Mission Tejas State Park — Attraction in Rusk

Just went hiking at Mission Tejas (Feb 1, 21) for the first time since moving to Texas. It was about a 2 hr 15 min drive from Houston. The weather was great in the mid to low 60’s and we took the trails on the outer edges of the whole park which totaled 5-miles (per smart watch). We started at the Visitor Center parking lot and headed west staying on the outside trails, passing by the old El Camino Real trail, the fireplace, the pond, then to the CCC baths, south on the Big Pine trail to the old Rice house. The trail map and signage gets a little squirrely by the pond. It was a good thing I had also downloaded the Park Map to compare. Shows names of trails not presented on both maps. From the Cemetery Hill trail, We turned left at the “Day Use Area” sign which was not in the trail map (I guess the other way just headed to a look out per a family that had just walked that way), then we needed to go left at the ponds edge (I don’t recall any signs here), going up a long hill till we got to the sign at the top at a fork in the road that said Olen Matchett Trail/ CcC baths with an arrow to the right. We had needed to go left to stay on the outside Which would have also led us to the CCC baths. Since we went right we had to double back after the baths to get back to the Steep Step trail. This spot had rock steps which were helpful and was the steepest trail out of all. The first part of the Big Pine trail heading south was very narrow. I really enjoyed the terrain and the view between these two trails. All in all, it was a good hike without being too strenuous. Once we were done, we took a little drive through the park to check out the tent and RV sites. I think we saw about 7 RV sites and the rest were for tents and 1 vehicle. We did not look inside the shower house. Btw, if you’re interested in this kind of thing. Signage says there are long leaf pines here- there are not. Just short leaf and loblolly pines. Oh and other than a couple birds, we thought it strange that we did not see one animal. There were park bench’s to rest at the San Pedro Creek access trail, at the chimney, at the pond (I think) and at the top of the Steep Step trail (that I noticed). I don’t know how busy this park gets, but I’m sure we’ll be back. Next time, we may try to hit all the...

My husband and I stayed here Thursday thru Friday. We had such a wonderful time. I would highly recommend anyone to go there. The campsites are far enough apart to give you a good amount of privacy. The fire pit, the water, the electricity outlets, and the picnic table were all close to where our tent was set up. That made everything that much easier. That we ended up as close as we did to the restroom (plus showers, hot showers, plus it's nice and warm in there) was a bonus. If you're into hiking this is definitely the place for you. We didn't fish, but on the map we did see a spot where you could if desired. If you need ice they sell it onsite (i saw firewood, perhaps that too). Cell signal isn't strong, but where I was able to make calls was near and at the visitor center (it's also the gift shop) . You may, like my husband, be able to access your internet while at your campsite. I , however, couldn't. Give it a shot, but don't be disappointed if you can't. You're in a state park out in the wilderness. You can have fun in other ways like hiking, fishing, having a campfire, and sitting around laughing/talking. You can pack some books/magazines to read, which I did. This is a novel, but I hope it encourages others to go here. As someone who hadn't camped in years it was the best re-introduction to camping anyone could...

CAMP HOST REVIEW:

My husband and I have been volunteers and work campers at Mission Tejas since 2021. This review pertains directly to our experience working at the park and interacting with the staff.

We truly have nothing bad to say about Mission Tejas. It is a diamond in the rough, a hidden gem tucked away in the Piney Woods. The park does not have a huge staff, but everyone knows how to do their job, and compared to many other parks with significantly more funding and oversight, this park functions exceptionally well. The camp host sites are behind the gate for the maintenance area, which means guests rarely come and knock on the door. We really liked that a lot. We helped maintain the campground (which only has 15 sites), and three bathrooms. We also took the initiative to help with burn prep prior to prescribed fire and and trail maintenance, although this was not demanded of us. All of the staff were extremely respectful of our time and the fact that we were volunteers, which was incredibly nice.

The park is situated between Crocket, Nacogdoches, and Lufkin, but it is very peaceful. If you're looking for a quiet place to work for the winter months, we highly recommend Mission...