Growing up my family had a lake house about 30 minutes from this park. When I was a teenager I went to a camp 20 minutes from the park. But somehow I never actually went to this park, which is a real shame. This place is beautiful and quickly became a favorite spot for us. It’s crazy to think a place so wonderful is only an hour from our house!
We took this little weekend get away with my parents and their RV.
Where
Huntsville State Park
In the middle of the Sam Houston National Forest.
The Camping
We are relatively new to camping in state parks, but HAVE YOU SEEN THESE SHELTERS?! We didn’t have one, but I’m loving this screened in concept… Especially for our friends who tent camp. There are a lot of spaces for RVs, skoolies, and tents. Each spot is unique, but there is a book at front with pictures that helps to decide which spot is best for you.
Activities
This park has a good variety of activities. They have hiking, boating, fishing, biking, and horseback riding. We actually did a lot of the activities and it was awesome!
There are a couple different places to fish at. We were parked right next to a dock and we had pretty good luck with worms. I don’t think I never saw this dock empty. We did spot some gators, which was pretty neat!
My mom and I went canoeing! They have canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats for rent. The lake was really smooth and a good workout. If you are an experienced paddler I would leave the general area where everyone else is paddling and take your own adventure. Will definitely canoe again here!
I also went on a solo hike! I haven’t done this in years, but it was really nice. I’m already jonesing to get out there again. Just a short 45 minute hike (half in rain), but I enjoyed it. Especially this bench to take in the scenery!
Meal Tips & Tricks
We had a few AWESOME meals. Friday night we used our new mini grill to to grill some pre marinated pork chops. I then used the electric skillet to make cheesy potatoes(recipe coming soon!). To round out the meal we had a salad… Note to self: Always bring a bagged salad! This was stupid easy.
If you follow us on Instagram, you know we’ve been experimenting will making biscuits in an electric skillet. 3 attempts later and we still aren’t there yet, but our alternative was awesome! We did Sprite biscuits with jalapeños and cheese, but cooked them like pancakes. They were delicious! Our other breakfast included browned breakfast sausage with shredded potatoes and cheese. We loved using our new electric skillet!
Local Attractions
If you are ever in Huntsville, make sure you stop by City Hall Pie Bar! We stopped by the try the pie and ended up getting some appetizers too. They had pretty good cheese and bacon potato wedges and homemade tater chips. For dessert I got the chocolate cream and Austin got the blackberry cobbler. Both were good calls! This place is really cutely decorated too… Shabby chic, but in a manly way. They had a lot of elements that guys would like.
We got breakfast one morning at Toasted. We’ve been here before, so it’s a favorite of ours. Sometimes the service is slow, but it’s worth it. Wonderful biscuits, good breakfast variety, but skip their coffee. Prices are reasonable and they have booze!
Growing up I watched them build the statue of Sam Houston. Somehow I have never actually stopped to look at him in the twenty something years he has been up. This changed with this trip! Austin and I went and looked at this statue up close. It was pretty cool and created some fun photo opportunities.
Final Thoughts
We loved it here! I seriously can’t believe a place so perfect for a weekend getaway is this close to home. I’m glad Austin and I got our Texas State Parks passes so we can have some cheaper weekend getaways. Can’t wait to go back!!
This park also piqued my interest in the CCC. I can’t wait to learn more about this program through the parks we visit.
Us and a Bus 