Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Isle du Bois Unit
100 PW 4137
Pilot Point
940/686-2148
Johnson Branch Unit
100 PW 4153
Valley View
940/637-2294
tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/ray-roberts-lake
Hours: Gates are open 6am–10pm year-round
Admission: $7 adults; free for ages 12 and younger. Camping rates start at $15.
Parking: Free
For an affordable family staycation this summer, take a break from your neighborhood park or fishing hole and venture farther out to Ray Roberts Lake State Park, just north of DFW, for a boatload of recreational potential: hiking, biking, swimming, picnicking, camping, fishing and bird watching.
At 5,848 acres across two units – Isle du Bois to the south of the lake and John Branch to the north – the park covers a lot of ground. But there’s no need to cover it all to have a good time. Here are a few of the tips, activities and family hotspots you need to know for your next visit.
Get your bearings
Get an early start to avoid the midday heat, and drive slowly on the roads to keep a lookout for deer and other wildlife. A child’s first deer sighting is a precious thing. Check out the day use areas for the beaches, restrooms, playgrounds, picnic tables and pavilions. Be sure to pack the usual suspects in your knapsack: sunscreen, bug spray, hats, helmets for bikers, binoculars for bird watching, water and more water. (More water is available at refill stations.)
If you’re going in the evening, bring a flashlight for your hike, and at sunset, find a spot overlooking the lake from Isle du Bois.
Pick up an activity pack
This month, Texas Parks and Wildlife introduced Junior Ranger Explorer Packs to select parks, and Ray Roberts was one of the lucky recipients. The backpacks are filled with enough materials to share between siblings: binoculars, magnifying glass, animal tracking key, sketchbook and pencil, crayons and colorful field guides to help identify flowers, birds, butterflies and dragonflies as well as a journal to record what you find. Stop by headquarters to check out a pack for the entire day at no extra charge.
Join a ranger program
Another great perk included in your day admission is time with the interpretive specialists who lead recreational and educational activities throughout the month. Check the schedule for morning and sunset hikes on various trails as well as scavenger hunts and other special programs.
Cast your line
Take part in June’s featured outdoor activity of the month, and compete amongst your family for the first, biggest or smallest catch of the day. Both units have Kid Fish ponds stocked with catfish for the Neighborhood Fishin’ program. Don’t have a rod and reel? Check out free equipment for the day as part of the Tackle Loaner Program. For first-time fishermen, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for tips and how-to videos.
Have an animal encounter
On weekends, stop by the Interpretive Center at the Isle du Bois unit to see live snakes, insects in jars and mounted (taxidermied) animals, as well as furs and skulls from critters that can be found within the park’s borders. Then the kids can act out a few animal behaviors on the nearby Eagle Activity Trail, a self-guided, 0.2-mile nature trail with stops that encourage kids to leap like a frog on lily pad or bask in the sun like a lizard.
Explore multiple trails
Each unit has a 2.2- or 2.8-mile paved sidewalk – ideal for those with strollers or wheelchairs – that winds through the campsites and surrounding woods. Shorter hikes include Isle du Bois’ Lost Pines Nature Trail, a largely shaded, half-mile loop, and the half-mile Vanishing Prairie Trail with interpretive signs at the Johnson Branch. Do your kids prefer the view from behind the handlebars? Take your gang to the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association (DORBA) trails, located in both units. Color coordinated signs will lead you through about four different loops of varying lengths starting at one mile. For more options, grab a map at headquarters.
Sleep under the stars
If you’d rather extend your stay through the night, go online to book a campsite with water, electricity, showers and nearby playgrounds for your family overnight. Can’t get one of the coveted sites? The camping areas are connected by hike or bike trails.
Published June 2013
