Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park is on a reservoir of about 9,000 acres. Texas Parks and Wildlife says the Caddo occupied East Texas from A.D. 800 to 1860, while the French and Spanish periodically lived in the area and built relations with the Caddo. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Choctaw, Cherokee, Alabama and Coushatta peoples moved into the region too.

In 1838 the Republic of Texas established Fort Sherman, a wooden stockade, in or near what is now the park, and its cemetery lies near the fishing pier. After 1860, settlers used the land for farming and ranching. Texas Parks and Wildlife acquired the land in 1979, and the park opened in 1987.

The park is at 341 State Park Road 2117, near Pittsburg, and it often fills, so reservations are recommended for camping and day use. There are 3.3 miles of wooded trails for hiking and biking, 75 campsites with water and electricity, primitive tent sites, cabins and screened shelters. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, catfish and crappie, with a stocked Trout Pond and Brim Pond, a lighted fishing pier and a boat ramp. No license is needed to fish from shore or the pier, though one is required from a boat. Adults pay $5.