Bonham State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bonham State Park |
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The current park headquarters, originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps ca. 1935
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| Location | Fannin County, Texas |
| Nearest city | Bonham, Texas |
| Area | 261 acres (106 ha) |
| Established | 1933 |
| Governing body | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
Bonham State Park is a fun place to visit in Texas. It's about 261 acres big and has a pretty 65-acre lake, rolling grasslands, and woodlands. You can find it in Bonham, Texas, which is in Fannin County, northeast of Dallas.
Contents
Park History
The state got the land for Bonham State Park in 1933 from the City of Bonham. A group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped build the park between 1933 and 1936. The CCC was a special program that gave jobs to young men during the Great Depression. They worked hard to make the rocky land beautiful and useful for fun activities.
The CCC built a large earthen dam to create the 65-acre lake. They also built many of the park's buildings using local cream-colored limestone and Eastern red cedar. These buildings, like the entrance and the old concession building (now the park headquarters), have a special "rustic" style. The CCC also built picnic tables, barbecue pits, bridges, and a water tower.
Fun Activities
There are lots of cool things to do at Bonham State Park!
- You can go swimming in the lake (but there are no lifeguards).
- Fishing is popular in the lake.
- You can go camping and have picnics.
- There are trails for mountain biking.
- You can go boating on the lake, but boats must go slowly (5 miles per hour speed limit).
Nearby Places to See
If you're visiting Bonham State Park, there are other interesting places nearby:
- Eisenhower State Park is another great park.
- The Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site is where former President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born.
- The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site is a historic home you can visit.
- In Bonham, you can learn about Sam Rayburn at the Sam Rayburn Museum and the Sam Rayburn House Museum. Sam Rayburn was from Fannin County and was the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for 17 years, which is the longest time anyone has held that job!
Campsites and Facilities
Bonham State Park has many facilities to make your visit comfortable:
- Restrooms, some with showers.
- Picnic sites, including a large area for groups.
- Campsites with water and electricity.
- Campsites with only water.
- A group camp with barracks (like dorms) and a dining hall. This camp can hold about 94 people and is rented as one big unit.
- An 11-mile trail for mountain biking and hiking.
- A playground for kids.
- A boat launching ramp and a boat dock.
- A lighted fishing pier for night fishing.
Nature and Wildlife
The park is located in an area called the Texas blackland prairies. This means the land is mostly grassy fields with some woodlands. You'll find more trees along the creeks and the lake's edge.
Even though the grasslands have changed over time, they are getting better. You can see grasses like little bluestem and bushy bluestem. The woodlands have trees like Texas live oak, eastern red cedar, bois d'arc, and Eve's Necklace. Along the water, you might see sugarberry, cottonwood, black willow, and green ash.
In the spring, many wildflowers bloom across the prairie. In the fall, the trees change colors, making the park very beautiful. Because the park is not huge, you might not see a lot of large animals. However, along the lake, you could spot beavers, raccoons, and opossums. Many different kinds of birds visit the park, especially songbirds.
