Caddo Lake in Karnack, Texas sits on the Texas and Louisiana border and is known for its Cypress trees, bogs, bayous, and sloughs. It is Texas’ only natural lake and is home to the largest bald cypress tree forest in the world. It is quite mysterious with its Cypress knees, moss lined trees, old docks and buildings, and snakes and alligators and most importantly, LOTS of Bigfoot sightings. Caddo Lake State Park has a maze of small lakes and bayous with lots of great canoeing and kayaking and fishing. The town of Uncertain is nearby and both Uncertain and Karnack experienced devastating floods in 2015. And yes, the Visitor Center at the State Park entrance has a stuffed white raccoon!
Campground: Caddo Lake State Park
Location: Karnack, Texas
Site: 19 (Woodpecker Hollow – pull-thru)
Cost: $15 (with Texas State Park Pass)
Services: FHU (50AMP)
Comments: A great campground with cabins, campsites, hiking trails, and lots of great canoeing and wonderful mysterious bayous!
All sites, both RV sites and tent sites, looked mostly level, large, and some were right on the bayou. The state park also has rental cabins.
Sawmill Pond is located by the campground and has rental canoes (with life jackets and oars), a fishing pier, and firewood for sale.
We decided to rent a canoe and paddle around the bayou so we drove up (literally up a hill) to the visitor center at the entrance to do the paperwork, pay the money, and get the key for the canoe. We then drove back down the hill to Saw Mill pond and unlocked our canoe and off we went!! We padded around the Saw Mill Pond and then on to Big Cypress Bayou. It was quiet and peaceful but we are sad to announce that we did not see Bigfoot!!!! But we enjoyed paddling around the Cypress trees and the Cypress knees and just enjoying the beauty and the serenity of the bayou!
It is a lovely campground with some great canoeing especially in the bayou. We had a lovely warm few days and then it suddenly turned cold and of course it was cold when we were out paddling but it was well worth it. We quite enjoyed this state park!
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