Do you continually drive past the signs for Joe Pool Lake, but never visit because you think that there is nothing to do if you don't have a boat?
There are lots of fun activities to be found, if you just know where to start looking. This is a list of a few of the basic activities found around Joe Pool Lake and the parks found along it's shores.
Joe Pool Lake has four parks with lake access, Lynn Creek, Britton and Loyd Park are all operated by and located in the City of Grand Prairie. Cedar Hill State Park is off of FM 1382 in Cedar Hill. All four parks have boat ramps, and all except Britton offer swimming and playgrounds, and well as picnic tables and charcoal grills. But there are some things that set each park apart from the others. Have fun with your family discovering Joe Pool Lake!
Fishing
Lynn Creek Marina has an enclosed fishing facility, allowing you to fish inside or outside, open 24 hours a day. Live bait such as minnows and worms, can be purchased at the marina store. Fees for up to 12 hours of fishing are $5.00/adults, $3.00 for children under 10, and $1.00 for any additional rods. However, children under 14 can fish for free on Saturday with a paid adult! A Texas fishing license is required for anyone 18 or older. http://www.lynncreekmarina.com/
Cedar Hill State Park offers different fishing activities all year long, including Family Fishing Day, Kids Fishing Derbies, and Learn to Fish workshops. Parents can fish with their children in any state park without a fishing license, however you do have the State Park access fees to pay at the front gate. Call 972-291-3100 or visit their website http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/cedar_hill/
Joe Pool Marina at Cedar Hill State Park also has an indoor/outdoor fishing barge. Open from 6am - 10pm, the fees are $3.00 for anyone 12 or older. Under 12 and over 65 can fish for free. Bait is also available at the Marina. Call 972-299-9010 for more information.
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Kenneth Grahame ('The Wind in the Willows' novelist)
Loyd Park just opened the Walnut Creek Paddling Trail, one of the Texas Parks and Wildlife designated Paddling Trails. This 4.9 mile round trip trail offers paddlers a wonderful chance to experience Walnut Creek from Hwy 360 to the lake. Canoes and kayaks are available for rental at Loyd Park for $30 and $40 for 4 hours. There is no age restriction, and life jackets are required.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/inland/grandprairie_walnutcreek/index.phtml
Lynn Creek Marina offers a variety of rentals, including ski boats, pontoon boats and jet skis. For more information, and to a list of their rates, http://www.lynncreekmarina.com/rentalrates.html
Cedar Hill State Park offers single and double kayak rentals on Sat. and Sunday from 10am until dark. Their rates are $12/hour for a single and $20/hour for a double, includes life jackets and paddles. Novices can practice in the cove, and then venture out to explore the shorelines around the lake.
Call 435-602-9545 to make a reservation, or check out their website; http://live-adventure.com/blog/.
The Lynn Creek Yacht Club has races on Joe Pool Lake during the months of May and June. There is nothing prettier than watching these beautiful sailboats as they glide across the water! Cheer for your favorites, and learn a few new natical terms! For more information and racing schedule;
http://lcyc.org/
Penn Farm Agricultural History Center (Cedar Hill State Park) Visit the remains of the Penn family farm, see tools and machinery used throughout the years. Self guided tours are available, and guided tours are offered once a month. Each December a guided lantern tour is offered, followed by cookies and hot chocolate and caroles sung around a campfire. The Penn family is buried at nearby Little Bethel Cemetery in Duncanville, which makes a interesting side trip after visiting the farm. http://www.cemeteries-of-tx.com/Etx/Dallas/cemetery/LittleBethel.htm
The are 2 Texas Historical Markers located inside the Joe Pool Lake parks:
Wilson Cemetary (Lynn Creek Park)
http://www.gptx.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=1896
Loyd Home - ( Loyd Park)
http://www.gptx.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=1986
The Joe Pool Lake Dam Trail runs along the dam on the North side of the lake. It's flat and wide terrain make it ideal for walkers and cyclist. Dogs are allowed, as long as they remain on a leash. There are two convenient accesses to the trail, in Cedar Hill on FM 1382, just North of the State Park, with a sign marked overlook, or in Lynn Creek Park on the Grand Prairie side. The trail is 3 miles in each directions, making for a 6 mile round trip.
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XMR018-051
Loyd Park offers a hiking trail at the South end of the park, which runs along side much of Walnut Creek. There is also a seperate bike trail in the park. Call ahead for information as to if the trails are open, they close when muddy. http://www.grandfungp.org/lakeparks/mapofpark.htm
Cedar Hill State Park has several hiking trails throughout the park, and offers guided tours along the Duck Pond Trail about once a month. DORBA, the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association, has built an intense network of trails for mountain bikes. Because of the naturally hilly terrain, caution should be used before taking young children on these trails, and always wear a helmet. The trails also close when muddy, for up to date information on trail closures, call 972/291-3900 and press star 2.
Like many state parks, Cedar Hill State Park also offers activities through their Interpretive Programs. Learn about the mammals and reptiles that live in the parks, and the Blackland Prarie itself, during monthly interactive presentations. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/parks/find-a-park/cedar-hill-state-park/park_events/
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