+1. This one has a nice little lake (not COE) and the campground is set well off any highway, unlike several of the other State parks.Jaguar wrote:Lake Mineral Wells State ParkWaco1959 wrote:Cleburne State Park1s1k52 wrote:Looking for somewhere to setup a tent, fish, build a fire (if not in a burn ban) that is not prohibited to carry on property. Preferably 2 hours or under near McKinney. Thoughts?
Meridian State Park
Fairfield Lake State Park
Fort Parker State Park
All have lakes NOT owned by the CoE. Think they were all built by the CCC but the lakes are smaller. All should be in the 1:45 to 2:15 drive time.
Though it probably exceeds your 2 hour limit from McKinney, we like Cedar Hill Stat park, too. With the Penn Farm land donation to the State, it makes the problem with Joe Pool/COE a lot more difficult for the Feds to enforce. We have been going there for many years and I've never seen a COE ranger. On Lake Grapevine (and before I got my CHL) we saw COE rangers all of the time, patrolling the parking lots. At Cedar Hill, we never go near the lake. The campgrounds in the back near the hiking trails are much quieter than those along the front.