USDA Forest Service
 

National Forests & Grasslands in Texas

 
 

   
   

National Forests & Grasslands in Texas
415 S. First Street,
Suite 110
Lufkin, Texas  75901

Phone: (936)-639-8501
Fax : (936)-639-8588
TDD : (936)-639-8560

Angelina National Forest
(936) 897-1068

Caddo/LBJ National Grasslands
(940) 627-5475

Davy Crockett National Forest
(936) 655-2299

Sabine National Forest
(409) 625-1940

Sam Houston National Forest
(936) 344-6205

Southern Research Station Lab
(936) 569-7981

 

United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

About Us

Angelina | Caddo-LBJ | Davy Crockett | Sabine | Sam Houston | Southern Research Station


[Photograph]: A Forest Service employee is helping some  vacationers. THE NATIONAL FORESTS AND GRASSLANDS IN TEXAS

The U.S. Forest Service manages approximately 675,000 acres of public land in Texas. This land is divided into four National Forests in east Texas and the Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in northeast Texas. These public lands are administered under multiple-use management to protect and obtain the greatest benefit from all forest resources: recreation, timber, range, fish and wildlife, soil and water and minerals.

The National Forests in Texas provide a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities! There are 25 developed recreation areas, four hiking trails totaling 185 miles, five scenic areas, five wilderness areas, a canoe trail, off-road vehicle trails and 52 miles of horse trails. Camping is offered on a first come, first served basis in developed recreation areas and a daily use fee is charged at most areas. Campground facilities generally include tent pads, picnic tables, parking spurs for trailers, lantern-holding posts, fireplaces, potable water, and toilets. Some areas also have cold water showers, swimming beaches, boat ramps, amphitheaters, interpretive trails and concession services. Sewage disposal stations are located at Caney Creek, Ratcliff and Ragtown Recreation Areas. Electric hookups are available at Ratcliff Lake and Red Hills Lake Recreation Areas and will soon be available at Double Lake Recreation Area as well.

The National Forests and Grasslands in Texas provide excellent opportunities for bird watching and wildlife viewing. East Texas lies in the path of warblers, vireos, and other species of neotropical migrants, so spring migration can be great. The Davy Crockett and Sam Houston National Forests are located where the pine forests of the southeastern United States join the blackland prairies of central Texas. The result is a marvelous mix of eastern and western species of birds and other wildlife found nowhere else in the state.

Other attractions include the Big Thicket National Preserve, managed by the Department of Interior, with its unique mixture of ecosystems, Lake Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend Reservoir, and Lake Conroe are renowned for their scenic beauty and trophy black bass fishing. The southeast Texas area has an abundant array of recreational opportunities available from the Gulf Coast Region including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Management Areas to the Big Thicket National Biological Preserve, State Parks, Alabama Coushatta Indian Reservation, the East Texas Lakes Region, and the "Piney Woods" Forests of east Texas.

Primitive camping is allowed anywhere in the general forest area, except during deer hunting season or unless posted otherwise. All campers are encouraged to practice "no trace" camping, leaving an area in the same natural condition in which it was found.

The Golden Age Passport for those 62 years of age and older and the Golden Access Passports for blind or permanently disabled persons are valid on all Forest Service recreation areas, and are available at the Forest Supervisor's Office in Lufkin and at District Ranger Offices.

Two of the five hiking trails in the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are National Recreation Trails. Hikers may enjoy the trails year round, but the weather is usually more pleasant during the spring and fall. Trail maps are available at the District Ranger's and Forest Supervisor's Offices.

Hunting and fishing are permitted on the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas in accordance with State laws.

The wildlife management areas on the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas were established in cooperation with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in an effort to develop and maintain population levels of various game species to provide improved hunting opportunities.

The Sabine and Angelina National Forests are located on the shores of Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn Reservoirs, two large east Texas lakes featuring fishing and other water sports. Lake Conroe and Lake Livingston offer water-related outdoor recreation opportunities on or near the Sam Houston National Forest.

The Forest Service is charged by Congress to manage the National Forests for a variety of public benefits - "Multiple Use" is the key phrase. During your visit to the National Forests in Texas, you might encounter evidence of many management activities such as wildlife habitat projects, management of threatened and endangered species, controlled burning, insect control activities, grazing, regeneration cutting, and recreation site developments.

If you would like more information or detailed maps of the National Forests or Grasslands in Texas, please contact:

FOREST SUPERVISOR
National Forests in Texas
415 S. First Street, Ste. 110
Lufkin, Texas 75901
(936)-639-8501

 

 

 

USDA Forest Service - National Forests & Grasslands in Texas
Last Modified:  July 2008

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