Things to Do at Purtis Creek State Park Texas

One Memorial Day weekend we went camping at Purtis Creek State Park in Texas. It is located in Eustace, to be exact.

Purtis Creek State Park is not big. It’s only 1,582.4 acres when the state acquired it in 1977 from private owners. 

Just like most state parks in Texas, there’s a man-made lake in Purtis Creek. The park planners designed the unique 355-acre lake specifically for fishing since it opened to the public in 1988.

Most of the campsites are located across the dam while boat ramp and swimming areas are on the other side.

With its location about 61 miles to the southeast of Dallas, or around 1h 15min drive, Purtis Creek became one of the go to state parks near Dallas, especially for people who like to fish.

Before I take you to the list of things to do in Purtis Creek State Park, let’s take a look at Purtis Creek State Park basic info.

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Purtis Creek State Park Texas: Basic Info

Address: 14225 FM 316 N., Eustace, TX 75124. Ph.: (903) 425-2332.

Entrance Fees: Adult $5 daily, Child 12 years and under FREE.

Hours: Open daily, 6am to 10pm. Park office: 8.15am to 4.45pm.

Busy Season: March through November and every first Monday weekend.

Climate: January average low temperature is 36°F. July average high temperature is 96°F. Wettest months are April and May. First freeze occurs late November. Last freeze occurs mid-March.

Nearby State Parks, Historic Sites, and State Natural Areas: 

– Fairfield Lake State Park

– Tyler State Park

– Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

Things to Do in Purtis Creek State Park Texas

Our family enjoys Texas outdoors and we love our state parks. One of our goals is to visit every Texas State Parks. Purtis Creek State Park was the latest state park we have checked from our Texas State Parks bucket list.

When we visited Purtis Creek, we took our fishing poles because we knew that Lake Purtis was designed for fishing. Not that we like fishing, but we liked to bring our poles every now and then for fun. We also brought our bicycles, and as always, our dog Snoopy was coming with us.   

So, here are the things that you can do when visiting Purtis Creek State Park Texas:

1. FISHING at Purtis Creek State Park Texas

There are two lighted fishing piers and one without in the park. One lighted pier is on the same side of the headquarters, and the other two are across the dam. They are located not too far from each other. You can also fish from the shoreline and the boat.

Fishing is by pole and line only. When fishing from a pier or other man-made structure within a state park, there is a limit of two fishing poles per person. A fishing license is not required.

For a family fun experience, you can always borrow rods, reels, and tackle boxes for use in the park from the headquarters.

Fish cleaning stations are located not too far from the piers while the boat ramp is only by the headquarters side.

Overnight fishing costs $2 per person if you are not camping. The permit expires at 6am.        

In my opinion, most people come to Purtis Creek for fishing. This park is best known for its largemouth bass fishery. Since the opening of the park, it’s been subject to a special catch-and-release-only rule. Remember that.

You can take home catfish and crappie though. Channel catfish are stocked annually and grow rapidly. It provides excellent fishery from the piers. There are limits of crappies that you can catch, and most of the time crappie anglers meet the limit.

Check here for Purtis Creek State Park Lake Fishing Regulation. And here’s your Fishing Tip Sheet about species, length, and daily bag limit. 

Tips from the park: Purtis Creek shows its highest catch rates for really big largemouth bass in late summer. Bass anglers have very good success using live goldfish from the west fishing pier. 

And this is what my husband caught in our one hour fishing that day. My son and I didn’t catch anything. Of course we released it after a quick picture. Haha..

2. BOATING

Bring your own boat. The park allows 50 motorized boats on the lake at a time, with an idle only speed limit and a no-wake policy. 

Boat ramp location is on the same side as the headquarters.

During our stay, we saw the neighbors bringing along their paddleboards. I didn’t see them on the lake. Either we weren’t at the park while they did paddleboarding, or they paddleboarding at the nearby Tyler State Park.

3. CAMPING at Purtis Creek State Park

In Purtis Creek you can choose to stay from 59 campsites with water and electricity, 5 walk-in tent sites, or 13 primitive hike-in sites.

Our family likes camping. Normally we did tent camping, but now we sleep in our teardrop tiny trailer with our son choosing to sleep in our minivan. It all began after our experience with a bear visiting our neighbor’s campsite at 4J RV Park & Campground in Ouray, Colorado.

Of course, there’s no bear in Purtis Creek so you can always set up your tent by Purtis Creek Lake.

From the headquarters you must cross the dam to get to the water and electricity campsites, as well as primitive hike-in sites.

Our campsite was the first one on the left, which was number 59. It’s flat and easily back-in, canopied by tall trees. Each campsite with electricity comes with a picnic table, water hookup, electric hookup, lantern post, and restrooms with showers nearby. The site is spacious.

