Mysterious Caddo Lake and Other East Texas Travel Destinations

If Texas brings to mind images of open spaces and ten-gallon hats, and then the Piney Woods of East Texas may change the image of Texas forever. East Texas along the Louisiana border differs from the common perception of the Lone Star State. Country music, chicken fried steak, and chili are just as popular but the setting is so different that the heritage is different too. An East Texas vacation can be a fun-filled event for the entire family or a romantic vista for a couple to enjoy. 

Caddo Lake dominates East Texas. This beautiful lake created by an earthquake foretold by the spirits to a Caddo tribal chief, who failed to listen to the warning, spans more than 26,000 acres. With cypress trees, hanging Spanish moss, and water lilies, the lake looks more like a bayou in Southern Louisiana than a Texas lake but it remains one of the most popular in the state. 

Beautiful, wild, and mysterious, Caddo Lake is so dense and has so many channels that 42 miles of boat roads have been mapped to prevent boaters from becoming lost in the miles of water. The swamp-like atmosphere seems to have risen from prehistoric times and visitors almost expect to see a dinosaur come to drink from the waters. Rumored to be haunted, Caddo Lake offers some of the most outstanding fishing in the state of Texas. Caddo Lake State Park near Karnack offers camping, cabins, swimming, boating, fishing and other recreation. Some of the towns on and near the lake include Karnack (birthplace of former First Lady Johnson), Uncertain, and Marshall. 

Steamboat traffic was once common on the Red River and over the waters of Caddo Lake. Uncertain, Texas gained its’ name from the uncertain landing that steamboat captains found at the site. Today, an authentic recreation of an 1880’s steamboat called The Graceful Ghost travels the waters of Caddo and offers excursion tours. 

Other popular water spots in East Texas include Toledo Bend, a manmade lake made from the Sabine River on the border with Louisiana and the Neches River.