💙 Kayaking at Caddo Lake 🛶🌿

A trip to Caddo Lake State Park doesn’t require a long time—a weekend getaway from Houston is totally enough! On Saturday morning, I went rock climbing 🧗♀️, headed home around noon to pack, and hit the road by 3–4 PM. We made a few stops along the way, including a delicious Mexican meal in Lufkin 🌮, and checked into our hotel in Shreveport by 9 PM. Before the trip, I checked the official park website for canoe rental details. Canoes are available on a first-come, first-served basis—no reservations. I also called to confirm, and the park staff kindly assured me that if canoes run out, they can refer visitors to nearby rental shops. So no need to worry too much! (Though it’s still not guaranteed 😉) We left Shreveport early Sunday morning and reached the Caddo Lake office in just over half an hour. The experience is very affordable: canoe rental for 3 hours is only $20, plus a small parking fee—everything is budget-friendly! 🎉 The office staff gave us two keys: a large one to unlock our canoe, and a small one for the boathouse at the dock. Inside the boathouse, we found life jackets and paddles—everything is self-service. You take what you need and return them afterward. From the office, we drove toward the dock, passing a cute cabin campground and the first pier. After a sharp turn, we reached the canoe launch point. We grabbed our paddles and life jackets, found our assigned canoe (the number was on the key), pushed it into the water, and began our adventure! 🚣♂️💨 Take it at your own pace—Carter Lake is beautiful but requires quite a bit of paddling (it can be a real arm workout! 💪). Along the way, we spotted plenty of wildlife, including turtles sunbathing on logs 🐢☀️. A perfect blend of tranquility, nature, and mild adventure—highly recommend for a peaceful yet active day out! #LakeLife #NatureEscape #KayakingAdventure #StateParks #OutdoorFun #WeekendTrip #WildlifeWatching #BudgetTravel #ExploreTexas #CanoeLife #PeacefulRetreat #TravelDiaries #NatureLovers #SlowTravel