From our campsite the road is going towards the water and looping at the end. Restrooms are located in the loop, as well as the parking to the fishing pier and for the primitive hike-in campsites.    

All of the 13 primitive hike-in sites are located by the lake. You will hike-in at least .65 miles to your site (the loop is 1.7 miles.) No water, but each site comes with a fire ring with a grill.

We didn’t get to check these campsites, but we saw someone pitched a tent on one site. It looked peaceful from across the water. 

As for the 5 walk-in tent sites, you will only walk for about 10-15 yards from the parking. Each site comes with a picnic table, tent pad, water, lantern post, fire ring with grill, and restrooms nearby.

Our son and his Boy Scout Troop spent a couple of nights on this park campground. They enjoyed it because restrooms nearby and fishing opportunities for the adults. I didn’t walk to the tent sites, but I used the restroom. It was clean during our visit.

There’s another restroom with hot showers right after you cross the dam, but it was closed during our visit. Probably because of the pandemic. I’m not too sure.      

Here’s the link for Purtis Creek State Park Map/Purtis Creek Campsite Map. You can check which campsite you think you want to stay at. Sites 20-25 are just a few feet away from the lake.

4. HIKING & BIKING at Purtis Creek

If you are avid hikers, the trails in Purtis Creek State Park are not for you. There are only 3 trails and all of them are in the easy category. I think the trails are more for leisurely hiking or for beginner hikers.

Wolfpen Hike and Bike Trail is the longest one at 4.1-mile. It is separated into Green Loop, Blue Loop, and Red Loop. Part of the Green Loop (0.8 mi. one way) is along the shore line, great for families with small children. Blue Loop (2.0 mi.) is very shaded, perfect for a hike or a bike on a sunny day. And the Red Loop (1.2 mi.) has mild elevation changes.

With a 1.3 mi. loop, Beaver Path Nature Slide is the second longest one. It’s a favorite in the park because it offers spectacular views of the lake. This is the one that loops through the primitive campsites. However, biking is not allowed on this path.

In my opinion, Solar Walk Trail, the third trail is more of a walking path. You will walk for 0.5-mi. on a concrete trail that follows alongside the dam. As you walk, watch for the signs that tell you the distance of our planets from the sun.

On our visit, my son and I tried to bike the Blue Loop first with our dog Snoopy. Not too far from there, the trail was wet and muddy. We turned around to leave our dog Snoopy at the campsite with my husband then continued with the bike. At one point my son’s bike got stuck in the mud and he fell. We did the Blue and Red Loops.  

Remember! We visited in May, one of the wettest months in Purtis Creek. It would be good if the park put notice on trail conditions though.

5. SWIMMING

Designated area for swimming is near the boat ramp, the same side as the headquarters. No guard on duty, swim at your own risks.

6. JOIN RANGER PROGRAMS

The park offers guided hikes, paddling basic classes, nature programs, and more. Make sure to check the Purtis Creek events page before you leave for the trip. If you go with a group, ask for the group program.

7. SHOPPING

Yep! The park’s store sells supplies, outdoor equipment, bait, gifts, and ice.

Now let’s see what else you can do while visiting Purtis Creek.

Things to do near Purtis Creek State Park

Like mentioned above, the park is also busy during the first Monday weekend in Canton. That’s when the biggest flea market in Texas takes place. From Purtis Creek to Canton is less than a 30 minutes drive, so why not stay at the park, right? Affordable, not too crowded, and you get to enjoy nature, sunrise, and sunset, too.

We didn’t go to Canton because our visit was during Memorial Day Weekend. But, we got to go to Tyler State Park. It’s only around an hour drive to the east. We got to hike and drove around the park. No time for exploring the town though.

Last but not least, enjoy the wild flowers along the road. Of course it depends on what season you are visiting the park. During our visit on Memorial Day weekend, cornflowers were blanketing the roadside. It was very pretty!

Should I Visit Purtis Creek State Park?

Obviously, Purtis Creek is not in the top ten most visited state parks in Texas. It’s not even like its neighbor, Tyler State Park. 

But, it’s a good place for your quick nature getaway. Small, laid-back, and not too far from Dallas. Sitting by the lake and enjoying the sunset or sunrise is surely refreshing your mind. Even riding a bike around the park is enjoyable. If you like fishing, it’s even better.

One other thing, there is a picnic pavilion that you can rent for a family gathering, youth group, and things like that. It’s near the swimming area, restrooms, boat ramp, and a fishing pier. A playground is just a few feet away for children to play at.

So, check out your calendar and book a campsite or day passes for Purtis Creek State Park Texas now.