Fall Foliage in Daingerfield State Park, Texas.

Fall is the best time to visit Daingerfield State Park in Texas. Every published article about fall foliage in Texas included Daingerfield State Park as one of the best places for leaf peeping.

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Of course, some people prefer springtime. When purple wisteria, honeysuckle, white dogwoods, and redbuds bloom throughout the park.

In the summer, they can swim in the lake, and deciduous trees provide shade from the summer sun.

Where is Daingerfield State Park in Texas?

Daingerfield State Park is on the outskirts of Daingerfield in Upper East Texas.

From the Dallas/Fort Worth area, take Interstate 30 East to Mt. Pleasant and Exit 160. Drive on State Highway 49 to Daingerfield State Park, about 22 miles from I-30. The park will be on your right-hand side.

When you drive from Longview, head East to State Highway 259 North to Daingerfield and follow the highway. Then turn right on State Highway 11 and 49 and another right turn into Park Road 17.

From Texarkana, take I-30 West, exit State Highway 259 South to Daingerfield, and turn left on State Highway 49. Then turn right onto Park Road 17.

Park Address:

455 Park Road 17

Daingerfield, TX 75638

Hours:

Open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Entrance Fees:

Adult: $4 daily

Children 12 years and under are Free

Distance from big cities:

Dallas – 137 miles, about 2 hr.

Fort Worth – 169 miles, about 2 hr 35 min.

Texarkana – 58 miles, about 1 hr.

Longview – 41 miles, about 45 min.

Fall in Daingerfield State Park in Texas

In the northeast part of Texas, tall trees soar toward the sky. Daingerfield State Park, which spans 507 acres of land and is home to hardwoods and pine trees, is situated there.

After a private owner deeded the land to the state of Texas in 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps started building the park between 1935 and 1939. 

The CCC constructed the Boat House, entrance sign, scenic road, Bass lodge, retaining walls, culverts, steps, trails, horse trails (no longer used), parking curbs, chairs, tables, and benches.

They also built the 80-acre Little Pine Lake and the dam that serves as a focal point of the park. And they used local timber, stone, and concrete for building materials.

In addition, they planted new trees like pines, wisteria, honeysuckle, dogwoods, redbuds, and deciduous trees (trees that shed their leaves) like oaks, maples, sweetgum, and sassafras.

Some trees are already 100 feet tall, and some require two to three persons to wrap their arms around the base.

These deciduous trees make Daingerfield State Park look extra pretty in the fall. Their leaves turn to reds, oranges, and yellows.

In contrast to the evergreen pines, the views in the park are stunning, especially around the lake.

How to see fall foliage in Daingerfield State Park

There are colors everywhere once you get to the park headquarters. Reds, yellows, and oranges dominate, particularly surrounding the park sign.

When going on the weekend, expect to wait in line because it provides an excellent location for photos.

From the headquarters, drive to the end of the road to the Little Pine Interpretive Center.

Along the road, there are many vivid trees, predominantly yellow with tints of orange and red.

You will be in awe when you reach Little Pine Lake because of the breathtaking scenery around the lake.

In the distance, you can see colors around the lake; when combined with its reflection in the water, the vistas are even more breathtaking.

Take a leisurely walk around the lake or rent a kayak to get closer to the trees.

Daingerfield State Park Hiking

Daingerfield has only two trails because the park is small:

1. Rustling Leaves Trail – an easy 2.4-mile hike through the “Cathedral of the Trees” that encircles Little Pine Lake.

2. Mountain View Trail – a 1.2-mile distance that falls in the challenging category where you will hike to the highest spots in the area. The park put it in the difficult category because there are some steep sections of the trail.

I suggest hiking both trails to see the fall colors up close. Enjoy your stroll across the park without rushing.

Unlike most Texas state parks, the trails here are mostly dirt and covered in leaves. It’s not rocky like most state parks in Texas.

Walk east from the Interpretive Center along the lake. You will reach the Rustling Leaves Trailhead near a picnic table. Follow the trail, and it will bring you closer to the trees you see from across the lake.

Don’t miss the peninsula loop on the south side of the lake for a whole different perspective of the park as you walk by two camping grounds on this trail.

Once you arrive at the Bridge and CCC Dam, you can continue on Rustling Leaves Trail or turn left to Mountain View Trail.

If you continue on Rustling Leaves Trail, you will see another left turn to Mountain View Trail almost at the end of the trail. It will take you to the highest point in the park. You will hike a steep portion of the path here.

