Tyler State Park is a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 north of Tyler

Tyler, Texas

Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. It is 985.5 acres (399 ha) in Smith County, north of Tyler. The park includes a 64 acres (25.9 ha) lake. The land was deeded by private owners in 1934 and 1935; original improvements were made by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The park opened in 1939.

Activities include picnicking; camping; boating (motors allowed - 5 mi/h speed limit); boat rentals; fishing; birding; hiking; mountain biking; lake swimming (in unsupervised swimming area); and nature study.

Facilities

• Restrooms with and without showers
• Picnic sites (including 3 group picnic areas)
• Campsites with water
• Campsites with water and electricity (pull-through and back-in)
• Campsites with water, electricity, and sewer (pull-through)
• Screened shelters
• A group camp with 6 screened shelters for overnight use and a dining hall with a full kitchen for day-use only; shelters and dining hall can be rented together or separately.

• Trailer dump stations
• A group dining hall
• A 2.5 miles (4 km) hiking trail
• A 13 miles (20.9 km) mountain bike trail
• A 0.75 miles (1.2 km) nature trail
• An amphitheater on the lake shore
• A seasonal grocery store that sells souvenirs and fishing supplies and rents canoes, paddle boats, kayaks, and fishing boats; a laundry tub; and a concrete launching ramp with a courtesy dock.

Flora/Fauna

Situated in the pineywoods, the steep dissected hillsides and the lake, with its associated vegetation, provides considerable habitat variety. Wildlife species are characteristic of east Texas: deer, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, as well as numerous species of birds. Popular fish include crappie, perch, catfish, and bass.

Directions

Tyler State Park is located 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Interstate 20 on FM 14 north of Tyler on Park Road 16.