Huntsville State Park — Attraction in Huntsville

Huntsville State Park is located inside the Sam Houston national Forest. It's on the east side of the interstate 45, about 1 hour 15 minutes North of Houston. Entrance to the park is very easy using Google maps. The park is beautiful with tall trees, you'll see slight elevation changes in the park. So if you're taking an RV then make sure to have proper tools to adjust the level. We went there for a two night camping trip. We stayed in one of the water only campsite.

Almost all of the tent sites have slopes. There are only a few sites with flat surfaces for a tent. So, setting up the tent and sleeping on the floor was a little challenging. The picnic benches are concrete and old. So make sure to take a tablecloth to cover the table if you plan to use the picnic benches. There were plenty of trees to hang a hammock, ropes to dry your clothes and etc. We took a shade with us but didn't use it because there is enough shade with all the trees. We don't have any raccoon problem, although we did get rid of our trash daily. The public restroom on site are not very clean. There are cobwebs and dead animals inside the restroom. The cleaning crew barely cleans the floor with strong bleach and that's about it. There are a few restrooms that are newer, I recommend using those if you're in close proximity. There is hot and cold water in the restrooms.

You'll see various different birds and other animals in this park. A few of the mentionable for us would be woodpecker and a salamander.

The park has designated swimming areas with the platform in the water. It's fun to swim there in the Texas heat. You can rent Kayak and Paddle boats from the boat house located close to the park store. The kayaks do not have any seat or seatback to provide any support. Kayaks are $20 per hour, with $20 refundable deposit. And paddle boats are $15 per hour. There is an unattended kayak rental at that location in the park as well. There are Gators in the water, leave them alone and they'll stay away as well. We saw one, while kayaking. So keep your hands and toes in the boat. There is a volleyball court in that area of the park as well. There are lots of hiking and biking trails, although we couldn't make it to any hikes. With the elevation change biking can be challenging for some. It's a good place to take your family and have a great time with many activities.

With the population increase in greater Houston, this park does get full pretty quickly. So if you're trying to host a birthday party, or any other event, Make sure to come early to grab a...

Great place for a day hike on your own, family or a group of friends. Stay for 3 days. Because of bad weather we only hike nearby trails. First day was around low 80s, the next day, we received very heavy rains and the temp went from 80 to low 40 at night. The shelters really didn't do well while it rain side ways, all walls are open to the elements all chickenwire. We did cover the walls with blue tarps and there are large metal clips to hang them by but it was not still enough. Rain, snow or shine we stay and enjoy nature at its best. We had water and power at our shelter. I have been here before but it was primitive and it was still enjoyable. Restroom with showers where clean during our 3 day stay. They do have a small shop and it seems to have the same issue like every other state park, they are always out of ice, so don't forget to bring plenty and we did but we notice the signs. Ended using 4 pile of log piles because of the cold front and it was a welcoming site, nothing like hanging around a warm fire on a cold day with friends. You can swim here but only on designated areas, they do have alligators so be aware and respectful. Hiking, cayacking, fishing and mountain biking are also allowed but not on all trails. Trails hiked and pictures are Prairie Branche loop, Dogwood trail, Historic Dam and Chincaping trail. Come here once a year and do different trails if weather permits. We will be back here next near. There's also multiple playgrounds, restroom, and a reception Hall. Primitive, shelters and lots of RVs spots. We where a group of 30 plus and really didn't see that many people besides the RV area camp grounds. We almost had the park to ourself, there's also a few construction sites in the park so next years might be different, hope that...

We love going to the different state parks around the country and this one is relatively close to us, which just makes that that much more convenient to check out regularly. And actually has pretty facilities for RVing, camping, A few different fishing piers, I believe six different trails around the lake, the lake itself which is beautiful, I know there's a swimming area we have not gone in, they have bathroom facilities in several spots, and a bathroom shower area near the main RV spots. It is a slight increase while you hike, which adds another level of difficulty, but I would say it's moderate to easy. And there's even playground areas for children. For children. I assume they have educational programs throughout the year, if you're a family, I would highly recommend those. I've been a yearly member for nearly 10 years now and I absolutely find it more valuable than you can imagine. Just being outside of the metropolitan city. You'll often find air quality is about 50% better on any given day. Check your air quality index for that. It's interesting, but also very important for those of us who are allergy sensitive, which I am unfortunately. Overall, always a great experience! Whether you're looking to check out the birds, hiking around the lake, camping with the kids, catching a glimpse of an alligator, or fishing, they have it all. It all. They have rental kayaks and paddle boats. But you can also bring a small to medium size bow out on the lake, I believe it is a wake free lake so you can't go skiing or anything like that. But it is perfect for pontooning, or fishing with a few different areas that you can use to...