Bonham State Park is a 261 acres (1.1 km²) park located in Fannin County, Texas

Fannin County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,242 people, 11,105 households, and 7,984 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 12,887 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...

 northeast of Dallas. It includes a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) lake, rolling prairies, and woodlands.

History

Constructed in early 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

, the land was acquired in 1933 from the City of Bonham and was opened in 1936.

Activities

There is (unsupervised) swimming and fishing in the man-made lake, built in 1935, as well as camping, picnicking, mountain biking, boating (5 mph speed limit).

Area Attractions

Nearby attractions include the Eisenhower State park

Eisenhower State Park (Texas)

Eisenhower State Park is a state park located in Grayson County, Texas, northwest of Denison, Texas on the shores of Lake Texoma. The park is .-History:...

, Eisenhower Birthplace

Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site

Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, located at 208 East Day Street in Denison, Texas, is the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born in the house on October 14, 1890, the first United States President to be born in Texas....

 and Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Sites. Bonham attractions include Sam Rayburn Memorial Library, named in honor of Sam Rayburn

Sam Rayburn

Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn , often called "Mr. Sam," or "Mr. Democrat," was a Democratic lawmaker from Bonham, Texas, who served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years, the longest tenure in U.S. history.- Background :Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, and...

, and the Sam Rayburn Home. Rayburn was a Fannin County native who held the office of U.S. Speaker of the House the longest period thus far. Also, the Fannin County Museum; Fort English Park; and the Fannin County Courthouse are located in Bonham.

Campsites & Other Facilities

Facilities include restrooms with and without showers; picnic sites (including one group picnic area); campsites with water and electricity; campsites with water; a group camp with barracks and a dining hall, which accommodates approximately 94 people (the facility is only rented as a single unit, not separately); an 11 miles (17.7 km) trail for mountain biking and hiking; a playground; a launching ramp; a boat dock; and a lighted fishing pier.

Natural Features

The park is situated in the Blackland Prairie Region of Texas. The terrain is dominated by grassland interspersed by woodlands. More luxuriant woodlands occur along water courses and the lake's shoreline. Although the park's grasslands are no longer pristine, they are recovering nicely and have small areas dominated by little bluestem and bushy bluestem. The woodlands are composed of Texas Oak, eastern red cedar, bois d'arc, and eve's necklace, with sugarberry, cottonwood, black willow, and green ash becoming more common along the creeks and lake shore. Numerous wildflowers and flowering shrubs cover the gently rolling prairie in the spring, and stands of cedar and mixed hardwoods provide a panorama of multicolored leaves in the fall. Wildlife is limited because of the relatively small size of the park. However, the lake shoreline provides habitats for beaver, raccoon, opossum, and a number of visiting songbirds. Although a few woodland birds are permanent residents, visitor and migrant species outnumber the residents.