3/21/2023 0 Comments Lake somerville state parkTruth be told, there is a lot of hiking to be had here that we just did not get around to. Beachcombing adventures left us with pieces of petrified wood, what we think was jasper among others. But at the very tail end of “off season” it was pure magic. I’m unsure how crowded it will be in prime season or if with higher water levels there might be no beach at all. Layla had a grand time chasing sticks in the water and keeping a tight eye on any birds that might fly by. We relaxed and listened to the waves crashing and the kids laughing. The kids played like a typical beach day in Galveston. We did not at all expect to have a beach day on our camping trip to Lake Somerville! After discovering the beach access on the Beauty Berry Trail (see hiking below), we packed a wagon with tarps and towels and whatever containers we could find for making sandcastles. At times it was a tad spotty but we had at least one bar at all times. Again this is early March, so I suspect seasonally it’s much different. Temperature wise, it was great weather during the day (mid 70s) and got cool at night (40s-50s). The closest is a rural corner store just outside the park gates.ĭid I mention it was windy? I don’t think I mentioned it was windy. They do not sell wood or ice but they do have a map of places in the area that do. They have a good selection of souvenirs and staple items like toothbrushes and bug spray. The headquarters and park store are one in the same at Lake Somerville Birch Creek Unit. There were several boaters on the water, even with the waves. There are two boat launches and a fishing pier. This is definitely a lake you can bring your motorized boat to. I’m not sure if this is normal, but they do rent canoes and kayaks so I assume the lake is more hospitable to paddlers at other times. We tried to put in the canoe but realized the wind and water far overpowered us so we didn’t get any farther than the launch. Like I mentioned it was exceptionally windy while we were there. There are fields of wildflowers and what looked like fields of wild blackberries (though they may be dewberries). With the Texas Freeze everything was a bit delayed this year so it all looked quite wintery still. We’re told there are river otter and bobcats, but we didn’t see any. Lots of fish at the water and of course deer too. Raccoons are plentiful and brave as we learned. There’s actually a birds of Lake Somerville PDF checklist you can download. One bird built a nest in one of our camp chairs in a matter of hours. We saw quite a few other birds, which I’m still trying to identify.īeing there in March meant we saw a lot of courting routines and lots of nest building. We also saw Carolina Rens, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, and of course the Bald Eagles I mentioned earlier. I have never seen so many Red Cardinals in one place in my life. If you are into bird watching, this is the place. You can book campsites online through Texas State Parks System, just click here. Rangers were pretty forgiving about this. It’s worth noting that there is no overflow parking so if you have more than two vehicles you just have to find a way to squeeze them in. I really enjoyed staying at this end of the lake as there were so many trails here and we had access to the beach. Issa even found large clam (?) shell suspended in the brush, probably dropped by a larger bird of prey. The brush meant LOADS of animal sightings and interesting things to observe. Even though the sites are small, they are pretty secluded from neighboring sites via trees and brush. Most had coverings over the picnic tables (all except our two sites, weirdly enough). The park rangers let me know these are some of the most coveted spots because it’s where the bald eagles hang out. We ended up on the east side of the Yaupon Camping Area, just because they were the only sites left when I booked. I booked this park pretty last minute and didn’t really know much about it. In my research there’s also been some interest in oil drilling and fracking in and around the lake, though I didn’t find anything suggesting that any of the interest actually panned out. Now it’s a popular recreational spot for camping, fishing and boating. In 1962 they began construction on the Somerville Dam, and by 1968 lake Somerville was dedicated. The lake (truly a 11,160-acre reservoir) was originally constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers to help control flooding in the Yegua Creek watershed. It wasn’t on a bucket list, just geographically on our way home from Pedernales Falls State Park (when we do long camping trips we often try to hit two parks). This was not a park I knew a lot about before visiting. The two units have different addresses, which is important if you’re using your GPS to get there. It’s important to note that the park is broken up into two units, Birch Creek on the north side and Nails Creek on the south side of the lake.
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