Piney Woods: The Heart of East Texas
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A trip to East Texas will transport you to a tranquil setting. You’ll be surprised and satisfied by the massive trees that make up its quiet forests, historical adventures ranging from the paranormal to the magnificent, and marvelous special stop-offs.
The East Texas region is primarily a dense pine forest, thus the name Pineywoods! This forest is part of a larger forest that stretches into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The landscape is rolling, with lower, wetter bottomlands that are home to hardwood trees like elm, mesquite, and ash. This area is home to a wide range of plants and animals that prefer woodlands and shorelines. Cottonmouth snakes, squirrels, rabbits, and opossums are among them. Swamps are common, especially in the region’s southernmost region, known as the “Big Thicket.”
Caddo Lake
Bordering the Texas-Louisiana border, Caddo Lake State Park has an almost Gothic natural beauty. Stylized cypress trees like needles that fall like drops on the moss of their shadows, while their ponds and swamps form winding and beautiful labyrinths.
Caddo Lake is said to be one of Texas’ only naturally formed lakes. When water levels began to fall in 1912, a dam was built, but the lake has retained its natural characteristics and diverse array of birds and fish. The lake creates an eerie atmosphere as clumps of Spanish moss hang from 400-year-old cypress trees, and it is one of the most unusually beautiful natural features I’ve discovered in Texas.
Azalea Trails
Piney Woods botanical excellence doesn’t stop with cypress trees. East Texas boasts some of the most stunning gardens in the world, including Tyler, the Pink Capital of Texas.
The 9-mile Evergreen Azalea Trail winds through mostly evergreen azaleas. It takes you past the Mast Arboretum and Oak Grove Cemetery, where four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence are buried.
Davy Crockett National Forest
Walking straight through the Piney Woods, you will come across forests, grasslands, swamps, lakes, and rivers. No matter where you return, nature will surprise you with its magic out of reality.
This area encompasses both Houston and Trinity counties and is centrally located within the Neches and Trinity River basins. Davy Crockett National Forest, named after the famous hero from that popular childhood song, is an excellent location for RV camping. This area, which was established in 1936, has 160,000 acres of East Texas to explore on foot, horseback, bike, or ATV.
Goodman-LeGrand Museum
It is a classic Renaissance, elegantly remodeled two-story home distinguished by its iconic porches and rich history that permeates every nook and cranny. Inside you will find colonial artifacts, as well as items from the civil war era.
The house was built in 1859 as a one-story, four-room structure on 9 acres of land. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the house’s first owner, Samuel Smith, sold it. Franklin Gary, a local schoolteacher, took over as the next owner. If you walk into the house today, you will see all of the original furnishings left by the Goodmans. There’s a family guitar from 1850, chandeliers from the 1910s, and memorabilia everywhere.
Experience the Texas Piney Woods Region’s warmth and Southern hospitality. This beautiful forest land provides visitors with a glimpse into the history of the Republic of Texas and the early days of statehood. The Texas Piney Woods region has some of the best fishing, home cooking, championship golf, and family activities in the state. Discover the Texas Piney Woods Region’s Southern Hospitality.