with water; campsites (back-in) with water and electricity (premium sites available); screened shelters, some of which are accessible to the disabled. Other park facilities include a campground pavilion (capacity 50); picnic sites and an enclosed group picnic pavilion; an activity center with a capacity of 100 people with central heat and air-conditioning; 6.9 miles of trails, with 4.4 for hiking, 5 miles for mountain biking, 2.5 for equestrian, and 2.7 for nature study and birding; a seasonal park store (baithouse, gas, dock facilities- open March-October); a swimming pool with bathhouse; boat ramps; fish-cleaning shelters; playground; and trailer dump stations. Day use equestrian is now available: Visitors use the horses provided by Lake Livingston stables and are not allowed to bring their own horses. (Refer to "Equestrian (Horse) Tours" above.)

Nearby attractions include Martin Dies, Jr. and Huntsville State Parks; Trinity River Authority-operated Wolf Creek and Tigerville Parks; hundreds of privately-owned parks and marinas; Big Thicket National Preserve (Big Sandy Creek and Menard Creek) near Woodville, 30 miles away; Sam Houston National Forest near Coldspring, 30 miles away; the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation, where "Beyond the Sundown" outdoor drama shows during the summer months, and the Big Pow-Wow is held during the first weekend of June; and the Lake Livingston Dam with fishing right below the dam at Southland Park, a county park. The City of Livingston, 10 miles away, offers ball fields; a bowling alley; a 18-hole golf course; lighted tennis courts; city parks; a municipal airport; and Polk County Library and Museum. Astrodome, AstroWorld, NASA Spacecenter Houston, and many more attractions in Houston, 70 miles away, and two18-hole golf courses within 30 minutes. Special annual events include the Annual Crappiethon (mid-February through mid-April); Easter Festival and Bazaar (Memorial Day weekend); the Texas Youth Rodeo "Texas' Largest" (first week in July); Pine Cone Festival (first full-weekend in October); and Christmas Candle Light Tour of Homes (first Saturday in December).

Camping fees vary; entrance fee. For reservations, call 512/389-8900. Current conditions including fire bans and water levels can vary from day to day. For more details, call the park or Park Information at 1-800-792-1112.

Recreation - The park offers camping; picnicking; swimming; mountain biking; nature study; fishing (crappie, perch, catfish, and bass); lake swimming (unsupervised); and boating; Day use equestrian is now available: Visitors use the horses provided by Lake Livingston stables and are not allowed to bring their own horses. (Refer to "Equestrian (Horse) Tours" below.)

Equestrian (Horse) Tours: Enjoy a leisurely ride through 2.5 miles of scenic and wooded terrain while observing the abundance of plant and wildlife the park has to offer.
Eat 'n Ride Breakfast: The early morning ride ends with a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, pan-fried potatoes, sausage, English muffins, coffee, and orange juice.
Eat 'n Ride Dinner: Steak Dinner - The steak dinner follows the evening ride and includes a 16-ounce steak (especially prepared for you), beans, potato salad, Texas toast, cake, tea, and lemonade. With enough notice, the cooks will prepare whatever you wish.
Hamburger Dinner - A hamburger dinner replaces the steak dinner (late afternoon ride).

Climate - Lake Livingston State Park is located at an elevation of 194 feet. Temperatures within the park range from an average January of 37 degrees and a July average of 94 degrees. The average annual rainfall is 48 inches. Current weather conditions can vary from day to day. For more details, call the park or Park Information at 1-800-792-1112.

Location - Lake Livingston State Park is situated within the Gulf Coast region of Texas. The park is located 1 mile south of Livingston on US Highway 59, 4 miles west on FM 1988, 1/2 mile north on FM 3126 to Park Road 65, which is 75 miles north of Houston.