Backwater Jacks — Hotel in Marshall

I drove 2 hours with my family looking to explore Caddo lake on the water. We own one kayak but as there were 5 of us we were looking to rent a canoe or 2 so that we could enjoy an unseasonably beautiful day in January. Texas Parks and Wildlife Show that this place is the trailhead for 5 paddling trails. As we drove up we see a sign put up by the state on the side of the road marking paddling trails so we know that we are in the right spot. As we approach the office we discover the only thing nastier than the road that we just drove down is the stares and the general attitude of what I can only assume is the staff of this "fine" establishment. We continue up to the office, however, with the hope that the strange vibe that we got from the place wouldn't ruin what we hoped to be a good day out with the family. Unfortunately our feelings proved to be correct. A rude lady met us before we could even make it through the door saying that she only had one canoe that actually floated out of a pile of 6 or so that we saw stacked up, and asserted that even if we wanted to rent one that we couldn't because they were for customers only. I guess her eyes don't work to well because one look into the back of my truck would tell you that clearly we were looking to camp and the park was far from full. Oh well, first impression go a long way and this establishment will never get a penny from me. The state park is really nice and I am sure every other option in the area would be a better fit. I plan on calling TPWD and trying to figure out why they suggest such a poor place to launch to explore their...

This place is a hidden gem! Met some buddies there for a weekend of kayak fishing and we were not disappointed. We were extremely pleased with our cabin rental. It was clean, comfortable, and the AC can freeze you out. Pretty sure the cabins are brand new. There was a charcoal grill and a picnic table provided, along with a small pier. The location is only about a 10 minute paddle from Benton Lake, which is a cypress thicket crawling with large mouth bass and grindel. Benton is easy to fish with an easy 10 targets to cast at anywhere you are. If you get hungry while you are out there is also a snack bar right on the water between Benton and the cabins. Most of our interactions with staff at Backwater Jack's was with John. You would be hard pressed to find a more likable or genuine dude. He was always around and had plenty of advice on where and what to fish with. He made several trips down to the cabin to ensure we were enjoying ourselves and had everything we needed. Cell service isn't good here, but that is the whole point of getting away. The cabin's do come with WIFI, but only a gig of service. So if you have kids or little ones be sure to download entertainment before you come. There is satellite TV though. I do recommend doing the trail back toward Clear Lake, but the land owner has placed a road through the water denying access before you get to the lake. Don't let that discourage you though, it is still a beautiful trail. I can't recommend this place enough! You will be in for a treat if you show up to kayak or fish! See you...

Easy process to book/reserve site; pleasant reception; many sites face the river; pretty quiet---only draw backs are the train at night (UGH!) and the motor boaters flying down the river during the day; good boat launch and small dock; able to fish right from the bank. ||Sites are way to small/tight; neighbor's fire pit was virtually next to my camper, as a result the camper reeked of smoke. :( There are no grills on the sites----fire pits only. Bathroom clean, but quite rustic (toilet rocked; concrete shower floor; unable to adjust shower head to stop the over-spray under the curtain (and flowing out to drain outside of shower area), water was tepid at best, and you had to use a 6-digit code to access them----and the key pad doesn't light up at night! Sites are just cleared area w/a picnic table, and our table was warped. Utility hook-ups were adequate. Guy in a golf cart roams around the area frequently---guess a kind of security guy. Areas were clean, but could only find one trash can in front of the office. There were canoes to rent as well. ||BTW---price for our small camper w/water and electric only was $35 per night. While everything was okay, it was just that, okay. After staying in national parks for $22 per night w/much nicer facilities, we felt this place was a bit...