Martin Creek Lake State Park

I’m not a great long-distance driver. I have about 3 hours in me and then I’m asleep. When I was planning my trip I kept that in mind. Caddo lake was about 4 hours from home so I knew I wanted to drive back toward home a little bit before sleeping for the night and Martin Creek Lake was the perfect option. It was only about 45 minute south of Caddo lake and put me within the 3 hour mark to get home.

Arriving at the park

I knew I would be arriving at Martin Creek Lake after-hours so I called the park prior to closing to ask about their after-hours check in process. They gave me a gate code to enter the park and told me to put my printed reservation in the drivers side window and then just come check in at the headquarters the next morning when they re-opened.

So that’s exactly what I did. When I got to the headquarters the woman who assisted me was very helpful and of course, stamped my passport 😊

In addition to selling T-shirts, basic camping gear, and Park Passports, they had Texas State Park scratch off posters! I didn’t purchase one this visit, but I think I will get one in the near future.

Trail Hiking Experience

There are 3 main hikes at this park, totaling about 4 miles and I hiked them all in about an hour and a half. All the trails at the park are flat, easy, and family friendly.

Old Henderson Loop

This trail was one of the most photogenic of the trip. There were spots along the route that you could stop off to stand by the lake and get some real vast views.

Island Trails

As mentioned before, something that makes this park unique is it’s own island! There is a short bridge crossing the lake to get over to the island where people are allowed to primitive camp. The hike in to the camp sites is really short and there is a bathroom right next to the bridge so visitors do not have to go far.

While on the island I noticed it was much more windy than on the mainland which is probably nice for the warmer months to keep you cooler at night. I also noticed the hum from the factory across the way was louder. It wasn’t loud enough to prevent sleeping, but it was just an ever prevalent sound.

All of the campsites were near the entrance of the island and right on the water.

I also hiked Harmony Hill Loop, the third loop at the park, but it was just okay. It backed up to private property and a road at one point and it was good exercise and there were a lot of birds if you’re a bird watcher, but otherwise it wasn’t too exciting.

My Overall Review

Personally, this park was a little bit too big for me. I like to feel secluded, out in the wild, sometimes alone when I’m camping and this park did not afford that. The campsites were fairly close together and offered little privacy. It was also really big and had a lot of visitors.

Despite that, the park itself was well maintained and a great place to visit for water sports and fishing.

I loved how the factory across the water looked at night, it was really beautiful while it was all lit up, but I didn’t like camping next to it. It put off a continual humming sound which wasn’t easy to block out at night and there was a definite “mechanical” smell throughout the grounds.

Unlike any other park, Martin Creek Lake had a small island that was super cool. I hiked around the perimeter, which was only about a mile circumference to see the primitive camp sites and get the feel of island life.