Lake Tawakoni State Park
{{short description|State park in Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Lake Tawakoni State Park
| iucn_category =
| photo = File:Forest Lake Tawakoni State Park Texas 2023.jpg
| photo_caption = Taking in the forest at Lake Tawakoni State Park
| location = Hunt County, Texas
| nearest_city = Wills Point
| coordinates = {{coord|32|50|55|N|96|00|00|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref = {{cite gnis |id= 2028985 |name= Lake Tawakoni State Park|entrydate = 11 February 2004 |accessdate= 27 July 2018}}
| area = {{convert|376.3|acre}}
| elevation = {{convert|430|ft}}
| established = {{start date|2002}}
| visitation_num = 96,988
| visitation_year = 2022
|work= |website=KXAN.com |access-date=November 21, 2023}}
| governing_body = Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
| url = {{URL|https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-tawakoni}}
}}
Lake Tawakoni State Park ({{IPAc-en|t|ə|ˈ|w|ɑː|k|ə|n|i}} {{respell|tə|WAH|kə|nee}}) is a state park located in Hunt County, Texas, United States, {{convert|11.2|mi}} north of Wills Point. It is on the south central shore of Lake Tawakoni, a 37,879-acre reservoir on the Sabine River.{{cite web |title=Lake Tawakoni State Park: Nature |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-tawakoni/nature |publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |access-date=27 July 2018}}
History
Constructed in 1960, the lake is named after the Tawakoni Native American tribe, who used to live in the area. It was built to provide a source of water for the Dallas area, and the park was opened in 2002 under a lease agreement with the Sabine River Authority.
File:Tawakoni spider-web 2622.jpg
The park came to media attention in 2007, because of a giant communal spider web on the premises of the park.{{cite news |title=Sprawling spider web blankets Texas trail |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20514703 |access-date=15 April 2023 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC Universal |date=30 August 2007}} The web was mostly the work of thousands of long-jawed orb weavers (Tetragnatha guatemalensis), but other spider species were found to have also joined in.
On January 22, 2009, a fire swept through the park, burning approximately {{convert|125|acre|ha}} of park property.{{cite journal
| title = Fire Sweeps Through Tawakoni State Park
| journal = Herald Banner
| date= January 24, 2009
}}
Nature
=Animals=
File:Deer Lake Tawakoni State Park Texas 2023.jpg
Lake Tawakoni State Park is teeming with wildlife. Animals found in the park include red and gray foxes, bobcats, coyotes, opossums, turtles, frogs, snakes, raccoons, beavers, squirrels, armadillos, minks and white-tailed deer. Additionally, birders have identified more than 200 species of birds in the park. The lake holds many different species of fish such as striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass and crappie, but is noted for its blue catfish.
=Flora=
Bur oak and cedar elm dominate the forest of Lake Tawakoni State Park. Large shrubs Osage orange and farkleberry along with Virginia creeper and poison ivy are in the understory.
Activities
File:Fishing Pond Lake Tawakoni State Park Texas 2023.jpg
The park offers a variety of outdoor activities including boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, birding and geocaching. There are also campsites available for tents and recreational vehicles. There are about five miles of trails to explore by foot or mountain bike.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Lake Tawakoni State Park}}
- {{official website|https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-tawakoni}}
{{Protected areas of Texas}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Protected areas of Hunt County, Texas
Category:Protected areas established in 1984
Category:1984 establishments in Texas
{{Texas-protected-area-stub}}