Martin Creek State Park
in the Southern Section
of the Texas Lake Country
Martin Creek Lake State Park, which consists of 286.9 acres, is located in Rusk County, southeast of Longviewand Kilgore, northwest of Carthage, and south of Marshall. It was deeded to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by the Texas Utilities Generating Company on June 23, 1976, and was opened to the public the same year. The park is located on 5000-acre Martin Creek Lake, constructed to provide cooling water for a lignite-fired, electric power generation plant.
The park and surrounding area have been inhabited by people since 200 B.C. Until the 18th century, Caddoan Indians and Spanish explorers lived in and traveled through this area. Later the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Kickapoo Indians migrated here in response to the increasing influx of Anglo Americans. Visitors can still see the old roadbed of Trammel's Trace near the fishing pier. It was an Indian Trail that became a major route for settlers moving to Texas from Arkansas. In 1833, Daniel Martin, for whom the park is named, settled with his family near the creek called Hogan's Bayou at the time. He and his neighbors eventually built a small fort and then a town called Harmony Hill. It reached its heyday after the Civil War, but it was deserted by 1900 and struck by a tornado in 1906. Only one Civil War era building remains today, and it has been converted into a storage shed. Traces of the old roads that brought prosperity to Harmony Hill can still be seen in the park and are part of the hiking trail.
Activities:
Lake Tours are available year-round; $15 per person; group rates for 10 or more persons. For reservations, call 903/643-7358.
Activities include excellent, year-round fishing ; camping; wildlife observation and photography; picnicking; boating; water skiing; unsupervised lake swimming; backpacking; hiking; and interpretive programs Friday and Saturday. An annual perch fishing contest is held for children ages 4 to 12 is held first Saturday in September. Paddle boats and canoes are rented March through September.
Facilities:
Facilities include restrooms with showers; hike-in primitive campsites with no drinking water available (one of the primitive areas is located on an island accessed via a charming wooden bridge); campsites with water and electricity (all have fire rings and picnic tables); screened shelters; 2 cottages (converted screened shelters which have been air-conditioned and heated, have water, electricity and bunk beds - capacity 5; a group picnic pavilion; a 1.5-mile hiking trail; a 6-mile mountain bike trail; a 4-lane concrete boat ramp; a trailer dump station; a playground; and a lighted fishing pier. Two cabins accommodate 6; no additional persons authorized. They have central air and heat, kitchen with 4-burner stove and oven, refrigerator, coffee maker, screened back porch, and outdoor smoker/cooker. There are no fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. No bath or bed linens are provided. Check in 2 pm; checkout 12 noon. Be sure to stop by the Texas State Park Store.
Natural Features:
During fall, usually late October through the first two weeks of November, is a particularly scenic time at Martin Creek. Visitors can marvel at the colorful foliage displayed by the many varieties of hardwoods, interspersed with loblolly and short-leaf pine trees.
This forest shelters abundant wildlife including gophers, swamp rabbits, nutria, white-tailed deer, raccoons, armadillos, and squirrels. Park visitors enjoy excellent year-round fishing, due to water warmed by the power plant. Fish include large-mouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, perch, ball, and sunfish. Among the most commonly seen birds are mallard ducks, great blue herons, green-backed herons, great egrets, northern cardinals, blue jays, red-headed woodpeckers, bobwhites, and northern mockingbirds.
Elevation, Weather, and Schedule Information:
Elevation: 385. Weather: Average January minimum 35, average July maximum 94, average annual rainfall 46.5. Open: 7 days a week year-round.
Camping fees vary; entrance fee.
For reservations, call 512/389-8900.
Current conditions including fire bans and water levels can vary from day to day. For more details, call the park or Park Information at 1-800-792-1112.
Martin Creek Lake State Park
RR 2 Box 20
Tatum TX 75691
903/836-4336
For more information go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife web page.