Possum Kingdom State Park — Attraction in Graham

This park exceeded my expectations. We camped for one night in site 71 with a tent. We took the dog. Nice and shady, felt very private. There was a site diagonal from us that was empty but still think we would have had privacy if it wasn't. Barely any campers around us on a Wednesday night mid-May 2021. Bathrooms and dumpster a short walk. Clean with hot showers. Women's room smelled a little funky but could have been due to 1 toilet out of order. 2 showers, but only 1 with a curtain. The other had a wall for a bit of privacy. Beautiful wildflowers all over and tons of prickly pear cactus in bloom. We saw about 7 deer grazing near the lake. Did not swim. Lots of stars at night, beautiful campground. Camp store has souvenirs, ice and firewood, but wood was a little expensive at $9 a bundle. It also must have gotten rained on because we couldn't keep the fire going. Not a lot of bugs compared to what we have in Florida. Lots of Cardinals flying around and saw some hummingbirds. The .5 mile Chaparral ridge trail was right by our site. Steep and rocky incline, will show you if you're out of shape. The dog (Chihuahua) loved it. Beautiful view from the rock overlook at the top. Some muddy and slippery spots. We also hiked part of the Lakeview trail and the whole Longhorn trail. When you get on the trail you will want to follow the signs and keep left. Then you can ascend a gradual incline to overlook the lake and it walks you through a meadow garden of wild flowers and cactus. We went right on the trail and ended up scaling some steep rocks to get to the top. The challenge was fun and the dog did better than I did climbing up. Would not want to descend on the steep rocks. The trails are decently marked but you may want to print the trail map before you go. The park ranger at check in will give you a map of the whole campground. Note that the electric camp sites are definitely catered towards RVs. There are only 30/50 amp hookups but no regular sized plugs for plugging anything in such as an air mattress pump. We had a water spigot on site, but water at the park is not potable. We also had cell service the whole time we were in the park, but not on the roads...

What a great experience! What the park lacks in hiking trails, it definitely makes up for in water fun! When I visited, I was at campsite #26, which is right on the water. The water is very clear in the mornings, but as the boats cause wakes throughout the day, the large waves stir up soil; however, it looks like if you camp during the week this may not be the case. I visited from a Friday through Tuesday morning, and on Sunday the place cleared out. Beautiful clear water all day Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. In fact, the place cleared out so much on Sunday that on Sunday and Monday nights I was all alone in my area. I'm not sure if this is how it always is, but this was my experience. The store on site was shockingly reasonable for necessities. A 10lb bag of ice was a little over $3.50 a bag... very reasonable. We rented a boat and swam in the middle of the lake, we also visited Hell's Gate and swam in the lagoon therein. There are a few trails, and though they total fewer than 4 miles, they do offer great views. One annoyance is that the bathrooms and showers were closed in my section of the park, so you are resigned to porto-potties. They do not do a good job of keeping them stocked with toilet paper, so if you have to go, make sure you bring some with you. Lots of bugs and spiders, so be ready for that. When I packed up my tent I was very careful to wipe it down all over, including below the rainfly. Those guys get everywhere. I did not get bitten, but as an arachnophobe, I obviously did not want to bring any home with me, lol. I was shocked at how comfortable the animals are with humans. I was able to get some good pics of visiting wildlife in the early hours of the morning. I honestly loved it here. I can't remember the last time I had such fun swimming and boating...

As a family that visits our state parks, it actually saddens me to write this review. Please read as it does contain info that is not on the site. I will start with this park is beautiful and has a ton of potential. However, if you do not have a water craft, which we do not, this unfortunately, is not the best option. Staff was amazing. I am hoping my next statements will make it to Austin in hopes this park will get the funding it desperately needs. 1. There is NO FISHING PIER. We were informed the previous owners of the store took it when they sold. Austin has not updated this info on the site. 2. Only 2 of the cabins have central air. Only 3 of the cabins have a patio/ picnic table area. 3. Cabin #6. So we did report the following issues hoping the next visitors have a better experience. The box ac is a very old unit...does not cool. Fridge does not cool and actually the outside becomes so hot it's scary. The bathroom sink drips continually. No deadbolt. Blinds trashed so they are no help. Outlet above fireplace does not hold and likes to spark blue. Bathroom light works when it wants. No water pressure. We always bring water to a state park (as should all ) but there was a do not drink this water sign in the shower that spells out how it doesn't meet standards for consumption ( just a bit off putting). The light at some point in the main area had been graffitied. Sad I am writing this review as we love our state parks but this one was a total wash for us. Staff did say a new park manager has been hired, they knew about many of these issues, and that it is up to Austin to update the website and give the funding...