When they say the highest point, don’t think of thousands of elevations like in Colorado or New Mexico. You are in Texas, where it is relatively flat everywhere you go. So, you will only hike to 535 feet elevation. 😉

You are supposed to enjoy the lake view from this location, but due to the tall trees and pine trees, it is hardly visible.

Continue on the Mountain View Trail to the parking at the bottom by Cedar Ridge Camping Area. Then follow the road to take you back to the parking. That’s it.

You have finished with the hiking, and enjoy the rest of your day at the park. As I mentioned above, no need to rush to do things in this park. Walk, stop, take pictures, repeat.

Go check the Daingerfield State Park Trail Map to get a picture of the trails.

Other things to do at Daingerfield

Besides hiking, visitors can go birding or geocaching, study nature, or have a picnic on land.

On the water, visitors can swim, boat or paddle, and fish, besides kayaking. Of course, weather permits, and it depends on the season.

From March through November, dance the night away to a jukebox every Saturday in a pavilion. Some weekends feature karaoke or live music.

The park also offers Ranger Programs, like hiking with a park ranger, underwater discovery, nature programs, kayaking lessons, and more. They also hold annual events throughout the year.

Fishing

The park has a fishing pier and boat ramp. You can borrow fishing equipment from the park at the Boat House, but bring your bait or purchase worms from the park store.

You do not need a license when fishing for crappie, bass, catfish, perch, or chain pickerel from a shore or a boat in the park.

Boating & Paddling

The park has paddle boards, boats, canoes, kayaks (single and tandem), and flat-bottom boats to rent. The rent includes life jackets and paddles.

Rentals are available year-round at the park store or on Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day at the Boat House.

Or, you can always bring your boat. The park allows motors. Just remember, they have a speed limit of 5 m.p.h.

Daingerfield State Park Campground

There are two choices of accommodation in Daingerfield State Park: camping (tent or RVs) or cabins (lodge.)

Daingerfield State Park Camping

Daingerfield State Park has two different campsites for your overnight stay: water-only tent sites or full hookup sites (pull-through or back-in.)

Campsites with water are tent-only sites. Their locations are in the Cedar Ridge area with restrooms nearby. 

There are 18 sites available with a maximum of 8 people per site.

The pull-through Full Hookup Campsites are located in the Big Pine area.

There are 10 sites available with a maximum of 8 people per site. Restrooms nearby.

The back-in Full Hookup Campsites are located in the Dogwood Camping and Mountain View Camping areas with restrooms nearby.

There are 30 sites available with a maximum of 8 people per site.

Daingerfield State Park Cabins

If camping is not your thing, rent one of the historic cabins in the park. All cabins have bathrooms and kitchens.

However, you must bring linens, towels, cooking utensils, dishes, and silverware.

There is one cabin that accommodates six people, two places for four people (one is ADA accessible), and one lodge that can sleep 13 but accommodate up to 15 people.

Unfortunately, pets are not allowed inside any cabin or lodge.    

Check out the Daingerfield State Park Map to get a picture of the campsite’s location within the park.

We didn’t get to stay in the park because campsites were fully booked. Fortunately, we found a space at the nearby RV Campground to set up our teardrop trailer.

Area attractions near Daingerfield SP 

The town of Daingerfield is just a few miles away from the Daingerfield State Park where you can shop or dine at the restaurants.

But when you are visiting the park, make sure to visit Jefferson, the 5th oldest city in Texas located 30 miles to the southeast of the park.

Nearby State Parks

Lake Bob Sandlin State Park

Atlanta State Park

Caddo Lake State Park

Daingerfield Texas Weather

At 402 feet in elevation and situated in East Texas, Daingerfield has a mild winter. Summer is not extremely hot like in the north or south of Texas.

January’s average low is 42 degrees. July’s average high is 94 degrees.

The first freeze occurs in mid-November, and the last freeze occurs in early April.

What do we think about Daingerfield State Park?

We enjoyed our visit to the park, especially looking at the fall foliage. It is one of the best places for leaf peeping, but the time frame is short – generally between late October and mid or late November. I suggest you visit one of these days.

A couple of our friends enjoyed their visit during the spring, so that’s what we will do next.

How about you? Have you visited Daingerfield State Park in Texas in the fall? What do you think? How about visiting the park in a different season? Let me know what you think about the park by leaving a comment below.