On the banks of the Navasota, the past and the present collide. Two ecosystems meet here, too, and you can explore it all on foot, bike or kayak. Fort Parker State Park is just 90 miles south of the DFW Metroplex.

Enjoy swimming, fishing, hiking and biking, camping, picnicking, bird and nature watching, paddling and geocaching. Host your group gatherings here, as well. Fort Parker offers some of the best sunsets in Central Texas, so bring your camera!

Explore seven miles of trails on foot or bike. Learn about the plants in the park along the .6-mile Bur Oak Trail. See many park highlights along the two-mile Springfield Trail: the Springfield Cemetery, the Navasota River Springs that feed the river, the dam built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and spring-fed Lake Springfield.

Drop a hook in 750-acre Fort Parker Lake, three-acre Lake Springfield, or the Navasota River. Catch channel and blue catfish, white and black bass, and crappie. No fishing license is needed to fish from shore on our lakes or the river, or from a boat on the lake. You will need a license to fish from a boat on the river. We have two boat ramps (one on the river and one on Fort Parker Lake), two fishing piers and a fish cleaning station. We loan fishing gear for use in the park. Paddle Fort Parker Lake and the Navasota River by canoe or kayak. Take the 5.3-mile Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail to experience both. Bring your own or rent one of our watercraft (weather permitting).

Stay overnight at a campsite, screened shelter or cabin. Cabins don’t have beds or bathrooms but do have air-conditioning. Sites are scattered around the lake’s edge, and most are near a restroom with showers.